Race Report #4 - Run Auckland Race 6 (Takapuna)
Yesterday, it was a bitterly cold morning with rain as we left the house around 6:10am. I also had to work on Friday night and didn't get to bed till 1am on Saturday morning... then the little one started to wake up around 2am for a while before she goes back down. Once she's finally down, it was daddy's turn to be coughing and can't get back to sleep for a while. Eventually daddy was sound asleep and the little one woke mummy up by 7am. I must say, I was very very sleepy for the whole of Saturday and couldn't think straight.
Anyway, Saturday night sleep was a little better but too short. Got up at 5am to get ready for the final race in the Run Auckland Series for 2009. Many times I wonder if I should just stay home and slack off in the nice warm bed.... trying to get there early enough to get a parking nearby then sleep in the car just wasn't the same.
Ditching my warm layers and layers of clothing and hat, I went off for the race waited in the cold wind. It also rained a little but not much, luckily!
Finally, we are starting and I really don't like the rush and traffic jam in the beginning, so I started at the back thinking.... that's what the timing chip is for!
We ran up a small grassy hill first to get onto the main road; then we pretty much ran around a lake which I didn't see at all. As soon as we started, I thought... hmm... now I'm hungry and thinking about toilet break. I carried on while thinking fond thoughts of stopping for bathroom and a coffee... and not long, we had to go up a steady incline, not steep but long. And did I mention the strong gusty wind?!
I only started to warm up after 20 mins into the run. I also didn't feel my left leg starting to hurt till closer to the 30 min mark. I kept telling myself, keep going, only 5 more minutes then it'd be almost over soon! The 35 min mark had passed, the 38 min mark had passed, then 40... then more... by then, I was really thinking, surely the finishing line should be here soon!!! Must be over that bend..... maybe the next?! And looking ahead and seeing the line of people running in front of me without seeing the sight of the finishing line was not encouraging at all!!
Finally... I saw the start/finish line and saw the hubby busy taking photos.
I finished with 44 mins 16 seconds according to my HR monitor. That was a rather disappointing time for a 6K (3.75mile) race!! It just didn't feel right!
Boy, I so needed a rest and stretch afterwards! This time, the left hip wasn't hurting, it is the left knee. So I guess those exercises for the hip from the physios work quite well. Only the knee that's giving in a bit.. hopefully I will be all good tomorrow!
I came 3rd in my age and gender group F30-39. 7th overall for all the women (well only 25 of them :P) 14th overall for the 6K race, well only 35 people all together.
Only till later I realised the position was based on gun time! And I always start at the very back as I don't like the big rush in the beginning and the temptation to run too fast to start off. This time I started over 2.5 mins after everyone, was the 3rd last to start the race!! That means I could have got an even better position overall if I had joined the crowd!! Oh well... what to do, eh!
Mind you, my husband has the result 8 seconds behind on the gun time.... well he didn't actually run the race, his timing chip was in my jacket pocket, so I don't forget to return it. Hmm... I'm sure my foot and my back isn't really 8 seconds apart, or are they? :P
And a little bit of good news is, the 10K map showed the 7K marker before the 6K event finishing line!!!! So it was longer than a 6K run! So I wasn't that slow!! I've mapped it to be around 7.4km!! So finally I wrote to the race organiser and asked them for the actual distance for that supposedly 6k run!! I will see what I get later! :)
Anyway, it is time for bed! :)
Anyway, Saturday night sleep was a little better but too short. Got up at 5am to get ready for the final race in the Run Auckland Series for 2009. Many times I wonder if I should just stay home and slack off in the nice warm bed.... trying to get there early enough to get a parking nearby then sleep in the car just wasn't the same.
Ditching my warm layers and layers of clothing and hat, I went off for the race waited in the cold wind. It also rained a little but not much, luckily!
Finally, we are starting and I really don't like the rush and traffic jam in the beginning, so I started at the back thinking.... that's what the timing chip is for!
We ran up a small grassy hill first to get onto the main road; then we pretty much ran around a lake which I didn't see at all. As soon as we started, I thought... hmm... now I'm hungry and thinking about toilet break. I carried on while thinking fond thoughts of stopping for bathroom and a coffee... and not long, we had to go up a steady incline, not steep but long. And did I mention the strong gusty wind?!
I only started to warm up after 20 mins into the run. I also didn't feel my left leg starting to hurt till closer to the 30 min mark. I kept telling myself, keep going, only 5 more minutes then it'd be almost over soon! The 35 min mark had passed, the 38 min mark had passed, then 40... then more... by then, I was really thinking, surely the finishing line should be here soon!!! Must be over that bend..... maybe the next?! And looking ahead and seeing the line of people running in front of me without seeing the sight of the finishing line was not encouraging at all!!
Finally... I saw the start/finish line and saw the hubby busy taking photos.
I finished with 44 mins 16 seconds according to my HR monitor. That was a rather disappointing time for a 6K (3.75mile) race!! It just didn't feel right!
Boy, I so needed a rest and stretch afterwards! This time, the left hip wasn't hurting, it is the left knee. So I guess those exercises for the hip from the physios work quite well. Only the knee that's giving in a bit.. hopefully I will be all good tomorrow!
I came 3rd in my age and gender group F30-39. 7th overall for all the women (well only 25 of them :P) 14th overall for the 6K race, well only 35 people all together.
Only till later I realised the position was based on gun time! And I always start at the very back as I don't like the big rush in the beginning and the temptation to run too fast to start off. This time I started over 2.5 mins after everyone, was the 3rd last to start the race!! That means I could have got an even better position overall if I had joined the crowd!! Oh well... what to do, eh!
Mind you, my husband has the result 8 seconds behind on the gun time.... well he didn't actually run the race, his timing chip was in my jacket pocket, so I don't forget to return it. Hmm... I'm sure my foot and my back isn't really 8 seconds apart, or are they? :P
And a little bit of good news is, the 10K map showed the 7K marker before the 6K event finishing line!!!! So it was longer than a 6K run! So I wasn't that slow!! I've mapped it to be around 7.4km!! So finally I wrote to the race organiser and asked them for the actual distance for that supposedly 6k run!! I will see what I get later! :)
Anyway, it is time for bed! :)