First night race

Last Wednesday evening I ran the 14th Oxygen Old Mutual 10km Road Race. I had decided to do it a month or 2 earlier when Lindy mailed the flyer to me.

My criteria for selecting a race are simple. It needs to be 10km or less, at a convenient time (i.e. not before 7am in the morning or during work time), not too far from home, and the terrain needs to be friendly. This race qualified on all counts so I couldn't really not do it. However I had only done 3 x 10km events before and only 2 of those were runs - and both of those were festive, well supported and sponsored runs. Additionally both of those were on Sunday mornings.

After working a full day, and I do mean FULL day - I was on the go from start to finish without a moment to think (or browse the internet!). I wasn't sure I was up to doing a 10km run. Also I was still at my desk at 5pm, so I thought I wouldn't have time. I phoned Richard hoping he'd have some crisis I would be summoned home for, but alas no luck, the home front was calm and under control and he even encouraged me to just go and do it.

So I got in my car and secretly hoped the traffic would be bad and I would be too late to get there on time, but that wasn't to happen either, the traffic was better than usual and I got to Mutual Park at about 17:45, with a full 30 minutes to go before the race. I had plenty of time to change, register and get myself ready.

Being at Mutual Park was strangely nostalgic and I found myself pining (excuse the pun - Mutual Park is in Pinelands... arrgh!) after the old days of working for CSC. I was also hoping to bump into Daniel September who was one of my manager and was a very avid runner competing in everything right up to comrades level. He did his 10th comrades the year he turned 50. I used to tell him I could hardly run around the block and would *never* become a runner. It would have been fun to say, 'Look at me, I can run 10km now!', but I didn't see him, pity.

I forgot to take Basil's small key and tried putting the big electronic goodie in the pocket of my shorts, but I decided it was too bulky, so I was standing in the queue to hand it in at the locker facility, when a Pinelands runner (Lic:5557 I won't ever forget) offered to put my car key in his tog bag. I was like, 'er, no thanks'. He turned on the charm and next thing my arm reached out and gave him my keys. He asked me what my running time would be and I told him around an hour. He was like 'Oh, I'll be much faster than that'. Which got me think, how is that GOOD for me? He will have my car keys and will finish the race long before me... hrm. Anyway I decided to trust him...

With 10 minutes to spare I joined the queue for the obligatory pre-run pee stop. With the clock ticking down the precious minutes before the race Lindy suddenly ran in panting and JUST in time to change and dash to the starting line with me with a minute or so to go before the race started.

I didn't think to weave my way closer to the front and stayed near the back, so when the race started I realised I was stuck behind walkers. Grrr. I hate not being able to move when it's time to start.So I made a plan to weave my way through the throngs and managed to get a bit of a rhythm going. I lost Lindy in the first 500m - but I am not a social runner anyway, as I can't talk and run and I really need my music and quite loud to keep my legs moving.

The first couple of KM were not bad, but when we got to 3km I had hoped it would be 4 and at 5km I wanted it to be 6 and by 6 I was fed up and tired and was finding the course a bit dull and boring so I stopped and walked for a bit. At 7km was the longed for water table, one of only 2 on the whole course... and it was bone dry! I had been holding out for some water hoping it would revitalise me and finding none was really annoying. Bad planning as far as I am concerned. Anyway I wrote it down to it being a club type race and not one of the big commercial events. From there it seemed it was a direct run down the hill and back to the Mutual Park fields. Not too bad, but then horror of horrors, instead of a direct run we were tortured and taunted by a maze of undulations, taking us tantalizingly close to the finish and then veering away again, until I was tempted to just duck under the bunting and make a run for the finish at one point, but my moral fibre and unrelenting spirit would not let me. So I dutifully plodded on.

I knew I would not be breaking any land-speed records and I was happy to just be finishing. I was so glad when I rounded the last corner and finished. YAY. I checked my time and it was close to 57 minutes. Not my best, but not terrible. I got my OM water bottle at the finish. The queue for the coke table was too long, so I went up to the pub (which I know all too well, teehee!) and got my own can of coke and filled my new water bottle with ice and water, and that was fantastic.

It was then that I remembered about my car keys! I went looking for 5557 and couldn't find him. I found his club tent and camped there and I still couldn't find him. Eventually someone told me he had been there a short while before, and I realised he was probably waiting at the finish line, and sure enough there he was with my car keys ready for hand over. Thanks (name forgotten) #5557! :)

I found Lindy and we had a natter about this and that until I nearly froze to death as it suddenly got cold so I went home. I slept very well that night.

So another 10km run under my belt, and my official result is as follows:
#552 Weideman, Jane Lic:17417 Time:0:56:51
Out of a total of 884 finishers.

So it wasn't an improvement on my last time, or on par with my trend of being in the top 10-20%, but I think this was more of a serious running event with less week-end and charity shufflers... well that's what I am going to keep believing anyway ;)

I started entering the races as I joined SA Active this year specifically to get Discovery Vitality points so that we could stay on GOLD status and qualify for 30% of flights etc etc again. We need 100 000 points for the year to do this. I have now earned 21000 points. \o/