{Not so} Fun Run

For a little over a month now, I have been getting out in the evenings at least three times a week to train for a running event in November. To help with keeping me motivated, I signed up to take part in the Round the Bays 6.5km fun run last Sunday. It is a really great family event, well-organised with free food, drinks and entertainment waiting at the finish line.

14,000 people assembled along the waterfront on that very warm morning and ran, jogged and walked their way around the course. The hill in the background of this photo is approximately the 2.5km mark. By the time I got around to that point, I was feeling pretty comfortable.

Michael Bolton checks out his competition and let's face it, there's ALOT to check out.

The course is stunning, and it is a rare opportunity to see the city from a different view point. Since I have not mastered the art of simultaneously jumping metres into the air and taking photos while running, I should add that these two photos are from the Stuff article of the race. In case it wasn't obvious already.

Having felt reasonably confident that I could last the distance around a flat course, I still only managed to make it to the 4km mark before those psychological barriers started to hit me and my breathing became more laboured to the point where I felt like I could not draw any oxygen into my lungs. I was just 1km from the end, the crowds cheering on the sidelines were getting bigger and I didn't want to embarrass myself by collapsing while throwing up on the finish chute, so I caved into my lungs' desperate cries to stop and walked for a bit. By a bit, I mean almost the rest of the way. It's fairly demoralising to have runners pushing buggies sail past you. It was then that I thought of my girls. Even though I had no idea where my family was standing amongst the hordes of people at the finish, I did not want them to see their mum walking so close to the end so I gritted my teeth and ran the last 100 metres. As I turned down towards the finish line, I heard my girls calling out to me. Their voices carried me over that line. That and the fact that they didn't see me walk.

I started the morning with two aims, one was to run the whole course (curse you, lungs!). The other was to finish with a sub-40 minute time. I crossed the line at 39.28 (yes-pants!). In the sweat-chafed, muscle-achey post-run afterglow, I realised that even though my children look to me for guidance and comfort and to be strong for them, they also give me the strength I need when I feel like I have nothing left to give.

Other things I learnt:
6.5km is quite a long way.
It is impossible to suck in your tummy when you are running.
Sports sock selection is very important as Mr Blister on my toe attests.

My support crew.