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.

Bad dog!

Evanescence.

End of the working week - Phew. It's strange how the months go past so quickly, yet weeks sometimes seem to last an age.

Work has been hectic, with last minute jobs being thrown in that make it harder and harder to keep on schedule. I worked late tonight so I could clear something that's been hanging over my head and it feels good to have it done.

I was really tired today, but it was completely my own fault. We went to Evanescence last night and ended up having a super late one because we were so hyped after the show. It was worth it. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

This morning I woke up with a sharp pain in my lower back/butt region, which was obviously from my antics last night. I was a little worried but after a 1:45 session on the wind trainer it felt OK. Geeze I was sleepy on the bike! I knew I had a massive day of work so I launched myself into it head first, fueled by super-strong coffee. If I could have hooked up an intravenous drip to my coffee machine I would have done it.

I had a run scheduled for 5pm, but I was so close to getting the big job finished I just needed to keep going so it was done and out of my head. Unfortunately that means I missed my night session, which I feel shit about.

Did something a little crazy today - or, I should say, I almost did something a little crazy. Ironman Melbourne went on sale at 11am, and I found myself on the website, hitting 'Register' and waiting for my computer to try and beat the masses. Amazingly, I got through to the rego page. I put in all my details, sat looking at it for about 30 seconds, then shook my head and hit close. Found out later that it sold out in 4-and-a-half minutes, and now I'm thinking that may be the only time I'll get through to the registration page because these events are so huge now.

I would love the challenge of Ironman, but the training required to do it to the best of my ability scares me silly. It is all-consuming. I don't know if I could keep up that intensity and focus. It's something I'm thinking about more and more, despite my very, very limited triathlon experience and my lack of skill and strength on the bike.

This afternoon I went out to the back yard to clear my head and say 'hi' to Deek only to find my racing shoes, complete with SMC timing chip, chewed up. I don't know how he got them because I'm usually so careful not to leave them where he can get them. He'd obviously managed to get into the laundry somehow, because along with my shoes there was also clean laundry strewn across the grass. The chip is ruined, the shoes are salvageable. The dog is in trouble.