Fairbridge Mall 15km Race 18/8/2012 and Steve's Birthday

We (Steve and I) went to Brackenfell last Friday so that I could run a 15km race nearby on the Saturday morning.  I had originally intended running the 6km fun run so that I could see if my speed was improving yet, but decided that if I was going to get out of bed at just after 5am, then I may as well make it worthwhile and do the 15km race instead!  So we dropped the animals off at the kennels on the way to Cape Town and arrived at my Dad and Celia's house in time for lunch!  The weather had been really cold and wet for a few days but it looked like it was brightening up.  In fact, the day of the run turned out to be sunny, which was great.

The next morning, we were up and out of the house by just after 6am.  It was very cold and very dark!  I sometimes wonder why I would want to do this!  The venue was only about 10 minutes' drive away and I registered, finished getting dressed (!) with Garmin, running belt and number and spent the next 45 minutes visiting the loo several times!  As we were able to use the proper loos in the mall, there were lots of them, much more comfortable than those horrible portaloo things, and no queues, which was great!

Just before the Start

About ten minutes before the race was due to start, we ventured outside where it was getting lighter, although the sun wasn't up over the mountains yet, and saw that runners were starting to congregate near the Start line.  Steve took a few photos (which we won't keep because those early morning photos are always appalling!) and the gun sent the runners off at 7.15.  We ran out of the mall car park and out to the main road, around the bend, and that was the last Steve saw of any of us, until the first guy got back 49 minutes later.  Yes, 49 minutes later!  How do they do that???

And we were off! 

It was a lovely run, although it was very cold to start with (I'm not used to that), but it was lovely to see the sun coming over the top of the mountains.  It was also good to run with other people, as I don't get to do that around Pearly Beach!  The first 5kms was fairly flat, which was good as it gave us all a chance to warm up a bit.  That took a while because it was so cold, and the middle 5kms was hard work - there were several big hills, and I struggled up the last one a bit.  However, the last 5kms was much better and a lot of that was flat or downhill so I hoped that that faster part would make up for the slower middle part.  Halfway through the run took us only about 200m from my Dad and Celia's house - I could have stopped off to say "Hi", although I didn't know that until I was going past, and I didn't know the route anyway.  They would have waved me on if they had known.  That's the trouble with not knowing the route - you can't prepare so well! (There says the expert!)

The last 150 metres

Almost there! I must keep going!

I had hoped to manage the run in 1:45hrs, going by past experience of running that sort of distance, although I thought that 1:50hrs might be more likely.  I was desperately trying to keep my pace below 7 mins/km and I felt I should be able to do this because I have spent the last month doing some speed work.  I was delighted with my 1 hour 42 minutes 12 seconds, which made my pacing 6:48 mins/km.  Perhaps the speed training is working!  So, besides the fact that I have never run a 15km race before, I have run 15km distance before, but not so fast!  Which means I got a PB!!  That doesn't happen very often!

Stepping off, totally pooped!

We were all done and finished by 9am, although the official results haven't come out yet.  I was 'home' and showered by about 10am, then we all wished Steve a Happy Birthday!  Yes, it was his birthday on Saturday and I had dragged him out of bed at some unearthly hour so that I could run a race and earn another medal!  I do hope he will forgive me.  Anyway, we celebrated his birthday with a lovely birthday meal later and he had beautiful weather for his birthday too.

Showing off my new medal! Chuffed with my PB!

We came home yesterday afternoon, picking the animals up en-route, and are back into winter again - rainy and cold!