Sweaty hugs from strangers (and Run4Fun)

One of the things I love about racing is the camaraderie that occurs between runners in the seconds after crossing the finish line. In my experience I've found the general rule is the more exhausted you are, the more inclined you are to throw your arms around the nearest person (and vice-versa).

If you think about this is a non-race situation, it's gross. I certainly wouldn't go near a panting, sweaty, often-sticky-with-gel-and-sports-drink stranger if they approached me in the street, mumbling incoherently about "thatlastkilometrekilledmeyoudidsowellIjustcouldn'thangon."But put me in a race situation and I'll welcome those hugs as if they were coming from Grandma herself.

What sparked these (oh so insightful) reflections you ask? I ran the Rebel Run4Fun on Sunday 4 November and the friendly atmosphere at the finish was magic. I was hugging strangers as if they were old friends and having conversations with people as if I'd known them for years. Truth be told, I was a little disappointed with my time but I felt so incredibly happy to be out amongst other like-minded runners. There is something so wonderful about feeling part of a community.

Run4Fun - Homebush - 10k
So, to the race. I was aiming to break 37 minutes. I thought I had a shot, but I've had so little experience racing 10k that I wasn't sure how things would pan out. My first half was quicker than my second half (I have to learn to pace myself) and I ended up finishing in 37.09, fifth woman. Happy enough because it's a PB (my third PB in as many races) but a bit miffed because I hadn't broken the 37 mark.

Interestingly enough, there has been a fair bit of discussion about the course being 200m long. The course was certified, but talk is that a turn point was put in the wrong spot. If true, this would mean I would have hit my target time, which is a bit disappointing. Having said that, the race has been run (and won by Lara Tamsett and Ben St Lawrence for those of you playing at home) and all I can do is look forward to the next 10k to try and achieve my goal.

I wore the Mizuno Ronin for the race and I can now say, without a doubt, they are definitely my favourite shoes to race in. They are light, responsive and really comfortable. I'm pretty confident they'll stand up to the marathon distance too.

Life has been incredibly hectic lately - work is taking precedence over everything and I am working incredibly long hours to get everything done. Working from home is a joy but it also means that if you need to stay up until 2am to get something done, you do it.

Naturally, this is making it hard to fit in quality training sessions, but I am trying hard to get it all done. I surprised myself on Tuesday - I had done an easy 7k in the morning because I thought that may have been my only chance to get a run in but the interval session was hanging over my head like a big, black cloud. At about 5.30pm I pushed myself out the door and headed to the oval. I felt flat and sluggish and I couldn't focus (I kept thinking about work), but I got through my session. What a change! A few months ago I would have looked for any excuse to avoid interval work.

I had a pretty solid weekend too, which has probably taken a bit of a toll on my legs. I did a three-hour ride on the M7 on Saturday, followed by a very short run (I am still considering doing Canberra half Ironman, but things are looking very doubtful right now). On Saturday I did a 30k run (I had 35k scheduled, but that was without taking the Saturday ride into consideration). This was on top of a lot of work, which is doing my head in and stressing me out.

This is always the busiest time of year for me and I am really looking forward to Christmas so I can take some time out. Still, I have a few more deadlines and a few more races before then.

Keep on running.

Nepean Triathlon

It's funny, but it took a triathlon to really make me feel like a runner.

I did my first Nepean Tri yesterday. It was my second triathlon ever (my first was a women's Trishave sprint in early 2010).

One of the greatest things about this race was my complete lack of the usual race nerves. There was a little concern that I might crash the bike, but the horrible nerves I am plagued with whenever I have a running race were conspicuously absent. It was lovely, and I put it down to the fact that I knew the tri didn't matter. No pressure, no demands for a certain time. Super way to go into it.

The wonderful people at Panther Cycles had squeezed my bike in for a last minute service, so she was all ready for her second race outing. I had a new two-piece tri suit that was not only comfortable and fit me really well but matched my bike too. Thanks Zoot!

The time
I guessed I'd do around two hours, given my lack of bike skills, and I was bang on - 1:59:52.

Swim - 19:00
I thought I'd go a bit quicker in the swim - 19 mins was slow compared to what I do in the pool, but maybe I underestimated how much the kicks and punches to the head and body would take! I copped a few good ones over the first 250 metres (especially from one girl who seemed to be making a sport of it!), but I gave a few too. I felt fine during the swim, breathing every stroke and using other people as guides rather than trying to sight the buoy. It was comfortable - is it supposed to be comfortable? Triathlon's a whole different beast and I have no idea how the pacing thing works.

Bike - 1:03:05
Yes, OK - I know this is bad!! The first lap gave me a chance to feel things out and see how aggressive other people were going to be in the technical sections - I didn't want anyone too close as I was cornering in case I decided to be unintentionally unpredictable! I lost LOTS of time, and again, maybe I should have worked harder. The second lap was better than the first because I knew what was coming - still, people motored past me like they were on motorbikes and I was riding a shopping trolley. Funnily enough, it didn't worry me and I was enjoying myself. I found myself looking forward to the run because, as I said to myself, 'My body knows exactly what to do."

Run - 37.46
Yeah baby, that's right - 37:46. I had no idea I would run this well off the bike. I actually felt awful for the first four kilometres, I thought I was going really slowly despite the fact I was passing lots of people. My legs felt heavy and I had to concentrate to get myself moving. I took a few seconds in the transition area to drink some Gatorade, then popped a gel as I ran out, and by the first water station I was wondering how the hell people do IM!!

By the second lap I got a bit of rhythm, but I certainly felt like I was working hard. Part of me was thinking, 'Oh god, please don't let me run over 40 minutes because this is feeling harder than that." When I finished I had no idea of the split, and I thought I'd done about 39 mins. I hadn't been keeping my eye on my watch so I wasn't sure what had gone down.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that I logged on to the results to see my run split. To say I was pleased is an understatement. I was over the moon! I haven't got a 10k PB - I've never raced a 10k before, so I've only been able to guess what time I'd do by looking at splits from longer races. And this is where we come to me not feeling like a real runner.

There's a part of me that (very honestly) doesn't feel like I am a runner. I know I can put together a decent marathon, but I think there's a big difference between being able to run long and being able to perform well at the shorter distance races. 10k has always scared me because I think it would be a confirmation of me not being a 'real' runner. I know that 37:46 isn't a super time in the top Australian women's scheme of things, but whenever I hear of someone who runs about that time I think, "Wow, that's good." And if I heard they'd done it off the bike, I'd think, "Wow, that's even better."

So now I have a 10k time that I would have considered 'good' before I'd done it. And I'm really, really pleased with that. And I feel like a runner. (Which is good because I'm certainly not a cyclist!!!).

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