Porto Mini-Marathon update: We ran the 10km race on Sunday! Finally an update! Here are some photos of me and my boyfriend before the race, getting ready and being dropped off downtown ready to warm-up and gather with the rest of the participants! Following a light lunch and having not drunk not too many liquids prior to the race, we were ready to experience our first 'real' racing event in our city!  Running this 10km race was a very humbling and rewarding experience. The mind is a very powerful thing, and although we might not think about this everyday, it very much influences how much power and perseverance we put into focusing when exercising. I noticed my motivation and determination to complete the race without stopping was very clearly transmitted to my whole body. There were 4500 athletes in total present, many of them professional runners. The adrenalin, the competitive rush in the air (one of the things I love most about practicing a sport) and the beginners feeling of being at a 'real' race, was unexplainable! The 10 kilometers came along faster than I thought. I started off pretty slowly, as I know my rhythm and body quite well, I can't push it at the start. This enabled me to speed up a faster pace after the 7km mark, giving a boost to my competitive motivation. However, I had to control this speeding up with slow and deep breaths throughout, as well as keeping my back and chest very straight. I completed the race in 1h2min, quite tired, but with calm breathing, and no pain, just sore legs. The winner completed the 10km race in 28min..can you imagine that?! Absolutely amazing! This was certainly a personal achievement for me, and one I hope to repete again in a near future. Now I have a personal time to beat, and I know how my body and heart behaves with running for as long as an hour. I believe in No pain, No gain. No challenge is too hard, it just depends on you wanting it.                                          The view at the starting point of the race!
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