For the moment I have forgotten what week I am up to, and exactly how many kilometres I have completed. I do know that I have now raised $1,100 and have 79 likes on Facebook :)
A few weeks ago was event number three, and it went a little something like this .... Note: I'll spare you the details of the trip to Melbourne and the shopping and eating that followed, and try to just focus on the 'race'. It's worth mentioning though that the weather on Friday and Saturday was miserable! Rain, freezing cold and windy and Sunday's forecast was not much better!
I prepared and laid everything out the night before - including my porridge (although that did go in the fridge) - and set my alarm for 5am. I went to bed more excited than nervous, although I was dreading the thought of running in the forecast rain and windy conditions.
My alarm went off, and in true non-morning person style hit the snooze button a few too many times, before dragging myself out of bed to eat my porridge. I took a peek out of the window and it looked like it was midnight - the sky pitch black and city lights shining. Someone forgot to remind me that the sun doesn't rise til 7:30am!
A few weeks ago was event number three, and it went a little something like this .... Note: I'll spare you the details of the trip to Melbourne and the shopping and eating that followed, and try to just focus on the 'race'. It's worth mentioning though that the weather on Friday and Saturday was miserable! Rain, freezing cold and windy and Sunday's forecast was not much better!
I prepared and laid everything out the night before - including my porridge (although that did go in the fridge) - and set my alarm for 5am. I went to bed more excited than nervous, although I was dreading the thought of running in the forecast rain and windy conditions.
My alarm went off, and in true non-morning person style hit the snooze button a few too many times, before dragging myself out of bed to eat my porridge. I took a peek out of the window and it looked like it was midnight - the sky pitch black and city lights shining. Someone forgot to remind me that the sun doesn't rise til 7:30am!
I finished getting ready and managed to drag Byron out of bed and set off. We met a guy in the hotel lift clearly heading in the same direction as us. After briefly chatting to him, I realised he assumed that Byron was the one running and that I was the support crew. I was mildly amused but a bit miffed too - I guess that happens when you don't 'look' like a runner.
As we walked towards Federation Square from our hotel, it was like watching two worlds collide. The steadily growing crowd of runners heading to the event, intermingling with late night stragglers heading home with souvlaki's and pizza in hand. Lycra 'Skins' clad, bib wearers emerged out of the darkness, clearly excited and a little cold.
As the crowd grew so did the queue for the toilets. Why events expecting large crowds don't adequately cater for such things I don't know, but with over 6,000 people starting the Half Marathon, and a considerable proportion of them women, I am not sure why there weren't a few more loo's available for that last minute nervous pit stop.
By the time I made the front of the queue the first wave had set off. Luckily it takes a while to start that many runners so I still had time to say a quick goodbye to Byron and strip off my lovely warm trackies and jumper before making my way to the back of the start line and then wait another 15 minutes or so before setting off. I was so far down the back I think there would have been less than 100 people behind me, including a person dressed as a bear and another as some rock type character. No, not a rock star, a ROCK.... Don't ask - I have NO idea!
Desperately trying to keep warm before the reaching the start involved all types of shuffling, jiggling, hand rubbing and half hearted attempts at running on the spot. As each wave set off we slowly shuffled towards the start, growing more excited and getting caught up in the atmosphere. The Run Melbourne event is great - lots of performers and music and a great MC to try and amp up the crowd.
Then it was our turn, the back of the back of the back of the pack! We crossed the start line, starting our various technological devices, hearing the bip beeps as we crossed the mats, and set off towards Flinders Street Station and left down Flinders Street. It was about this time that I looked around and realised that the sun was up. That's right - the SUN!! It was still a little hard to tell, but it was certainly looking like we were in for good weather!
It's amazing how quickly 6,000 people spread out - perhaps it had something to do with being so far at the back - but it was very easy to find your own place and pace and not have to worry about dodging too many people. It wasn't long before we ran past the first performer, although I must say that I needed something more rousing than 'opera' to inspire me that early in the morning!
As we weaved our way around the streets of Melbourne, the sun came out, and it was a gorgeous morning with not a cloud in the sky. It was still cold and I ran in a long sleeve top the whole way - BUT it wasn't RAINING!! I KNEW buying ponchos and umbrellas would keep the weather gods at bay!
During the first lap I was trying to work out whether some of the discomfort I was feeling was worth worrying about when I heard a bike bell and someone yelling 'keep left - lead runner coming through'. Dutifully I moved left (unlike some other runners wearing headphones, oblivious to their surrounds) and watched the pace leader cycle past..... followed by a guy in a wheelchair. Well ... I quickly told myself to 'suck it up and just run'. As we turned a corner and headed up a small hill, you could hear the exertion required by the lead runner to get himself up that hill. Amongst some encouraging cheering from a few fellow runners for the lead runner, I was suddenly overcome with admiration and emotion and had to start choking back tears... Tears and running don't mix... it took a lot of effort to regain control of my breathing and compose myself.
As we descended the hill a few of us commented to each other what a glorious day it was and just how lucky we were to be out running that morning. There is a small loop that runs along the river and I spotted a 'friend' I had made in the queue earlier in the morning and yelled out to cheer her on and was greeted with a big grin and a wave.
On my second lap, and passing the botanic gardens I noticed a curious trail of orange 'stuff' along the road. I soon realised that our 'Rock' friend was slowly falling apart having spotted him a while back, now missing his 'head' and looking rather warm. The second lap went as well as the first, and I didn't experience any of the struggle I did during my first Half Marathon last year, at the 15km and again the 18-19km mark when I ... just...wanted ..... it... to ...ennndddd.
