The Six Foot Track No.4
I was dropped off with about 40 minutes to go, all dressed and ready for the run. My training, from a zero base, only started in January so I had no idea how I would fair through the day. I knew I could make it so I guess the rest was simply a matter of minutes or possibly hours. As I waited for the start I caught up with friends and then hung around the 6 Foot Virgins camp since they were all hyped and it was a fun place to be.
The A group got away quickly and then my group gathered. It was elbow to elbow and the track was tricky. Then it all slowed down for the stairs. As the track leveled out I started to try to get a rhythm to my running. My GPS watch said I was doing 4:30 pace which was way too fast but I felt good and knew it would slow soon enough. I use to try to pace myself but I now often go with what Jan Hermann told me “you are going to feel bad at some point so you may as well get it over and done with”.
I am starting to get to know the track quite well and thought about previous runs as I ran along. Megalong Valley Road was up quickly and the crowd was great. As we hit the single track I slotted in with a group that were doing a pace I liked and the plan was just to stay in the group to the river. Then my shoelace came undone. I moved over and sorted it out and then slotted back into the line of runners. In my stop I picked up a bug on my calf. I tried to kick it off and suddenly I was sliding down the path on my knee. I jumped up continued without missing a beat but my knee was a tad sore and starting to bleed.
When I got to the Cox I was upset that the water was low enough to rock hop across since I was keen on wading through. On the other side of the river at the drink stop I washed down my leg and it was looking nice and bloody. It is always good to come into the finish looking a bit battle scared.
The climb up Mini Mini was fine and I tried get some pace back along to the start of the next climb but my legs were a tad tired already. I decided to run through the rest of the rivers and the cool water was a nice change for my feet. Then the big climb came. It is hard to judge such a thing. You do not want to blow all your time getting to the top but if you go too hard you will die out on the Black Range. So I took it a bit easy. Everyone seem to pass me!
I hit the top about 5 – 10 minutes off last years time and but I thought I would have something left to run the rest and come through with an ok time. Dam that Black Range! I ended up walking the hills and stopped worrying about my time. I think I turned into a running zombie since all I can remember is just slowly plodding along in a trance until another fall woke me up and there was the Caves Road. At Caves Rd I mistook the Striders Drink Stop for a 6 Foot one and took a heap of their Gatorade then at the actual drink stop later grabbed a power bar, which was quickly spat out yeeww!
I cruised to the end taking it very easy on the last down hill since I did not want another fall coming in at 5:35.
Then I sat at the finish line and drank beer and chatted.
All in all a nice day on the range.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, March 26, 2005 at 10:52 PM.
