Debut race report - Glenelg 10k

[Unregistered]

Trinity: Run Neo, run! What is he doing?
Morpheus: He is beginning to believe.

(OK, so I've taken that out of context a little, but I'm sure you get my
meaning ... er, if you've seen "The Matrix" that is. If not, then you should,
if only for the great running sequences... Hugo Weaving has great form.)

My first race! Exactly 130 days since I took up running, and this was it - the
Glenelg 10km held on a beautiful, almost completely flat beach-side course.

As I drove toward the start line, one of those flashing time and temperature
indicators flashed "37 C" at me. Clearly the recently ended heatwave had stuffed
its circuitry, because it was about 20 degrees cooler than that - in fact, you
couldn't wish for better conditions: cool, overcast and without a breath of wind.
Perfect! I arrived in plenty of time so I parked nice and close to the start and
went for a couple of k's walk just to limber up a little and suss out the course
a tad. It looked good and I felt good.

All the best running wisdom seems to say that you shouldn't set a time goal
in your first race, but frankly I couldn't see the point of doing all that
training just to waddle around in a boring time. The miser in me also wanted
to get something more than a race number,a drink of spring water and a post-race
orange for my entrance fee! So, based on my training times, a careful spreadsheet
analysis of my progress and a tea-leaf reading from the strange old lady who lives
over the back fence (down my the storm water outlet in the green garden shed
if you also would to avail yourself of her services), I aimed for a time better
than 57 minutes, at even splits of 5:40. This was fairly ambitious for me, given
my training times to date, but I was confident it was do-able. And in my dreams
I yearned for 55 minutes. Let the following be a warning to anyone who places
too much credence in rational thinking...

I started at the back of a field of around 300 - 400. I took off at what I thought
was a comfortable pace, but was shocked to pass the first km marker in 4:50! My
immediate reaction was "uh oh", immediately followed by "I must slow down". The
right side of my brain was having a ball though, staged a coup and drove my body
on even faster, while the rational part of my brain tried to reason with the
rest of me, which just laughed maniacly (as my right hemisphere tends to do).

When I passed 3km in 14 minutes flat I realised I hadn't slowed down at all. By
this time however we had reached the only slight incline on the course and I
felt in my element (I live on a hill), especially as the runners in front of me
were struggling. So of course I put on a spurt, my left brain all the while
screaming purely rational suggestions to the right brain which just chortled
along happy as Larry.

As a result, I absolutely annihilated my PB for 5km, running through the half
way point in 24:30... over three minutes ahead of my best 5km time to date.
This finally got the attention of my right-side grey matter who thought it best
at this point to hand proceedings over to the centre of reason and learning,
who said "OK, slow down, find some rhythym and don't even look at the clock
for the next 3 k's." I kept my right brain happy by looking around at the
scenery, smiling at the course marshalls and shouting encouragement to the (very)
few who seemed to be struggling. One poor girl (no more than 15) who I had over-
taken, then overtook me and promptly stopped to throw up by the side of the road.
She then overtook me again, only to throw up a second time. She eventually finished
2 seconds behind me, so at least I had the distinction of beating the course
chunderer...

I ran through 8km and was starting to find it tough going by then. I sort of
reckoned at the pace I was on that I was certainly now going to beat my dream
time of 55 minutes, but it wasn't til I hit 9k in 45 flat that it dawned on me
that I was a chance for 50! I ran it as hard as I could, but didn't quite have
enough in the tank, but with chunder-girl breathing down my neck (yuk!) I pushed
on pretty well to finish in 50:02... to say I was stoked is an understatement!

Well that has done it - I am well and truly hooked now. Next time I might even
wear a pair of running shoes (just kidding).

Thanks all for your unwitting inspiration... this site has been a great source
of motivation for me!

Cheers from Down Under.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Forgot I'd eaten my cookies!

The above is from me ... Doh-brain.

MLC Man

[El Gordo]

Wow, fantastic run, MLCM. You've been pretending all along to be a slowbie, and all the while you're a 50 min 10K runner.

I feel betrayed. I won't say I'll never talk to you again, but understand that things may not be quite the same after this.

Grrrrr.

[Antonio247]

Congratulations, MLCM. It´s wonderful.

Which is your next goal? Are you going to train for a half marathon?

Good luck in your promising running career!

Greetings from Almería, Spain.

Antonio

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Thanks Antonio!

You are so much more polite than Andy... yes I definitely have a half marathon in my sights, possibly even as early as the end of May, but that depends on whether I can ramp up my weekly mileage to the correct distances by then or not. I'm very cautious now about increasing my training miles too fast. I'll try and settle into a decent training routine and see how we go.

Hmm, you've got me thinking... with rioja being grown more and more here, maybe I could start making some sangria? Seems an ideal summer training drink... hmmm.... I like that idea.

Cheers,

MLC Man.

[El Gordo]

Originally posted by Mid Life Crisis Man

Hmm, you've got me thinking... with rioja being grown more and more here, maybe I could start making some sangria? Seems an ideal summer training drink... hmmm.... I like that idea.

Ooooh, you Australians have a very bad habit of hijacking the names of famous European wine regions. How come you're "growing Rioja"? Or do you mean Tempranillo grapes?

The EU got very cross with Australia a while ago, and banned Oz wine imports called "Champagne" and "Burgundy" and so on.

Get it right!

[sound of deep sigh of exasperation in the background]

But anyway, Sangria is OK, but don't use anything too decent.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

You seem to forget we're a nation of convicts.

( Thumbs nose in general direction of Andy )... so you're talking to me again then?

MLC Man

[El Gordo]

.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

!

[stillwaddler]

?

[Antonio247]

Well, MLCM, if you like red wine you can have there now when it is hot something that here in Spain it´s very common in summer. It is called "tinto de verano" ( summertime red wine ). It consists of a long glass with two ice cubes, one fourth of red wine -you needn´t get expensive one - and fill the glass cold "gaseosa" ( white lemonade ). It is easier to make than "sangría" and it is not as strong as red wine. Besides, it´s cold and you enjoy it more when it is hot.

Salud - Cheers.

Antonio

[fjsnakeskin]

Congratulations on your amazing race, MLCM!

You should train up for a full marathon and join my wife and I when we run Rotorua in NZ May of 2005!

[shelagh]

Great race report, MLCM. Great fun seeing what the ol' bod can do under race conditions. Makes me want to try a shorter race soon. That, unfortunately, will have to wait until I finish my next marathon in April.

And Antonio, that drink sounds great. I'll have to try it when I resume drinking. Sounds like a great way to use up red wine that doesn't taste so great on its' own!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Hey thanks everyone for the comments! Today I ran a 15km (9 mi) "reasonably" comfortably so a half marathon is definitely within sniffing distance. I suspect once I have the half out of the way, the full 42k will be beckoning quite strongly.

And yes fjs, Rotorua would be a great run. Hey we might even persuade Ian Painter to join us - from memory he has a brother in that part of the world.

Hope the training for April is going well Shelagh... make sure you have plenty of rest days though so you can imbibe on occasion!

Antonio - great recipe. It certainly impresses guests when I hand them a glass of "tinto de verona" on a hot day by the pool. The romantic notion of exotic, secret Mediterranean aperitifs is rather spoiled though when i have to admit it's red wine and lemonade... still, they seem to drink it without too much fuss ;-)

And thanks, Stillwaddler, for the great question. The answer is (of course) "42".

MLC Man.

[stillwaddler]

Tsk - silly me, of course it is 42!