Double Trouble :-)

Terrigal Trotters and Mingara Athletics were due to be cohosting an evening of track racing which was actually 2 events in 1, both of which were Central Coast Championship Events - a 10,000m race and the hour championships. I wanted to take part, if only to support the clubs and the event, especially "in the time of Covid", but I really couldn't decide which to aim for. My friends were telling me to go for the record in whichever event I chose but in my usual underconfident way, I was not convinced that I could do it.

The overall 10,000m record for ladies dated back to 1991 and was 38:26 but the LV40 time was 40:38, whilst the one hour ladies record (set in 2010) was 14.296 km. I know that in mass participation track race, finish times are generally slower than in a road event because, although they are almost completely flat, you do end up running a lot further than the "official" distance as you have to pass so many people so many times (and I always seem to be doing my passing on corners as I'm not experienced enough on a track to judge this properly), so although I was pretty hopeful that I was running well enough to set a new LV40 10,000m record, I didn't think I'd manage the overall time (my time in the last club 10K TT 10 days previously was 38:38). In the end I decided to run the 10,000m but keep going afterwards as a cool down and set what distance I managed to record in the hour.

On race day, my friend Skye came and picked me up after work as I still had no car of my own....and I really did not feel up for any run at all. I thought it was just due to a headache from a long day at work, and some nausea from overeating cakes, but it probably a lot down to nerves - as I know I put pressure myself whenever I race, and I did feel that I was going to let the girls down (as they all wanted me to go for a new Central Coast record). So much for a quiet run under the radar - they had the biggest turnout they'd ever had at the event....by miles!!! Not only were there the two events previously mentioned, but there was also the opportunity to enter the 10,000m as a 2-person relay team (it was up to the team members who ran what distance and how often they swopped, so some did 400m, some 800m and some family combos did random distances) or as a race walker. There seemed to be a few fast-looking younger ladies (in crop tops and racing knickers) around so that just added to my unease.

Those of us that wished to have a distance recorded for the hour were called over so that they could explain to us how to drop our sandbags at the end, and then everyone taking part was introduced to "their" lapcounter, though we were also wearing chips as we had to cross a timing mat at the start/finish of every lap. We were told that we would be set off in small waves but it actually appeared that we would all go together, though with the faster guys at the front. In the end, the start was delayed by about 45 minutes as the set up of the timing mats and screens happened a lot later than planned, but finally we were corralled behind the start line. I started next to some of the girls who were running first in their relay team, and near another couple of guys who had planned on running sub 40 minutes.

And they're off....

Unsurprisingly, most of the field (and certainly all of those around me) set off at a faster than me, but after 100m or so, I settled into my stride. It was an "interesting" race to run, as I think that I run at a fairly steady pace - nothing dramatic but I don't set off fast and fade as others do. For me, this means that I have to really work on my head game, as it's very easy to start to stress and panic when it appears that everyone is running away from you and stretching out the gaps. Surprisingly enough, once I got into the run, it didn't feel too bad at all and I started to catch people up and ease my way past them. I'm not so good at race tactics, as I am aware that the best plan is to pass people in the straights to avoid running wide round the corners, but I find that I just tend to go at one pace, and so pass people whenever I catch up to them, and hence probably run way further than in an ideal world! 

It was very odd to be in the same event as race walkers as they needed a much wider berth due to their arm/elbow action, especially when they were two abreast, but it was nice to see so many people of all ages getting out there and competing in whatever discipline they chose to do.  It did make for a very crowded track and it caused some confusion with counting laps and people getting "the bell" for their last lap at different times. Each lap counter was officially looking after a maximum of 3 athletes as this was considered to be a manageable number on a well-lit track, but unfortunately my lap counter (although lovely) was also wanting to follow her husband's run and so would go over and chat to his lap counter to see how he was getting on. This meant that I had to keep track of my own number of laps and actually tell her how many I'd done at one point as she asked me when I ran past!!!

I felt that I was running a fairly even pace and passing more and more people as the race went on, though I admit that although I was managing to keep track of my own laps, I kind of lost the ability to compute where other people were in the race and what lap they were all on. I knew that a couple of guys were on the same lap as me and so focussed on reeling them in, but I was aware that I'd lapped some others several times. The relay runners rather added to the confusion as you'd sometimes pass one member of a team and then the next time it might be their partner or them again, as they could run any distance they wanted before swopping over. I knew that my friends Simone and Monika were on the same lap but slightly ahead of me as Simone had started much faster than I had done, but they were always in sight. However, I had lapped Skye and her team mate, but I wasn't sure how many times.

With Simone and Monika after
they set the relay record!

I glanced at my watch as well as the race clock when I knew that I only had 1 more lap to run for the 10,000m and realised that unless something dramatic happened on that lap, then I was on for a good time and would be well under the overall record for the event - and so shouted at my lap timer that it was my last lap. I knew there was confusion around the number of laps as she'd not been following me that closely so I made sure to take note of the guys I passed on those final couple of laps and figured that the chip timing would sort it all out, as you cannot go off  a watch as easily as we would all have run way more than 10,000m with all the overtaking.  It was rather strange to be "going for the line" but know that you're not really going full out for it as you're going to carry on running. I couldn't help picking up the pace slightly as I looked at the clock and realised that I was going to duck under the 37 minute mark, which I haven't done for several years and then ease back a bit over the line, but me carrying on running did make people think that I hadn't yet finished that event. Although I was moving a bit slower than before, I was still passing both runners and walkers and so (unsurprisingly) people thought that I was still going for a 10,000m time and cheered me down the home straight again....and were surprised that I still didn't stop. 

The problem with having run the 10,000m faster than I'd thought I would, was that I then had longer to keep going to get to the hour mark but actually the time seemed to pass much quicker than I thought it would, as the track became emptier and emptier as more and more people achieved their 10,000m distance (though unfortunately a lot fell short by multiples of 400m due to some dodgy lap counting). We had been briefed before the race that we would need to pick up a bag of gravel as we neared the hour mark so that we could drop it where we finished when the time ran out, but they kept trying to hand me mine from about 50 minutes onwards. I knew that my laps were taking under 2 minutes, so I kept waving my bag aside as I wasn't keen to run with it in my hand for longer than I had to, but eventually I gave in to the pressure to take it and so carried it for the last few laps. I wasn't 100% sure of the record distance in my head but was pretty confident that I had passed it with time to spare, but kept going as if you're going to set a new record, then you might as well set one that's as good as you can do at the time rather than just stop as soon as you've done it (I did find it slightly odd that people expected me to do this!).

2 Events = 2 Trophies :-) 

Everybody was so lovely at cheering me on, both runners who'd finished and lap counters who'd finished lap counting. In the end I was just hanging out for the final whistle and kept thinking that I must have missed it when over at the far side of the track. Simone ran towards me on the infield and she kept me honest as I knew then to keep going to the bitter end - but I was so glad to stop, drop the bag, catch my breath and then do a nice cool down lap with the girls. As it turned out, those final few metres were sooooo important as it meant that I actually just pipped the distance of one of my new clubmates from when he took out the male win in the previous year (the male winner this year also set a new record!)....I could say "if only I'd known how close it was I'd have tried to push on more" but then again I could have pushed a bit earlier and  totally blown up, so was just happy with the race as it was. Not a bad way to spend an evening - running with friends....especially as we all got cake afterwards (to celebrate a 70th birthday...and I got double the amount as I'd done 2 races.....magic!!!) before Skye and I debriefed (ie gossiped) all the way home!