Pins & Needles: Surf T Surf Round up!

Round up of the Surf T Surf. What a carnival. There were record crowds (2000+ runners I believe) and as I looked to the heavens as we made our way to Warrnambool I breathed a sigh of relief. Not a cloud in the sky. No rain!!! It was a BRILLIANT morning for running. The race was half an hour earlier than other years which worked well. Only a slight breeze, even better.

Some of the ladies from our wonderful Warrnambool & Surrounds 12wbt group met up as we arrived, there were girls there I didn't even get to catch up with, it was crazy with runners, and yet so well organized. A quick snap of me and my entourage of one! Got to love Mike, he's always in my corner. He was snapping photos of our group so we all had a keepsake of the day.

Some of our fabbo girls, who I love to call "my health and fitness sisters".

Ready, excited, lined up waiting for the start.

We were so lucky with the weather. No rain for the morning and only a slight breeze. Thank heavens the expected wind/rain didn't arrive until the afternoon. Only once did my earphones blow out of my ears as I rounded Liebig into Lava Street.

I ran my own race, I knew I was back of the pack but that was okay, I also knew I was going faster from the times I was getting on my Runkeeper. I had to have a few sneaky walks as I didn't quite make it up a couple of the hills. It's a hilly mean course. Rocky on my headphones did help me somewhat but even Rocky wasn't enough at the top of Nicholson Street! I loved that some of my workmates were working point duty and they high fived me as I ran on past (probably not the done thing for police officers directing traffic!!).

As I got to I believe it was the 3km mark, that's where the 6km race runners double back but the 10km route goes out another 4km, I hit that point and I saw one of the 10km runners flying back. Steve Moneghetti. It was such a thrill to see him run. Heck! It was such a thrill to know I was running the same race as him. So by that moment he'd already run 4km more than me! Mind you, just as an aside he came second in the race with 32 mins something, the winner ran 10km in 30 minutes, I kid you not. FLYING!

So I kept on with my plodding and there was a lass ahead of me, we had played cat and mouse for a while but I ran on by her as she was flagging up a hill. As I joined back up to that turn around point it was great knowing I only had 3km to go. The lass I had passed caught up to me and called my name. Blow me down it was one of our 12wbt group, I hadn't recognised her as she had a cap down low on her head.

From that moment on we ran in tandem Kate and I. We both had headphones on so lost in our music, at times we would call out to each other, urging each other on. We powered back that last 3km. As we came down Cannon Hill (I love that this course finishes on the downhill) we were motoring. I don't think I'd ever run so fast, a lot of it the impetus of the downward hill, we were calling out to the 6km walkers ahead of us "coming through" or "on your right" so they knew we were behind them. Down Pertobe Road Hill and a sprint to the finish line. As we neared we looked at each other, grabbed hands and held them high above our heads and ran over the finish line together and finished with an exhausted hug.

This is what it's about, the camaraderie, the friendships, the spurring each other on. It was an amazing feeling. If Kate hadn't caught me up I maybe would have limped it home. She's told me likewise for her. The running together, the almost peer pressure of not wanting to flag, it had it's place. Official times came in later that day, we crossed the finish line at exactly the same time. Brilliant.

Excuse the crazy woman in this photo, we were on a huge high!!

I was ecstatic : 1 hour, 12 minutes, 09 seconds. My best ever 10km run. EVER! I have a PB people.

Okay so the fact I came 7th last we won't go into. ha! But it's not about that, it's about goal setting and achieving the goal. I achieved my personal best time, I achieved the fact I said last year at my very first fun run that I would be back to run the 10km and I did. I loved it.

And look at my prize!!!!!!

So funny, as we recovered at the end, I was ready to go stalking the great Mona and as I was walking around the staging area I almost ran slap bang into him. Mission accomplished. He is such a wonderful ambassador for the sport. It wasn't just a matter of take a photo and move on. He chatted to me about my running goals. Yes the great marathon runner and world champion Olympic champion amazing Steve Moneghetti was interested in hearing about MY RUNNING! Woah. Huge. Then he chatted to Mike for a little bit too.

And yes, you have just got to love the tropical headpiece Mike had him inadvertently wear in the background! ha.

Then a terrific BBQ breakfast put on by the social club at work - egg & bacon sangers, mmmmm!

And go figure, after all the excitement of Sunday, I end up on the Warrnambool Standard website on Monday.