A busy weekend of running!
Started off on Saturday morning with the Woodstock Handicap run around the Bay. I love this race, it's always a great way to catch up with my fellow club members and I love the handicap race format-each runner theoretically finishing at the same time (and as close to their estimated time as possible). I put down 26 minutes for the 7km route, which I thought was a good estimation based on my current form. The rules are quite simple. Beat your estimated time by more than 1 minute and you're disqualified. So I knew that I would be safe!
Ended up doing the course in 25:48 which in an Iron Cove PB. Overall I finished 4th in the handicap. To finish up the morning, Woodstock put on a BBQ and breakfast. We are having a bit of a member drive at the moment...so anyone reading this and would like to join a fantastic club - look no further than Woodstock!
At 3pm I then headed out to Dundas to compete in the West Metro Cross Country Series. These races are growing on me. They are hard and tough (today's course was the toughest so far) but this can only be beneficial. The competition is very good too, with runners from many local clubs participating. Today I took it out too hard, trying to go with a few others I have finished close too in the past races. Bad mistake...the morning run combined with the tough, hilly, grass course took it out of me and I was shot after the first of 4, 2km laps. I soldiered on and finished in 33:19 for the 8km course. A lesson learnt!
On Sunday morning I rose on time (made sure of it after last month's race) for the last long race of the SMC series. Having to run this race to qualify for the awards, and still tired from yesterday's races, I didn't expect great things. But once again, SMC brings out the best in my running for some reason. It must be the course and the superb organisation as lately I have been running some pleasing times out there.
It turned out to be a very interesting race and in the end, 15 seconds separated 2nd and 5th place. Positions 2 - 4 swapped places many times throughout the race, while I was always just hovering behind the pack waiting to make my move in 5th place. Unfortunately, the move occurred a little late and I couldn't quite reel in any positions. But it was a good time 1:35:50 for 25km and am happy with that going into Macleay River in two weeks.