500k Relay: Beached Pirate Race 1 - The Griffith Uni "Special"

Despite the name, there is nothing "special" about it. Two races, each with 7 runners per team. You run three laps around Griffith uni. It is like any other race one does on a Friday morning at 4.45am...no costumes, no craziness. Just tired runners who woke up at 2.30am to arrive at the start on time, and the road under our feet. The only reason for this race is to make up distance on the relay (7.2k x 14 runners = 100.8km)
Originally I had been put in the first race and had psyched myself all up for it. Then I got switched to the second race. At first I was a bit grumbly about being switched (only because I was really looking forward to getting it done & dusted), but I resigned myself very quickly and was even grateful when I discovered the second race would be done in reverse direction this year. This meant that instead of a short, steep uphill and a long gentle downhill, we'd have a long gentle uphill and a short, steep uphill.
Many a runner thought prolonging the uphill section was worse, but I was happy. When it is too steep, I lose my pace, lose my stride, and struggle to regain it. When it is less steep my breathing & heart rate is far less erratic and I'm able to recover more quickly at the top. Plus, the steeper downhill is
fffffffff
           uuuuuuuu
                           nnnnnnn
                                         !!!!!!!!!!

Weeeeeeeee.....

In 2011 I ran this race in 43.03 and learned my lesson about bringing my own breakfast to eat before a race. 2012 saw me push hard and get in at 40.22, just missing my goal of sub-40min.
This year I did consider pushing for a sub-40 run, which I felt was well within my grasp. But...it wasn't my "focus" race of the day. And I've done no hill training since my injury. So I downgraded my goal time.

Total distance: 7.2k
Goal time: sub-42min
Actual time: 40.16.
Avg pace: 5.37min/km

Woah! I guess you could say I got a PB on this race...and I was trying to keep it slow & easy! Kick ass!
The best part started just at the end of the first lap, when one of my fellow teammates caught up to me.

"Last hill!" He puffed to me happily as we ran up the hill on the second lap.
"No," I gasped out in correction. "One more after this."
"But it's...only...two laps!"
"No...three laps."
I think that stunned him into silence, as we didn't talk much for the next 1.5 laps, but it was still companionable. We discovered that we were an equal pace. He would get ahead...then I would get ahead...but never by more than a couple of metres!
Coming around the last corner of our last lap, we were still on pace with one another.


"Shall we finish together?" I asked my team mate cheerfully (we had just come to the bottom of a hill, so I had my breath back).
"NOPE!"
Riiiight. It's on. But despite what his response implied, he was still an utmost gentleman and allowed me to finish first.

Grim Determination

And my fellow Intraining runners were there to snap happy some photos, for which I was grateful. A camera is something I don't often have when I run and I love it when other people are more proactive in taking photos than I. Plus, it's a great way for me to check up on my running form/technique. (Namely, how much am I swinging my arms/shoulders...apparently a lot still, as the pictures prove).

 Spider hand, spider hand. Does whatever a spider can!

(Seriously, not sure what is going on with my right hand in this shot)

 PS - and for those wondering why these race updates are coming in more slowly than my usual post-run blogging, the answer is threefold:
1) I'm now in OFF-SEASON, BABY, so I'm in no rush.
2) I'm moving to Canada in less than 3 weeks, so my non-running life is a bit hectic at the moment
3) I'm allowing myself to gather intel (aka, photos) from my fellow team mates so I can post more photos of the race on this blog.