On the day there were 3 races: A Half, a 10km and a 5km. The half was timed by the people running the race, and the runners all had wee timers or whatever stuck to their bibs. Unfortunately, they left the timing of the 10k to the runners themselves :P
At 10am the runners for the half marathon left, and then the runners for the 10km merged onto the road, and ten minutes after the half marathoners we started.
It was pretty cruisey at the start; there was a big hill at the start that you could coast down. The scenery was beautiful across the bridge over the river. It also ran along the lagoon, and passed some beautiful houses.
Yes I realise it looks cold - that is because it is Winter here.
OH did I mention it was ABSOLUTELY PISSING DOWN THE ENTIRE TIME. The whole race.
The course was really flat so it wasn't hard, but mentally I wasn't the best. The rain didn't help. I was struggling a bit at the start, and so I started, again, thinking of passing people, and I perked myself up by thinking "I am going to make this 10km my bitch!" Lame I know. Luckily a lot of it was along a route that I run all the time, which was good for me I think.
With my plan to run it in 1.05, I was trying to run 6.50 minute Ks. But that pretty much went out of the window on my second km that wasn't downhill. So I thought bugger it, I'm going to run it how I like it, and just do my best to push the second half.
At the half-way mark there was a wee old bloke who read out our times to us as we ran passed him. It was really cute haha and he called out "45 minutes something something", and I said "Thanks!" while secretly thinking what the fuck, I am slow today. There is no way I am hitting my mark today.
But I kept up, and I kept passing people (although along the lagoon stretch I did get passed by one lady, grrr), and I happily pushed it. There were even some bagpipers practising along the route, which I took my earpiece out for.
Once the track looped back to the bridge, I passed a walker. He was humming, so it was tough getting in front of him! I felt like I was going pretty well, even though lots of half-marathoners were passing me. One boy from my work did, and he turned around and waved which was really nice.
But I hadn't thought about how much of a bitch that hill was going to be running it on the way up. It killed me. I was huffing and puffing, I may as well have been walking haha. I even walked for two steps before I gave myself a big telling off and picking up the pace again. I felt sad, but at least I knew I was really knuckling under and giving it everything. I was shagged.
The end of the race was misleading; I thought the finish line was much much sooner than it was. In that last .5km after the hill I was shamelessly passed by quite a few people, including the walker I'd passed earlier. I kept running, and when I turned the corner to the last few metres (maybe 200?), I couldn't go any faster.
You know how getting to the finish line somehow gives you that extra boost of energy? Well that didn't happen for me. I looked up and saw the big clock, and it read 1.19.47. I thought, You're joking. My aim was 1.05, and I'm nearly 15 minutes over?? What a joke. I dug deep and picked up the pace for the last 20 metres so that I would get under 1.20.00, and luckily I did, but I was still waaaay off my aim. :(
The bonus at the end? George (the BF) was waiting at the finish line! I didn't know he'd come along. Yes, he was clearly there to report on it, not to see me, but he did call my name and wave in my face to get my attention after I'd crossed that finish line. And then he pocketed my ipod for me because by then it was bucketing down. I was freezing and drenched, my hair was totally matted into a nest. So I was pretty happy when he said he could take me home. So well done George, you're a top BF haha, even if I'm not a top runner.
We got a free energy drink and bananas (neither of which I had, I just beelined for the water), and the half marathoners got a medal. I was jealous; I wanted a medal! haha. But I was gutted that I was so so so over my time. George said that when he interviewed the winner, he'd said the rain slowed everyone down. I realised that 1.05.00 was very ambitious, but I'd run it in 1.08 before hand, so when I came in a 1.19.55 I was really really gutted.
It wasn't until 7pm that night, sitting at home in my pyjamas, drinking a hot coffee, after my shower and hours later, that I realised the clock wasn't showing our time. It was showing the time for the half marathoners. Who started 10 minutes before us. Which meant that I was actually 10 minutes out.
Which means I actually finished in 1.09!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Relief and redemption! Haha yaaaay!
OH did I mention it was ABSOLUTELY PISSING DOWN THE ENTIRE TIME. The whole race.
The course was really flat so it wasn't hard, but mentally I wasn't the best. The rain didn't help. I was struggling a bit at the start, and so I started, again, thinking of passing people, and I perked myself up by thinking "I am going to make this 10km my bitch!" Lame I know. Luckily a lot of it was along a route that I run all the time, which was good for me I think.
With my plan to run it in 1.05, I was trying to run 6.50 minute Ks. But that pretty much went out of the window on my second km that wasn't downhill. So I thought bugger it, I'm going to run it how I like it, and just do my best to push the second half.
At the half-way mark there was a wee old bloke who read out our times to us as we ran passed him. It was really cute haha and he called out "45 minutes something something", and I said "Thanks!" while secretly thinking what the fuck, I am slow today. There is no way I am hitting my mark today.
But I kept up, and I kept passing people (although along the lagoon stretch I did get passed by one lady, grrr), and I happily pushed it. There were even some bagpipers practising along the route, which I took my earpiece out for.
Once the track looped back to the bridge, I passed a walker. He was humming, so it was tough getting in front of him! I felt like I was going pretty well, even though lots of half-marathoners were passing me. One boy from my work did, and he turned around and waved which was really nice.
But I hadn't thought about how much of a bitch that hill was going to be running it on the way up. It killed me. I was huffing and puffing, I may as well have been walking haha. I even walked for two steps before I gave myself a big telling off and picking up the pace again. I felt sad, but at least I knew I was really knuckling under and giving it everything. I was shagged.
The end of the race was misleading; I thought the finish line was much much sooner than it was. In that last .5km after the hill I was shamelessly passed by quite a few people, including the walker I'd passed earlier. I kept running, and when I turned the corner to the last few metres (maybe 200?), I couldn't go any faster.
You know how getting to the finish line somehow gives you that extra boost of energy? Well that didn't happen for me. I looked up and saw the big clock, and it read 1.19.47. I thought, You're joking. My aim was 1.05, and I'm nearly 15 minutes over?? What a joke. I dug deep and picked up the pace for the last 20 metres so that I would get under 1.20.00, and luckily I did, but I was still waaaay off my aim. :(
The bonus at the end? George (the BF) was waiting at the finish line! I didn't know he'd come along. Yes, he was clearly there to report on it, not to see me, but he did call my name and wave in my face to get my attention after I'd crossed that finish line. And then he pocketed my ipod for me because by then it was bucketing down. I was freezing and drenched, my hair was totally matted into a nest. So I was pretty happy when he said he could take me home. So well done George, you're a top BF haha, even if I'm not a top runner.
We got a free energy drink and bananas (neither of which I had, I just beelined for the water), and the half marathoners got a medal. I was jealous; I wanted a medal! haha. But I was gutted that I was so so so over my time. George said that when he interviewed the winner, he'd said the rain slowed everyone down. I realised that 1.05.00 was very ambitious, but I'd run it in 1.08 before hand, so when I came in a 1.19.55 I was really really gutted.
It wasn't until 7pm that night, sitting at home in my pyjamas, drinking a hot coffee, after my shower and hours later, that I realised the clock wasn't showing our time. It was showing the time for the half marathoners. Who started 10 minutes before us. Which meant that I was actually 10 minutes out.
Which means I actually finished in 1.09!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Relief and redemption! Haha yaaaay!
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