HM number three!!

So half marathon number 3 was upon me and I had done as much as I could.  I was reaping the benefits of my 100km months I think.   So the night before we had our pasta, Mike was volunteering at this event run by the Athletics Club, so he decided he needed to carb load !  Oh how much cheese on pasta can one person eat??!!

I had worked out my gear, leaving nothing to chance.  I would be proud to take part in my first running event wearing the Aths Club shirt.  Other gear included my new Balega socks which I've been impressed with since buying them at ARC, sunnies because forecast was warm conditions and we would be running into the sun along the rail trail, runners, hand held Nathan bottle which I've been using for my longer runs, it contains a pocket which I can tuck my GU into (I want to be able to have a GU and water when I want, not just where the drink stations were, my Garmin (cause if it's not on Garmin it didn't happen, right?) and my Road ID bracelet.  I would NEVER be without this in an event (see shortly why).

So Mike and I got down to the Aths Club about 7.30am.  The idea was that I would leave him down there and take the courtesy bus out to the start.  My good running buddy Kellie would be joining me on the bus and she was able to point out parts of the rail trail as we travelled along Princes Highway.  We got to Koroit for an easy check in, and as you can see the sun was shining!  Plus first bib with my name on it too.

So I wandered about a bit and quickly spotted my blogging friend (and super amazing runner) Cat wearing her tell tale hat I've seen in photos.  Yay, I remembered to get a photo for once.   Pop yourself over to Cat's blog AlleyCat for a read, she is a running work horse for sure.

So as the runners gathered and the race briefing had been given, a nice touch was a young chap singing the National Anthem (I think the first race I've been to that this was done) and then we were off on the dot of 9am.  Round a few streets in Koroit and then quickly onto the Rail Trail.  For even as fast as I ran that first kilometre (Garmin said it was my fastest ever at 6:33) I was soon running on my lonesome as the pack blitzed away.  Oh well, just keep up the plod I told myself.  I got a cheer from some people on the Koroit Railway Station platform as I ran past, yay for the little caboose at the end I yelled out!

Interestingly I started the race with no headphones in and continued the whole way like that.  I was carrying them in my spibelt just in case the drivel in my head got too much, and although for some reason "Dambusters" was playing over and over in my mind, I did the whole race with no music.

And of course there were cows!  I spotted these young calves all watching from the fence as I was running by so I took a quick on the go snap.

Cat had told me where he relatives lived as we would be running right past their front gate and she told me I couldn't miss it as they would have balloons out.  Yep I could see balloons up ahead so I figured that was them, there were two women sitting outside.  One yelled out to me "Are you Carol?" at the same time as I called out "You must be Cat's relatives".  Imagine my suprise when I got up closer and saw the sign!  Ahhhh see everyone knows the obsession with our cow mascot! (considering I had never met these people before in my life).   I can't tell you how much this bucked me up, considering it was the top of quite a long hill.  Thank you thank you Cat's relatives.

Then disaster hit, I had gotten past Rundells, over the boardwalk bridge type thing and saw a couple of people up ahead as a bike rider rode past me going the other way telling me there was a runner up ahead in distress.   Oh no!  I got there as the Ambulance was coming up from the other direction up a small gravelly path.   There was a bike rider (who just happened to be riding along the trail), one of the walker Half Marathon participants and me at that point, and a runner in pretty bad shape groaning on the ground.  I offered my water but they thankfully already had water for him.  I dare say the sun would have really played havoc on the poor chap.  I quickly rang Mike to grab the Race Director back at the finish with the chap's bib number to get his details for the ambulance officers, and the Race Director came out to meet the ambulance.  What is it with me and medical disasters I happen upon in events, this is the second one this year!  

Once he was safely ensconced in the ambulance we checked with the ambos if we could continue on and they were fine with that.  The young walker lass said she wanted to finish and I did too.  She said she was fine and would keep walking along, and I told her I would do my run/walk/shuffle, I was knackered by that stage!  

I'm not sure how long we were waylaid, maybe 15 mins or so.  Mike had been watching me intermittently on the Garmin live tracker and saw I had stopped, I think he was thankful when I rang and he knew it wasn't me in trouble.  Anyway I was never so glad to see the 20km mark clock over in my life, 1km to go.  The clubrooms were in sight and I hear "Gooooo Carol" and my friends Kellie and Alison were standing at the fence cheering.  Then a lap of the oval and thankfully over the line.  Garmin has me at 3:07:23.  Last runner over the line, I will wear that as a badge of honour!   Gutted I was over 3 hours, but still super proud in hot conditions, and you never leave a runner in distress, even though there was nothing I could do but phone it in.

Big cheer to Kellie and Alison who had run under 2 hours, they waited well over an hour (with very patient families) to cheer me over the line.   Look at us in our Aths Club finery.  I've never been more proud to run in a club shirt, despite being the slow poke of the club, I feel well and truly included.

Completely spent at the end, I turned into a sobbing mess in Mike's arms!  We hung around another 20 or 30 mins to cheer that last walking lass over the line, a group of us still there all stood together as she finished and applauded her.  To my surprise she came straight to me for a hug.  I told her she earnt that medal well and truly.

Mike had had a great day volunteering and following me on the Tracker.  This medal is for both of us.   No sooner did we get home, I had some food and a shower and I came back out to the loungeroom and our volunteer was out like a light on the couch!

It's a rather long way hey?   Whew!  Was so tired last night, I was in bed at 7.30pm and slept like a log and didn't get up until after 7am today.  First official day of my holidays from work.  How sweet it is.

Oh and the day before I read this on our terrific Runners Connect site, it made me laugh.  A few of us said we might try it on our various runs over the weekend to see if it helped.  ha!   There's a section in the half marathon where you cross under the Princes Highway in a little under the road crossing.  I let out a little whoop and it was really echoey.  So then I "vroom vroomed" as loudly as I could.  Wow that was loud.  Mind you I was completely alone so not red-faced.  Thankfully there was no one at the other side of the tunnel, how embarrassing that might have been!

So there you have it, third half marathon completed (second for this year) and all before I was 51.  Just.  As it is my birthday today! yay.   Good or bad timing?  I am starting a new round of 12WBT which starts today.  I have decided I needed to celebrate my birthday and the fact I finished yesterday (albeit walking like a granny today).   So headed out to one of our fave cafes for lunch.  I had a lovely chicken and roasted veg and risoni salad with a raspberry dressing.  And then a slice of raspberry almond cake as a stand in birthday cake.  Win-win.  I get to have my cake and eat it too!  Plus no cake left over.  Just one slice.

Now before I go, I must tell you about the kindness of strangers.  I love instagram and I have "met" via Instagram a rather inspirational runner from Utah, we have hooked up via Garmin Connect too.  Never spoken to her in my life, our only interaction is via liking each other's photos on Instagram.  So a few weeks ago she asked for my address as she had a running care package to send me.  Okay first rule of the internet, never give your address to strangers right?  So what do I do?  She's a runner, she *MUST* be okay.  I gave her our address.  And look what came today.  I was gobsmacked.  Particularly as she had no idea it was my birthday and what timing!   Thank you very much Anastasia, it was incredibly kind of you.   There will be a parcel winging its way back to you at some point in time when you least expect it ;-)

And if you've made it to the end of this blog post, you deserve a finishers medal! ha.