Tect Run

Sunday 24 November - The Tauranga Boys College Cross Country Team's run at the TECT All Terrain Park.

I hitch a ride with Clare, and contemplate in the car that, coming off 7 weeks of no running, I'm feeling fairly underdone in the preparation stakes.  Then I realise, that I don't think I've done a running race at all in the last......  17 years???  Triathlons, duathlons, orienteering, but not a straight running race.  This is a surprisingly cheerful thought, because as a complete novice in my adult life, I can't have high expectations can I? 

Trying to blog this race, two weeks after the event, all I can think of is that it was hot.  Stinking hot.  Oppressively hot.  This was my first time ever at the TECT park, which had some lovely bushed trail sections but was mostly cleared pines and exposed dusty roads.  However, I don't like to whinge........

After guzzling a protein drink, visiting the bathroom and trotting down to the start line, we run about 500m and I need to go again.  I know, that's ridiculous, but it's my reality and I won't go into details.  It's a horrible feeling and I know I'm wasting energy and already getting myself in a negative frame of mind.  Miraculously, after less than a kilometre we weave through the high ropes car park, complete with toilet.  I bound happily through the gardens, too relieved to even be embarrassed, encouraging Clare to keep going and I'll catch her up.  I'd like to point out that I was immediately followed by other women, who probably also have children. 

As a result of this, I think my next blog will be entitled "52 awkward toilet stops in 52 weeks".  I'd have no problem gathering material, which of course no one would want to read.  There was that time running to Kaituna Cut, up in the sand dunes with a boat just off shore.  Or behind Fashion Island because I didn't realise the public toilets don't open until the mall does,, which is much later than 6am.  Or borrowing a portaloo at a building site. 

Anyway, the trail run felt pretty good.  I definitely can run much faster when there is someone in front of me, and fortunately there's always someone in front of me when I'm running.  Lots of target practise.  My friendly foes of the day, were a group of ladies who Clare had pointed out before the race, as looking fairly well equipped.  I found myself in amongst the five of them for most of the run, occasionally dropping a couple, and for a while running with one of the ladies ahead of the rest.  I must admit, the leader was waiting regularly for her mates to catch up, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with her.  Running in behind her, I was impressed with her long strides.  Some African culture has a word for a hunter's gait, it means something like "eats up the ground".  I wonder what that tribe's translation of my own plodding gait would be. Her ankles, though, were rolling all over the place, nearly making me wince.  Chatting at one point later on, she shared that she only runs on the road and was struggling with the rough ground.   I tried hard to be proud of my strong ankles, and well adjusted nerve receptors, rather than envious of her strides.  I could gain ground on them through the trails, but when we hit the open roads out in the sun, my body just wilted and the tail of the caterpillar would bunch back up again. 

After the last aid station, they were all far quicker up the road than I was.  I watched them steadily pull away, trying to stay with them, but knowing I didn't have it in me.  Untrained, coming back from injury, lacking natural talent, and without Roadrunner legs, I figured I'd done well to stick with them that far.  Then we dipped down a little hill, entered the forest, and the magical 2km left sign popped up.  "Bugger this" I thought, "I've got 2k left in me, and now I'm on a trail, I can do a trail."  I sped up, caught them on a narrow part of the trail, and bounded past them, spritely enough that one of them commented that I must have got my second wind.  Trying hard to sound completely effortless, I just replied that I was on a trail now and good to go. 

From that point on, I felt like a lone gazelle hunted by a pack on hungry wolves.  It seemed unfair that there were five of them and only one of me, so I tried to pick up other helpers along the way.  Unfortunately, the next two men I passed I wasn't able to encourage to stick with me, and dropped them on the thigh burning steps, with a reminder to not let the wolves past them.   Even though I knew I was never going to be a placing finisher, all I could think of was that if those ladies caught me, I'd lost 5 places in an instant.  20th would sound so much better than 25th, don't you think?

Fortunately, the finish line came before those Roadrunner legs were able to start striding again, and I finished in 1.36, with no knee pain.  And feeling quite proud actually!