So I officially ran a 5.2k race on Sunday. With proper timing chip and all. Which means that my Couch to 5k mission has been officially accomplished.
Thank you very much *takes a bow*
I should probably change my Couch to 5k mission tag. Will get around to it at some point, promise.
Anyway, here's my little race recap of my Run for the Kids 5.2k adventure.
Woke up really early (as in early for me!) Sunday morning for the race. Early as in 6.30am. Early as in "I don't even get up for work this early". Got dressed, walked the dog and just had enough time to make a coffee and toast with peanut butter, before dashing out the door. It was a slightly frosty morning but temps were expected to hit 22C that day.
Caught the train with Gus to Flinders Street Station, where we met up with the lovely Sarah M. There were heaps of people on the train, all decked out in their race gear, number bibs and timing chips. At Flinders Street there was a sea of runners all making their way to the Botanical Gardens and the start line. The toilet queues were massive - at the train station, the public toilets and the portaloos. So I decided to hold it in until after the race.
We found Sharon, who was meeting us at the skate park by the Yarra River boat sheds, and headed off to store our bags. The atmosphere was festive for that time of the morning. Everyone was pumped and ready to run (or walk), which was great to see and rather infectious. By the time we got our bags into the correct zones and made it back to the starting zone, the race was about to start.
The 5.2k start was at 8.45am, with the 14.38k heading out about half-an-hour later. At the start line, I could see that this was a race for all sorts of people, of all ages. There were friends there, whole families, serious runners, not-so-serious runners, walkers, kids and parents with prams. Some were decked out in high tech race gear, some dressed up in costumes and some wore t-shirts with a picture of the person or child to whom they were dedicating the run. It was quite moving and, at times, quite sad to read the backs of those t-shirts - it really drives home the purpose of this run and why it is such an important fund-raising event.
Just as the first waves of starters began moving towards the start line, and we were shuffling in that general, I suddenly had this urge to pee. Like really bad. I had to abandon the group and join the line of last-minute panic pee-ers at the skate park toilet block. When I got out I was stuck behind the walkers, kids and parents with prams.
As soon as my feet crossed the start line I started to dodge and weave through the slower crowd, and that was me for about half of the race - I was mostly slowed down getting stuck behind the walkers and had to constantly search for a little gap I could squeeze through without knocking anyone over. A couple of times I actually jumped off the paved path and ran on the dirt track - cross country, y'all.
I started off at a slow, relaxed pace (not that I had much choice), and as we cruised down Batman Avenue, the sun came out and the weather warmed up, setting the scene for a really pleasant run. I stuck to my race plan (start off slow, build up and finish strong), which felt really good. Around the 3k mark it became easier to dodge the walkers and overtake slower joggers (that felt really good too!). Once we were on Birdwood Avenue I noticed this girl keeping pace with me. We sort of overtook each other for a bit, until the final k where I stepped up my pace and left her behind - yay!
Going around the bend I could see the finish line and the crowds. I started sprinting in the last few hundred metres and gave it all I got. It felt awesome crossing that finish line - it was such a high that I wanted to go back and do the whole race all over again!
My time was 38:11, which wasn't bad considering it was a 33,000-strong event and that it was a fun run/walk. This has given me the confidence and inspiration to push beyond the 5k and achieve longer distances. The race also gave me that emotional boost, considering recent heartbreaking events. I'm glad that I chose to come out and race, when I so easily could've been huddled under my doona with a box of tissues and bawling my eyes out.
If only other things in life were this great.
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