My plan for this run was to a) finish b) not come last c) enjoy the atmosphere and 'just run' - with the goal to run the whole way (only stopping to walk through the water stations) and to improve on the time I did for my first half marathon in Sydney last year. I'm pleased to say I did all of those things and really enjoyed the whole event. As the final kilometre marker came into view I was able to pick up my pace and make a bit of a dash to the finish line.
I crossed the line and took time just to look around at my fellow runners, congratulating a few that I had encountered a long the way, and just admire the BLUE BLUE sky. My loo-line friend spotted me and came up and gave me a congratulatory hug and a well done! Just beyond the finish line was a team of volunteers sitting on upturned crates ready to snip off the timing tags attached to our shoes. You don't realise how wonderful that is until your trying to fiddle with twist ties on your feet having just run 21.1km! I'm pretty sure those lovely volunteers were VERY glad it wasn't raining.
After receiving my free bottle of water and medal I started the task of trying to find Byron in the ever growing crowd of Half Marathon and 10km finishers and 5km and 3km starters. It didn't take too long before we found each other.
After rugging up and grabbing a banana I turned to Byron and said.. 'you know what..... I think I can now call myself a runner'.
As we walked towards Federation Square from our hotel, it was like watching two worlds collide. The steadily growing crowd of runners heading to the event, intermingling with late night stragglers heading home with souvlaki's and pizza in hand. Lycra 'Skins' clad, bib wearers emerged out of the darkness, clearly excited and a little cold.
As the crowd grew so did the queue for the toilets. Why events expecting large crowds don't adequately cater for such things I don't know, but with over 6,000 people starting the Half Marathon, and a considerable proportion of them women, I am not sure why there weren't a few more loo's available for that last minute nervous pit stop.
By the time I made the front of the queue the first wave had set off. Luckily it takes a while to start that many runners so I still had time to say a quick goodbye to Byron and strip off my lovely warm trackies and jumper before making my way to the back of the start line and then wait another 15 minutes or so before setting off. I was so far down the back I think there would have been less than 100 people behind me, including a person dressed as a bear and another as some rock type character. No, not a rock star, a ROCK.... Don't ask - I have NO idea!
Desperately trying to keep warm before the reaching the start involved all types of shuffling, jiggling, hand rubbing and half hearted attempts at running on the spot. As each wave set off we slowly shuffled towards the start, growing more excited and getting caught up in the atmosphere. The Run Melbourne event is great - lots of performers and music and a great MC to try and amp up the crowd.
Then it was our turn, the back of the back of the back of the pack! We crossed the start line, starting our various technological devices, hearing the bip beeps as we crossed the mats, and set off towards Flinders Street Station and left down Flinders Street. It was about this time that I looked around and realised that the sun was up. That's right - the SUN!! It was still a little hard to tell, but it was certainly looking like we were in for good weather!
It's amazing how quickly 6,000 people spread out - perhaps it had something to do with being so far at the back - but it was very easy to find your own place and pace and not have to worry about dodging too many people. It wasn't long before we ran past the first performer, although I must say that I needed something more rousing than 'opera' to inspire me that early in the morning!
As we weaved our way around the streets of Melbourne, the sun came out, and it was a gorgeous morning with not a cloud in the sky. It was still cold and I ran in a long sleeve top the whole way - BUT it wasn't RAINING!! I KNEW buying ponchos and umbrellas would keep the weather gods at bay!
During the first lap I was trying to work out whether some of the discomfort I was feeling was worth worrying about when I heard a bike bell and someone yelling 'keep left - lead runner coming through'. Dutifully I moved left (unlike some other runners wearing headphones, oblivious to their surrounds) and watched the pace leader cycle past..... followed by a guy in a wheelchair. Well ... I quickly told myself to 'suck it up and just run'. As we turned a corner and headed up a small hill, you could hear the exertion required by the lead runner to get himself up that hill. Amongst some encouraging cheering from a few fellow runners for the lead runner, I was suddenly overcome with admiration and emotion and had to start choking back tears... Tears and running don't mix... it took a lot of effort to regain control of my breathing and compose myself.
As we descended the hill a few of us commented to each other what a glorious day it was and just how lucky we were to be out running that morning. There is a small loop that runs along the river and I spotted a 'friend' I had made in the queue earlier in the morning and yelled out to cheer her on and was greeted with a big grin and a wave.
On my second lap, and passing the botanic gardens I noticed a curious trail of orange 'stuff' along the road. I soon realised that our 'Rock' friend was slowly falling apart having spotted him a while back, now missing his 'head' and looking rather warm. The second lap went as well as the first, and I didn't experience any of the struggle I did during my first Half Marathon last year, at the 15km and again the 18-19km mark when I ... just...wanted ..... it... to ...ennndddd.
My plan for this run was to a) finish b) not come last c) enjoy the atmosphere and 'just run' - with the goal to run the whole way (only stopping to walk through the water stations) and to improve on the time I did for my first half marathon in Sydney last year. I'm pleased to say I did all of those things and really enjoyed the whole event. As the final kilometre marker came into view I was able to pick up my pace and make a bit of a dash to the finish line.
I crossed the line and took time just to look around at my fellow runners, congratulating a few that I had encountered a long the way, and just admire the BLUE BLUE sky. My loo-line friend spotted me and came up and gave me a congratulatory hug and a well done! Just beyond the finish line was a team of volunteers sitting on upturned crates ready to snip off the timing tags attached to our shoes. You don't realise how wonderful that is until your trying to fiddle with twist ties on your feet having just run 21.1km! I'm pretty sure those lovely volunteers were VERY glad it wasn't raining.
After receiving my free bottle of water and medal I started the task of trying to find Byron in the ever growing crowd of Half Marathon and 10km finishers and 5km and 3km starters. It didn't take too long before we found each other.
After rugging up and grabbing a banana I turned to Byron and said.. 'you know what..... I think I can now call myself a runner'.