on the way to Telopea i check that Jodie and our cheer squad were on their way...i managed to secure a park in front of the pool then it was a quick change and another phone check to see where Jodie was - i was worried she was going to miss the start...
after making sure i had everything i headed over to the corner between the 10k & 5k starts to await Jodie...while waiting i caught up with speedygeoff who was warming up for the marathon & his 4hr pacing duties...i saw numerous CR caps & tops, both as competitors and supporters...
Jodie, Suze & Hux finally arrived and we had a quick chat, with Friar there as well, before heading to our starts...
the gun went off smack on 4pm and away we went...i seemed to settle into a nice pace fairly early but found the 2 loops of the school hard before heading out onto the bigger loop...
the little hill behind the school seemed to get steeper each time - i think that might have had something to do with running up it 4 times!....the wind was also quite stiff in places...
my Garmin was beeping before each k marker (i obviously wasn't running the best line as i preferred to stay away from the gutters) but i had resolved to only look at it when i went through 5k to see how i was going (22:59)...speedygeoff was also standing there and gave me an update as well...with that time i knew if could hold it together i'd have a PB...
the amount of support, particularly just after the start and near the finish on each lap was awesome...i heard someone yell out my real name (as opposed to my handle) on the second small loop and it took me a big loop lap to figure out who it was - Tiger Angel (who i had met at the Sydney Half in September)...that was such a surprise...everytime i got a cheer i tried to smile & give a wave (honest, it was a smile and not a grimace!)...there was Gnome, The Owl, Plu, Griffen to name just a few of the many out there...Suze & Hux were a block from the finish and i got a little cheer from them (well, Suze then) each time as well...
just after the start of the last big loop, i received my now standard (!) CR cheer and then immediately after heard a cheer go up for Go Girl so i knew she was going to be a challenge as she's in training for the Gold Coast marathon...i tried to pick up the pace a bit but sure enough just after the 9k marker she caught me, i tried to keep with her but she steadily pulled ahead to about 20ms or so...then we rounded the last bend with the finish in sight...
my theory (so far) is that no matter how stuffed you are or how hard you have pushed yourself in a race there's always a little bit left for the finishing sprint...
Jodie had finished (in a great time of 28:56) and decided to run with me to the end as well...i picked up the pace and as i caught up to Go Girl, i yelled out to her to not let me pass her but pass her i did and finished in a PB of 46:05!
this is my fastest 10k in 9 years by 63 seconds, a time when i was at the peak of my fitness for cricket (that year i also managed a best of 11.7 on the "bleep" test)...
since i started running in May last year (that is with a schedule and certain goals in mind) i have now run 3 10ks events...my times for these have gone from 51:00 (June) to 49:49 (October, also the first time i had run under 50mins in 5 years) and now to 46:05...
after the event i caught up with Go Girl and got to meet Go Aussie as well...then it was a quick change into something warmer and then a catch up with the CR cheerquad as we watched WildThing finish...
Jodie & i did a quick browse of the expo where i bought my first long sleeved training shirt, especially for the now cooler training runs and then it was back outside for the barrel draw and some dutch pancakes (yum!)...
Jodie scored a pair of socks while Aki won a weekend for 2 at Rydges Capital Hill...
after giving Aki a lift home, we had dinner out at Gungahlin Lakes before an early night in preparation for my marshalling duties...
5 comments:
A recent pb on the slowest 10km course in the world! Well done, it can only get better.
Well done on the great PB Allrounder ! Your the hardest working gal I know, so a PB like that is totally deserved. Sub 45 not far off I reckon ! :)
Pass on my best to Jodie too! As Customs is a faster course, there is no excuse for her now to take it so easy!
:) Those pancakes were well deserved!
Great time AR!
I don't agree with Geoff - it's only the slowest 10k course west of the Blue Mountains.
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