The Easter Bunny must have overslept! It was a sleepy start to the SAAC club run, the last hurrah of the school holidays. Despite the lower turnout, the sound of tiny footsteps from the sub-juniors filled the air with a different kind of excitement.
My training plan chirped about an easy 90-minute run, but let’s be honest, my last “easy” 10k a month ago turned into a 1:15 epic. So, I decided to play it safe. A quick 5k warm-up at a leisurely 6:33 pace (think: Sunday stroll, not cheetah chase) seemed like the perfect way to wake up the legs.
The “Edge’s Ironbark Dash” course? A two-lap roller coaster just across from the clubhouse. One perk of a lap course? You can stalk, I mean, strategically monitor your pace. Determined not to blow up early, I settled into a rhythm with Simon (the sponsor, not a fellow runner… yet). Paula, another runner, was hot on our heels, keeping things interesting.
Suddenly, at the 3km mark, Simon bolted! Turns out, even sponsors need a bathroom break sometimes. With a new target in mind (Jess, this time!), I held steady, knowing I’d reel her in soon. Halfway point beeped on my watch: 14:14. To achieve a negative split (fancy runner talk for speeding up!), I needed to finish under 28:28. Challenge accepted! I kicked things up a notch, finding a groove that felt smooth and strong.
In the final stretch, Paul, a super-supportive dad of one of the juniors, was cheering everyone on like a champion. Fueled by his enthusiasm and my own determination, I pushed through the finish line at 27:33! Did I tack on some extra mileage after? Well, let’s just say my legs opted for a scenic hike instead. But that, my friends, is a story for another day.