Thursday, May 9, 2013

Who run the world? Girls.

I did it! My first 10k; the Nike She Runs The Night Sydney. It really is an amazing feeling to set a goal for yourself and then do it.  We don't really get many opportunities to do stuff like that once we become adults.  Yes, my time kinda sucked but my new motto is the longer I take the more exercise I get.  The girl that won only exercised for 34 minutes.  I mean, I ran for almost an hour longer! Ha!  The real test was how I would bounce back.  So even though I had to deal with a sprained sacroiliac that left me out of training for three weeks I woke up the next morning feeling great!  Of course you all know I love gear so big ups to 110% Play Harder Compression/Ice.  They are fantastic! Y'all should check them out.  www.110playharder.com

Warming up before the race. It was cold which was nice while running. 
The lead group. The blonde in the front left was the winner.
I'm still smiling!

As in everything else I have found so far Aussies are extreme.  When they drink, they get drunk. When it's time for work, they work hard.  When it's time to relax, you couldn't get them to work.  And when they run, they run fast. Of the 6,000 that were entered about 5,000 finished to get a time.  They cut off the course at 9:00 so you had a two hour cut off limit. I finished in the 4,000 range but the most impressive to me was that about 2,500 ladies finished sub 60:00.  Bravo!


A sea of women
Cool lights all around the park!
This is how we entered

It was a very electric atmosphere with that many fit women attacking the park. They had lots of things along the way to keep our minds occupied.  Neon lights, DJ's with disco balls hanging from the trees, smoke machines, fire, led video boards with our facebook pictures, and much more.  My favorite was the fire.  It scared me a little bit as I'm just running along and boom, about twenty bursts of fire shoot into the sky, followed by each one individually as I run along with them. Very cool!

I will say that being an American in this race left me thinking about our different means of security.  Ah, the innocence of Australia.  Aussies have never been attacked and thank God for that.  Because it changes you when you or someone you love is involved in senseless crime.  Americans know this.  We go through unbelievable security every time we enter a sporting event, music concert, go on a plane, the list goes on and on.  But we have been hit and it has made us more serious than we should be.  My husband's uncle was running in the Boston Marathon and was getting close to the finish when the bomb went off.  He is fine.  But it changes you.  Sean had a backpack on at the finish and no one checked it. I wasn't checked except for a once over to look to see I had my flashing bracelet on.  This is how it should be.  Sean said he thought to himself, "I wonder if I should be this close to the finish," while waiting for me.  He immediately dismissed it but he thought about it.  I doubt if any Aussies gave it a second of thought.  But we ran anyway.  When I'm feeling like I don't want to run I think of the people who can't.  Like the motto on Sean's RoadID bracelet, "Don't waste the gift".
Moving pictures are everywhere!
These water bottles were already gone when I finished. But I guilted a girl into giving me one of the five she took. Score!
My favorite...FIRE!

All in all I'm pretty stoked to be running as it really does make you feel better after you get through.  Not before...but after, yes!  Thanks Nike! I have to thank my awesome husband for braving the cold weather and taking pictures and cheering me on. Thanks to my chiropractor who got me back running after my injury.  Thanks to all of you and your encouraging words too.  The Internet makes this island feel like it's next door to everyone I love.

I read that you need to set your next goal within a week of finishing so Sean and I will be running the 14k City2Surf in August.  Crazy!


What ran next to you changed as you went by
Green monster!
Name Wall of Fame

Yay!

Xyloband. I was in the green group so it would flash along to the music on the route and at the after party.

2 comments:

  1. great photos! It was definitely the best run I've ever done.

    (visiting from facebook!)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Tanya! Can't wait until next year.

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