25km Bush Capital run

Event - Bush Capital 25km run
Route - through Mt Ainslie and Mt Majura bushland (undulating to say the least!) - start and finish at Campbell High School
Time - 2hr 10.45min
Place - 3rd woman

Today, well this morning to be exact at 9am, was the start of the Bush Capital 25km run which would g through bushland around Mt Ainslie and Mt Majura. The temperature was around 10*C at the start and about 12*C when I finished -positively balmy after what I've been running in lately! Blue skies and sunshine, and no wind - a perfect morning for running. I managed to fit in a 10min warm up before the start which is very unusual for me but I was wearing a long sleeved top over my CR singlet and was tossing up the idea of removing said long sleeved top before the start. Hence the warm up!!! And I did remove the long sleeved top so was definitely outed as a CR today - was wearing CR cap, singlet and crop top! Hard to miss! Caught up with Flash Duck and Aki before the start - I looked for the CR gear, so easy to find people! Also managed to say hi to Wombat at the start - lucky I did because once we started he took off and I never saw him again (very elusive) - he was doing the 16km.

I felt okay when I woke up this morning so had finally got over the lurgy but decided I would take it easy over the 25km. Definitely an undulating course - the first part took me over the course I had run and won in last month's vets' handicap. I confess I walked very briefly after the final Mt Ainslie course hill, when we took a right and headed up and up and up. It was also a very rocky and uneven surface. Had to admire that Flash Duck actually rode over this course on Thursday - tough on a bike!

Some amazing scenery and outlook at various points on the run though I didn't stop to take in the view. Could see Susan ahead of me every now and then (I had a mental block and couldn't remember her surname and therefore spent most of the run trying to think what it was - isn't it funny what we think about when we run!). Once the 16km runners turned left and headed off back to the finish runners were very few and far between and so I was running by myself for quite long stretches to the turn around point. It was also at this point that I felt I was actually enjoying the running rather than thinking about what particular body part was aching, hurting or tiring - I had stomach aches, stitches, and tight hip flexors to start with and felt like absolute crap up until this point. Saw Flash Duck not long after the turn around - looking good FD!

After the turn around, it was a gradual steady uphill climb for a while and I began running with a guy whose name I think is Ken (but I could be wrong - I am so bad with names and particularly so when I've been running, something to do with oxygen deprivation!). Anyway kept pace with him and chatted a bit about triathlons and how he is hoping to do the Ironman triathlon next year - I talked a bit about my experience last year at Forster. Anyway all this chatting interspersed by puffing (from me) actually helped me - I began picking up the pace and closing the gap on Susan who was not that far ahead of me now. The other 2 women I had no hope of catching - they're good runners. I passed Susan after the last drink station, muttering something about being over hills in a big way - I think she agreed with me! The run back to the finish wasn't too bad - not as hilly (there was still the slight undulation - I use this word loosely) but I couldn't believe that I could feel so good (okay, okay, there was some tightness happening at the top of my right calf but that's normal for me), at this point of the run, on this undulating course. Passed another runner (male) in the last couple of kms. Had no idea how far I had left to run (I need my Garmin!) but was relieved when I passed the sign stating there was 1km to go (I was feeling good but I didn't want to push my luck!).

Arrived at the finish line in 2hr 10.45min - thanks for the cheer Friar, a lovely way to finish! I was the 3rd woman home and got a trophy - woo hoo!!!! Not that I ever planned on trying for a place - this was a training run after all, just slightly faster than I usually do my long runs (hmmm). Managed to catch up with Friar, Aki and Flash Duck after the run, but no Wombat! Also thanked Ken for running with me for a bit and taking my mind off the tiredness I was feeling at that point. It was a well run event and I would definitely do it again if they hold it next year. A challenging offroad run but amazing surroundings to be running in - we are so lucky!

Tomorrow - 6.8km Mt Taylor vets' handicap run *groan* Hope I recover okay from today's run - feeling a bit tired.....and I am so over hills!