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| Dogs (and owners) of all shapes and sizes took part in the 4Paws 5km |
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| One dog even took his owner around on a motorcycle |
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| And for those who didn't have a motorcycle to get around quickly, there was always the horse! |
Anyway, back to the 10km Run. It was another early start but the weather was considerably warmer than the Run I did a few weeks ago, and it turned out to be a beautiful day. I had registered and picked up my number the evening before so I didn't have to arrive TOO early and could have a lie-in until just before 6am.
After dressing, making my porridge and taking Steve a cup of tea in bed, finally we were ready and arrived at the school where the run was to start by about 7am. After queuing for the loo, and a quick 'warm-up', I went to the start line where everyone was gathering. This race was slightly different in that the women started first, and the men a few minutes later, so that the race would have an overall winner, whether that winner was female or male. I thought that is a fantastic idea! The handicap time difference this year was 5 minutes 10 seconds, a minute less than last year.
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| "Is it really time to start?" |
I did not find it an easy race, even though it was relatively flat (well, flat by South African standards anyway!). I suppose some races are like that, the same as some training runs are like that. I had not been feeling great for a few weeks and my legs certainly did not want to run that day! I struggled on for the first 4 or 5 kms and felt like giving up. The only reason I didn't was because we had come such a long way so that I could run it. I thought, "Zip up your man suit, woman!" and from that point on which, I was delighted to see, also coincided with reaching the top of a hill, had a few lovely downhill stretches dotted about for the remainder of the run. I think I had also taken about 35 minutes or so to do just 5km, and was thinking, "Oh well, I've blown it now anyway!" I had wanted to complete the race in about 63 or 64 minutes and so beating my previous 3 10km races.
So, after zipping up my man-suit, I talked to my legs and went for it! I tried not to think of the pain of the exertion, and the time, and was concentrating on watching the kilometre markers disappearing past me. Six, then seven, and I waited for number eight. That seemed to be a long time in coming, and then I saw number nine coming up. Wow, what excitement then! I must have missed number eight. "Just keep going, come on, you're almost there! Keep going!" Then, suddenly, I could see the finish line. So glad! No breath left!
And I could stop!
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| Collecting goodie bag at the finish |
1 hour 5 minutes and 8 seconds. I must have run that second half in 30 minutes or under! Wow! So, all was not lost. I managed a 10km PB of about 10 seconds. Now, if I had had a better run....
(Mmm, methinks maybe I COULD run a 5km in under 30 minutes then!)
Oh, and a woman won!
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| I'm happy now (and got my breath back!) |
A big thank you to Celia and Dad again for giving us such a lovely weekend. We had a great time with you.
Oh, and a huge thank you to Baruch as well, for giving us such a laugh. It was quite novel of him to find a somewhat different way of getting Steve to feed him his lunch:-
1. Get Steve to drop bacon and egg butty in the pool, while dragging chair into sunshine to sit on and eat it.
2. Get Steve to retrieve lunch from pool.
3. Get Steve to drop remains of soggy bread, bacon and egg on edge of pool for Baruch to eat.
Well done Lee, that is a fantastic time. Also loving the outfit, I love my running skirts & skapri's/skipri's??? who cares, love 'em ;-)
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