13 + 8 = one weekends running

I decided to run in the MDC 8km on Sunday, mainly because it would be my first short race in 8 months and I felt I needed the practise and a gauge on how I was doing. I didnt want to miss out on a long run altogether though. This week was meant to be my recovery week, so I decided on a 15km run Saturday morning, then the 8km on Sunday.

On the Saturday morning I left home at about 6am, it was cold, I felt cold, I felt horrible. The whole first 5km up to the hornibrook bridge I was struggling to hold sub 6 min pace, if it wasnt for the fact I am far to competitive (with myself) I would have turned around. Maybe after a longrun last week backed up by a TT I just was tired, I wasnt sure. I struggled, and I do mean struggled on though and ended up back home after just over 13km. Even after the run, before I really stopped I was still feeling cold, definitely wasn't 100% today.

I spent all afernoon Saturday at the local footy club and then headed home after the awards to watch the Lions play. I think I saw a total of about 30mins of the game, I just kept falling asleep! Still, I was wide awake and feeling much better come 5.30am this morning and happily got ready to go on down to Southbank.

Clairie was there, and Jodie, preparing for another ridiculously fast race. A few other CR's and PCRG's, but on the whole a lot of people just there for the fun of it, which gave a real nice relaxed atmosphere. Idiot that I am, packed a fully charged i-pod and an uncharged garmin, so although the music was great out on the course, I had no idea of my time. I feel though that 1-2km's were fairly steady, 2-6 were quick and then 6-8 were steady, certainly I only had one person pass me in the final K, so I dont think I was slowing much. No stopwatch means relying purely on clock time, ha ha, unfortunately the finish clock was on the opposite side of the finish to where we came in on, when I looked up it said 46.40, no, I hadnt walked in the middle of the run that was the 4km time, which had left ten minutes earlier. 36.40 I was pretty happy with, then I saw Stevie come through just after me and his own watch read 36.02, so does this mean the clock was actually 11 mins out and I really did 35.40?! I am still in doubt, serious doubt and will not be celebrating until the results are published. I thought my pb, which was from the last years MDC was 36.47 and I believed the time to be credible based on that, then when I came home and read back on my blog my pb was actually 37.47... I dont think I'm 2 mins quicker..... gee its hard when you dont have a watch or a gun-clock to fall back on!


[edit]

The unofficial, official results are out. I am very confused, although still a 30 second pb for which I am happy, the recored time is about 90 seconds slower than a 35.40. Will have to check with Stevie tomorrow that I wasnt dreaming when he said 36.02, maybe he said 37.02 I am blonde afterall. If that was his time though I am keeping my 35.40 as he would have been about 20 seconds behind me.. If not I will have to go with the clock time, win/win I guess either way, just one more was slightly more exciting!