City2Surf 2006

So race 2 out of 3 is over for this year, the famous City2Surf. So how did I go? Well, not quite as well as I’d hoped. I finished the race in 65:07, a few minutes of top of the 62 minutes I was hoping for, but still almost 30 seconds quicker than my old time from when I was 16, so I guess that’s nothing to be ashamed of 🙂

Admittedly, I’m a little disappointed, but I understand the time, since I spent so much bloody time during the race trying to duck and weave past much slower runners and walkers. The first 300 metres at the start I had to physically shove my way past some oldies who for some reason decided they should be right at the front of the pack (I was in the HSBC group). A sentiment that I heard from quite a few people over at the Cool Running forums.

Also I felt pretty crap most of Saturday after having a few birthday drinks on Friday night, so that’s a lesson learnt for next year 😉

But my time does qualify me for the faster A1 group next year (runners who completed the race in under 75 minutes), so that does make me happy. I think starting in that pack will have me finishing much closer, if not under 60 minutes. Plenty of time to train until then, so I don’t think its that unreasonable a goal, considering this time last year I had a hard time walking up hills without breaking a sweat. Really dreaming, I’d like to get down to the 55 minute mark, but that’s real dreamtime stuff, which perhaps I can work towards.

So next month I’ll be doing the Sydney Bridge Run which is a 10 kilometre run. If I stay away from alcohol and keep up with the running, I should be able to knock that over in under 45 minutes. Its a flatter run that C2S as well, so I should be able to keep up a faster pace. I’m really psyched for that one! 😀

Bay Run 06

So on Sunday I entered my first fun run in 13 years. The last one I was in was the City 2 Surf back in 1993. Sunday’s race was the 7 kilometre Bay Run, around Iron Cove, which is surrounded by Leichart, Five Dock and Rozelle amongst other suburbs. I got up nice and early for the race, 6am.. ergh. Rozie even came with me. I was really appreciative of the support since I know how much she loves sleeping in.

Ankle Tag

After registering, I was given an ankle tag and my racing bib. I spent some time, like others jogging up and down a bit to warm up. About 10 minutes before the race was a “professional” warmup, which involved lots of jogging on the stop and punching the air, kind of what I remember doing at school. It must have been the same for the other runners since half the place was in hysterics.

Pre-race warmup

A few minutes after that, the race was on.

The race starts!

Most people made a pretty mad dash at the start, but I kept it safe and went with a comfortable pace. I found myself overtaking people pretty quickly and getting into a nice groove. After probably the 2nd kilometre, things were pretty static in terms of placing. But by about the fifth, people who’d been infront of me for a while dropped back and I found myself overtaking quite a few people. In the last 750 metres I managed to get past two little pipsqueaks who were probably about 10/11 years old. Little buggers!

So I ended up finishing the 7.05km course in 30:39. That was just under my aim of 31 minutes (although I would’ve been happier with under 30). That’s a goal for next year though. I ended up place 127th out of a field of 770 men and women, 32nd out of 99 in the 16-29 year old males and 111th out of 457 males runners.

Overall I’m pretty stoked with how I went. I’ll definitely be back for it next year and hoping to bust through the 30 minute barrier.

Coming up two weeks time is the City 2 Surf, which I’m hoping to do under 65:30 (my previous time) and after that, the Sydney Bridge run, which is approximately 10 kilometres.