The first official event on the event calendar was yesterday - Wellington Round the Bays. I entered in the 6.5km with the intent of running the whole distance. I started strong and steady - and it was awesome to see Fiona O'H pass me and say hello. But then just past Oriental Bay I got a bit disheartened that walkers were going faster than I was. So I thought I'd try the larger step thing and walk. Then I started running, but some walkers who I know, who are 15 years older than me passed me. Being honest, that gutted me!
Within the 1.5 km distance or so of Kilbirine Park I realised I wasn't going to make the 60 minute goal I'd set in my head, so kind of slowed down both physically and mentally. My overall official time was 1:03:53. I actually ran faster proportionally at the run group where I ran 6km non stop. So it wasn't really a PB, although as my first official event for the year I guess I could class it as a PB. Because there was so many people it also had the rare factor where I wasn't the last man or woman home.
Basically although I have determination and perservance sometimes I lack that extra drive or killer instinct to extend myself beyond my own ability. That's something I have to work on.
The best thing I got out of Round the Bays though was the focus for the Triability in Wainuiomata in 4 weeks. That means everything to me emotionally. So for that I want to crack the mental blocks, and complete that event with absolutely nothing left in my physical tank, and to be able to say, yes that was the absolute best time I could do.
It means everything to me because for 30 or so years lived in Wainuiomata. I lived in a house where I watched my Mum and Dad die of cancer. In that same house my Grandad died also. He too had had cancer, but died at the age of 84. There was quite a lot of sadness for us as a family in Wainui. But there was also music and a wonderful garden my father created that defied the weather conditions of Wainui.
For me, the event in Wainuiomata is a way of grounding myself, taking me back to when I first learned to swim and ride a bike. These represent some of my best childhood memories. Just biking down Moohan St and hanging out at the pool all day and then biking home. Running down Moohan St for college PT sessions aren't in that favourite picture of my favourite memories.
Tonight I asked my sister if she would support me at the Wainui event. She asked me what she had to do. I said just stand there and shout at me to keep going and tell me I'm doing OK! She also asked me if there would be a good coffee place to go to while I was away for a few hours, and if not what she would do while she was waiting for me. I told her that there would be awesome people to speak to while she waited and time would fly. Although if that failed she could bring a book. She seemed keener than I thought she would be. And particularly inspired that its a Triability. This means a lot to me that she will be at the Wainui event. No, it means everything. She's super supportive, but just not really into events.
So, the Round the Bays was my pre-season gig. Wainuiomata 2015 is where it really begins for me. Just under four weeks to go!
