It feels so weird that this is now over. How will I define my life now?
Okay, it was a pretty great day. Up bright and early to pick up lee and head off to the station to catch the earlier train on the other line. There were heaps of green shirts around which was cool as well. The day was almost derailed early due to urination issues. By the time I arrived at the start I was busting to pee. With not much time due to the train issues, I had to check my clothing etc so when I joined the line I had not very much time left and the line was *long*. As I waited, one of the marshalls starts to call out that it is 5 mins to the start. With no line movement happening, and not wanting to miss the start, I went to the start area, thinking that I would cope somehow. After 20 minutes of aimlessly milling around at the start while announcers were saying stuff that I couldn’t hear, I figured I was nuts to even consider running with my legs crossed the way they were and I should stop being a baby and go and queue up. Which I did, felt enormous relief and when I rejoined the start group, I still had a heap of time before we crossed the line. Comparing the clock at the finish indicated that it took over 15 minutes to cross the start line.
With my stretching regime interrupted by jumping in and out of toilet queues, I predictably experienced some stiffness in my calves after a couple of k of pounding the road, so I stopped a couple of times briefly to stretch. I knew that it would be okay and go away though so I wasn’t stressed. It was all pretty tough going through the Domain Tunnel. The air was pretty oppressive and very hot. Much of the first 3-4K was spent dodging walkers as well, some of whom must have started quite a way further up towards the front of the pack.
The fresh breeze out of the tunnel was great. Running along the freeway was kind of bizarre, and I was most worried about dodging the road seams, which were whopping great metal plates slick from the rain with nasty little spaces in the middle to trip over. I kicked one of the damn things early on, jarring one of my toes which always complains a bit anyway, forcing me to release a number of fine expletives to vent my feelings on the matter.
By about the Bolte Bridge I was beginning to really settle into a good rhythm and enjoy myself. The trip down the other side of the bridge was great fun. The spectators and barrackers were very encouraging, as were the marshalls and volunteers. Even at my slow pace, the time just seemed to fly by, though that might have been because I was mesmerised by some of the more, ahem, unorthodox running styles on display from time to time. I walked through all of the drink stations (except for the last one). The last three or four km were pretty tough. As much as I was telling myself it was just a short jaunt around the block, I wasn’t having a bar of it.
Was great to cross the finish line. My goal for this had been to finish in under 2 hours which I fully expected to miss out on by a good couple of minutes. But amazingly enough nudge had 1:59:XX when I crossed the line. Actually don’t know what the time was because for some reason when I uploaded nudge’s data both the time and distance were substantially less than they had been at the finish. So who knows. A little peeved about the fact that the course seems to have been run short, which means that the under 2hours thing is probably not an accurate reflection of time for 15.2K.
Met up with some ausrunners and coolrunners after the event at Fed Square which was great fun. Put a few more faces to names. I was incredibly sore after this finished. Given an interupted last couple of weeks of training and a previous longest run of a very slow 12K, I shouldn’t be surprised. Couldn’t bring myself to ice bath but did sit myself in a cold water bath for half an hour, which was painful enough. I think that I really need to get a new pair of shoes, even though they don’t have that many kms on them. But it seems some fat chick has been running in them when I haven’t been looking and I guess they are getting towards the end of their life.
Yesterday all day felt immensely tired and incredibly hungry. Had a nanna nap in the afternoon and ended up having a second dinner later last night because couldn’t stop the tummy growling. All good stuff, just more of it than usual. Today the legs are a bit sore, so aiming to do a gentle cycle tonight and then an easy recovery run tomorrow or Wednesday depending how I feel.
9 comments
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April 2, 2007 at 2:02 pm
kathrynoh
You must have been further up than us cos I went through the finish line about 20 mins after the clock time. I’m glad you managed to get to the toilet, would have made for a very uncomfortable run otherwise.
Those metal things on the bridge were very awful. I was sure I’d come a cropper on one of them.
I can’t do the ice bath thing… I think I need to toughen up cos i can’t even do a lukewarm bath.
April 2, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Beakus
I have to agree about the metal joins – I was absolutely sure I’d go arse over on one π sounds like you had a good run Deege, and brillaint to get in just about on your predicted time. I felt the same about the distance, I was really pleased with my time for 15.2k, but don’t feel as great now it’s 14.8k… although it’s not a huge amount it does make that difference.
As for the tiredness – I had a huuuge nanna nap yesterday, and still feel it today. The appetite went awry yesterday, but I’ve been craving sugary/salty stuff all day today π I’m trying to steer clear of the charity sweets! π
Glad I wasn’t the only one bemused by some of the running styles… some of them looked positively pain inducing! But then, I have no idea what I look like running… probably an unco fool π
Well done matey!
B.
April 2, 2007 at 5:46 pm
sarah
I love the title of your blog! π
Congrats on the R4TK!! It sounds like a great race, makes me wish I still lived in Melbourne! I would have been very stressed about the toilet situation!
Thanks for your comments on my blog – I think you’re right about the 10k!
April 2, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Angela
Congrats – thats quite a distance!
April 2, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Em
Congrats – was that your longest run to date?
Another year of the Project and you’ll run a great PB at next years race π
April 2, 2007 at 9:30 pm
deege
Yep, longest run so far (actually ever – young deege runner never went this far). Previous best was only about 12K.
April 2, 2007 at 11:26 pm
kathy
deege, I loved your post. I felt like I was there. Thank you for writing so descriptively.
April 3, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Lee
You had a Nanna nap, oh you lucky, lucky girl! Your legs were sore!! I am still walking around like a tin man π
Congrats deege, awesome effort π
April 3, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Vicky
A great effort Deege and a great race report – I also like to be made to feel like I was ‘there’ !! You’ve out-run the old running Deege – thats a great achievement in itself.
MAR.