I’ve just crossed the finish line of the CDF 10k, and it was, without a doubt, the most painful race I’ve ever done. From the start, I knew my knee injury might cause some trouble, but I didn’t anticipate just how much it would test me. By the 7-8k mark, the pain was so intense that, for the first time in any race, I seriously considered quitting.
Pushing through those final kilometers felt like an eternity. Every step was a battle between my determination to finish and the reality of how injured I actually am. It wasn’t the race I had hoped for, and it forced me to confront just how much this injury is holding me back.
Despite everything, I made it to the finish line. Crossing it was bittersweet—relief that I’d completed the race, but also frustration knowing that I’m not in the shape I want to be. This experience has been a wake-up call that I need to focus more on recovery before I can take on more races.
Finishing the Run 4 Wales series was a goal I set for myself, and I’m proud I accomplished it. But this race reminded me that sometimes, the biggest victories come not from speed or distance, but from simply finding the strength to keep going when everything in you wants to stop.