Caboolture Dusk to Dawn

partly posted on CR!!

What a great, if not hot and tiring night.

I opted for 6-hour relay event and was more than a bit nervous about letting down the team, having only run more than 10km twice since Noosa. It was actually strangely calming though to know all I had to do was run for two hours, there was no need to get to an end as such, when the two hours were up I was gonna stop regardless of how far I'd gone!! :)

I had a ball out there, the first twenty minutes were a bit hard, this just to show how important those run throughs are and why I should have done them! With fresh legs I was able to pick up on some of the 6/12hour runners and it was great to be able to see how they were getting along and hopefully spur them on a bit. My goal had been to run 6min/K, so 3mins a lap, my first couple of laps were about 3.15's, as I got warmed up a bit I didnt get any faster, but they did feel easier. The 50mins went by without a problem, I grabbed one of my fuel belt bottles off a table just before the first hour was up and took two laps to drink that. I couldnt believe how hot it was, I was almost praying for it to rain! I had a couple of dark moments at the beginning of the second hour and started playing every running mind game I'd ever heard of to get me through it, it seemed to work. Other than once for about 30meters while taking my second drink I didnt walk for the full two hours and although I didnt quite get to the 20.5km I'd hoped to (with secret ambitions of then going off for an extra lap and a bit to make a proper half marathon!) my lap time never varied more than about 5 seconds faster/slower, so for the 19km I did manage (I think) I am feeling quite pleased at how consistent I was.

There was SO much support it was unbelievable, I dont think the guys at the pub missed a single lap, not to mention my own two co-members of "Lap Dancers" (did I mention we won our category... go girls!! :D). Clairie, Tesso, Nick and random people I got the runners '10 second conversation' in with on the way around, all great support. Liz N went fantastically and my hat is off to anyone who can run 6 or 12hours at any time, but especially when its so humid.

My only regret of the night was not being able to see Tesso finish; after my run I took a couple of anti-inflam's, at the time it was a good idea (and still probably better than my knee not being able to move) but they actually made me physically sick, and at 1am I had to give up and go home... next year I'll know better though... and there will definitely be a next year :D