As the alarm went off at 5.30am, I briefly questioned my sanity. I find if I ask for too long or expect a sane reply, I would never get up so I just throw my legs over the side of the bed and groan. Sometimes I have to try to remember why I’ve set the alarm for a particular time, even perhaps remember what day it was… this morning it was Marathon Club run day. I’ve recently joined as their race calendar seemed like a logical way to fit in more training, and meet new people. I was a bit reluctant though as I knew it would be a whole group of people that run a whole lot faster than me, the majority of them being a whole lot older than me! But, you get that…and I reason that I am running against myself (and a 24 hour clock), and that in time the plan will come together!
Picking up MGal at 6.15am we headed off to the Lake Gwelup 10km in lieu of our Bibbulmun run! We both knew where we’d rather be, but I really wanted to attend a Club run, and MGal had had a really quiet week after her first class stack on the Track last Sunday. Poor thing; she had bits missing and was black and blue everywhere. So Lake Gwelup it was. I’ve never been up there, and at 6.45am it was absolutely stunning, with the early morning mist rising off the water. We were a little early, but by run start at 7.30am, the crowd had swelled to over 50 people, most of them non-members. So I felt comfort in the fact that I wasn’t the only nutter to get up this early on a sleep-in day!
With the group off, I ran with the pack knowing I’d have to pull back and run at my own pace sometime, but it was awesome to glance at my watch at the 1km mark and see that I’d run it in 4:58! Speedy for me! The kms seemed to pass slowly and being a 2 lap run with some gradual little climbs and the sun getting warmer, it was a good test for me. By the time I was coming into the start/finish 2nd lap transition, this stockily built tall older man came up on my shoulder. To say he was struggling aerobically would be an understatement. But he was gaining and passing me, much like the old gent in the City to Surf who’s knees jutted out at right angles, I was being passed by someone who, to look at and listen to, you wouldn’t have thought could run 500 m let alone string kms together. Perhaps one day I’ll learn not to judge running physique! God only knows what I look like?!?
As I listened to this guy laboring under his breathing I was willing him to hurry up and pass me already! I really can’t run next to people who seem to be struggling, especially loud breathers. It always makes me focus in on my own struggle with going faster and harder, where I try to zone out of that area and just push on! I was thankful when he pulled 10 meters ahead of me, at least he was out of earshot, and even more thankful when he crossed the finish line for a 5km run. Me, I was off onto lap #2 for the last of the run. Not many people went round for the 2nd, and I was suddenly running on my own with the gap between runners more than 30m or so. With about 2km to go, this awesome fit looking “older” grey haired woman came up behind me and passed me with little effort. I thought “this it was comes from not going out too hard at the start”. I figure for me, effort is effort, and I have to train myself to keep going when mentally I want to switch off. Choice is putting one foot after the other, regardless of fatigue or aches and pains (within reason), and I am training myself to switch off. I know there might be times when I’m physically ill (I’ve never actually vomited running, but I know people have) or continuing on dodgy legs might not be in my best interest, but crossing my fingers my body holds together, my biggest brick wall will be fatigue and mental toughness!
So lapped I was by this lady, and pushed on I did. Sometimes running faster at this distance makes me question how on earth I’ll run 125km if going at pace (for me) at 10km is tough. I guess it is about building the pieces of the puzzle together. I was pleased that at 1.5km to go, I actually managed to “kick”; at least I was in my head. With arms pumping I crossed the line in 58:19:??, and my watch told me I’d run 10.74km, averaging 5:26… so right where I need to be, and faster than the other Marathon Club run I did with MGirl. I was about to head out back along the run to find MGal, as I’d run away from her in the first km… and I felt a bit guilty! As I turned around she was there looking fresh as a daisy after packing it in at 5km; her poor body. As the announcer said “as we just wait for the last of the runners to come across the line” I wondered if it was a veiled comment as to how slow I’d run? Back of the packer maybe, room for improvement, yes, and running with purpose and time to improve.
My total for the week: 39km, 51km including last Sunday’s City to Surf. I know soon I will be up to 60, 70, and 100km a week. I look forward to the challenge, but often wonder how I will fit it in!
The rest of the day was the same as Saturday, except for the addition of an all important call to Dad to wish him Happy His Day. With a verge pick-up soon and one final burst of energy and “to-be-botheredness”, the front of our house looks a little like Steptoe and Son! It felt good to get so much done this weekend, and with my house a little less cluttered and my legs a little heavy; my heart felt a whole lot lighter!
No comments:
Post a Comment