SAAC Race Recap: Advanced Bricks & Pavers

This week saw the SAAC club run back out in the Ironbarks for the 6.5km Advanced Bricks & Pavers Handicap.

Having looked at the weather report, I decided to don the shorts and singlet.  I’m glad I did as it got hot out on the track.

I wasn’t too sure how I was going to go on this run for a couple of reasons:

1. I’ve been working the late shifts the last few nights
2. No sleep in’s (I have kids, what sleep-in?)
3. A head cold

With that in mind, I set a goal to run the race at tempo pace.  I had done a tempo run a few days prior, but it didn’t exactly go to plan.

This run, I hoped to make up for it.

First up was the kid’s event. A 1.5km loop.

It was decided that they would all start together.

Once again I ran with Miles.  He’s not really a runner.

Well, not long distance at least.

He still gave it a go but he felt like he was dying by the end of it.

It wasn’t until I got home and uploaded the info to strava that I realised that he had improved from the last time he ran this.

Kayla on the other hand, well she just loves running, and you can clearly see that she enjoys it.

She ran a fantastic race, from start to finish.

Not only did she come outright 1st, she also came first on handicap.

Must have been the Running Heroes shirt I gave her, that tipped her to her win.

So proud of both of them.

Once all the kids had crossed the line, it was time for the senior race.

This week I was starting with Katie & Jess.  I knew that with a downhill start I would have to really back off my pace.

I felt like I was going so slow, but I knew by the time I got to the base of the hill I made the right choice.

The best way to describe this course is that it’s a (sort of) figure out, with one big loop of approx 4km, then a smaller 1.5km loop.  With a 500m there and back to make up the 6.5km distance.

To be honest, it’s a weird course, but 6.5km is also a weird distance.

By the time I got to the end of the 4km loop, I knew roughly where I was in the standings.

You know that handicapper has gotten the handicap times right when we all become grouped at the end.

I was the 3rd person to cross the line in a time of 31:31.  My handicap time of 12:20 placed me in 3rd position with a race time of 43:51.

The winner of the race went to Luca,  He was flying, passing me at around the 3km mark.

Dave who came 2nd also ran a fantastic race.

Overall a fine day.

Next week brings the Rupanyap Nursery run, which I will not be there for, as I will be running the Werribee Mansion Run instead.