McLaren Vale Half

At About the 16kms mark

Ran the Mclaren Vale 1/2 Marathon today.

It was a last thought, as far as I go, to enter. I had won a SARRC Voucher at the Yurrebilla dinner and wanted a new goal to focus on so thought I'd enter...

But the whole lead up to this event was pretty poor on my part. I'd had one good run, the rest had all been sluggish and by the Wednesday before this event, I didn't even want to run anymore.
Yesterday I was starting to come up with excuses for why I wouldn't run it.
Could I say I was sick?
Something else came up?
All these thoughts were going through my mind.

Before the marathon and ultra marathon, I'd been quietly confident. The feeling I had before this 1/2 marathon was completely different...

Last night I had dream after dream after dream where I was late for it...  I panicked all night that I wasn't going to get up on time.


But I got up with plenty of time. My son and daughter had put their hands up to volunteer (ok, so I put their hands up) and they were up early... we left the house and drove down there, arriving more than an hour before start time. I prefer that. That way I get to settle in, talk to other runners and just be a little more relaxed before start.

I did get to talk to a lot of people. There are still people coming up to me saying they know me from facebook or a messageboard or a friend of a friend... I think that's pretty cool. I love meeting new people.

Thanks Sadie for the pic!

There were more than I would have imagined running it! I was surprised... Over 650 entrants last I heard.
So we started and once again, just like in the marathon, everyone passed me. I honestly did try to get some speed up but couldn't do it. At about the 6km mark I relaxed a bit and by 9kms I was even enjoying it... thought I could have almost done a good time but when I got to the main rd with about 7kms to go, I saw there was a crowd building and runners were just stopped there. What the hell was going on!
It seems the police had stepped in to stop traffic congestion and stopped the runners.. some of them had been there for over three minutes. That's a long time when you're trying to go for a PB!!

The wait there took away what little ambition that was starting to build to go for a good time.
So I just ran...
Talked to a few runners along the way and finished.
Made it in a woeful 1:54

I can't tell you how much I hate that.. would have been less without the main rd stop but still not under 1:50 which is what I would have wanted.

Love this running community though. Got to talk lots of inspirational people before and after the event and I think, as I had hoped, my son and daughter got a lot out of it too. My son even asked me how long it would take for him to be able to run a good 5km. I don't know what I answered but his next words were "Don't get that excited mum.."
I'd love for both of them to take up running!


Oh!! And I should mention that I won a random draw prize!!!
I was standing there talking to another runner about what we've won in the past, when his name gets called out! He'd won a $100 athletes foot voucher! I don't mind telling you I was jealous!
So he gets back and we talk about how fantastic it is that he won while they're still reading out names... next minute, my name gets drawn out and I've won a $200 athletes foot voucher!!! WOW!!
I came back to him and said "What are the chances of that happening!! Two people standing next to each other each getting a prize!"
He said we must be standing in the lucky spot...
So for that alone, I'm glad I ran this event today, despite everything!

Another race down. Hopefully I have a better story to tell next time...