This was the big test. 5 days of stretches and glute-strengthening exercises in an attempt to ward off knee pain...
Our final Saturday run before the race was an 11km course which included the last part of next week's half-marathon. We joined the other CanToo pods from around the city and met at Hyde Park for a brisk start on a cold morning. It's crazy to think how the weather has changed over the lifetime of this programme. I remember starting out at 7:30am with sunscreen dripping off my face with sweat! Now we all stand around shivering before things take shape. It was something like 9 degrees celsius this morning..
I was given strict instructions by the coach to stop as soon as I felt any pain. This would minimise injury for race day at least.
The first part of the run involved a trip around Mrs Macquarie's chair - again! This will be the very final stage of the race so it's good to be sick of it. We then ran down through the CBD via King St., past all the dodgy characters hanging around outside pubs, past the stragglers making their way home after a big night and onto Pyrmont Bridge to cross Darling Harbour and head down to the Accenture building. It was a beautiful morning and the sights were enough to keep my mind off the running element for a while. I felt quite energetic and stayed with the group who are pacing for a 2 hr 30 min run on race day. My breathing was fine, I could keep a conversation going and I felt good.
Until I came back across Pyrmont Bridge, that is. I felt my quads tightening and knew what was coming next. By the time we reached half-way up King Street's hill my right knee started to twinge. By the time I reached Pitt Street I made a decision to stop. That was the 7km mark. I was so frustrated to have to stop. I knew it was the right decision, but I had so much more energy left in me and I would have been able to finish off the run. I laugh when I think how times have changed, and I'm frustrated I can 'only' run 7km....!!
I limped back to Hyde Park where some of the faster gazelles were already finishing their run. They looked so happy! Dave looked very concerned but was happy I didn't push myself to injury. What a disaster of a morning. Pent up energy was still waiting to be released and I didn't even think I had earned a big breakfast afterwards with the others! Better to be safe than sorry. More stretches and bum exercises for the next week. On a positive note, the pain didn't set in this time until the 7th km, as opposed to after 1km the week before. Whatever I'm doing must be helping :-)
“Of all the stratagems, to know when to quit is the best”
Chinese Proverb
http://www.cantoo.org.au/Sponsor-a-Participant.html
Our final Saturday run before the race was an 11km course which included the last part of next week's half-marathon. We joined the other CanToo pods from around the city and met at Hyde Park for a brisk start on a cold morning. It's crazy to think how the weather has changed over the lifetime of this programme. I remember starting out at 7:30am with sunscreen dripping off my face with sweat! Now we all stand around shivering before things take shape. It was something like 9 degrees celsius this morning..
I was given strict instructions by the coach to stop as soon as I felt any pain. This would minimise injury for race day at least.
The first part of the run involved a trip around Mrs Macquarie's chair - again! This will be the very final stage of the race so it's good to be sick of it. We then ran down through the CBD via King St., past all the dodgy characters hanging around outside pubs, past the stragglers making their way home after a big night and onto Pyrmont Bridge to cross Darling Harbour and head down to the Accenture building. It was a beautiful morning and the sights were enough to keep my mind off the running element for a while. I felt quite energetic and stayed with the group who are pacing for a 2 hr 30 min run on race day. My breathing was fine, I could keep a conversation going and I felt good.
Until I came back across Pyrmont Bridge, that is. I felt my quads tightening and knew what was coming next. By the time we reached half-way up King Street's hill my right knee started to twinge. By the time I reached Pitt Street I made a decision to stop. That was the 7km mark. I was so frustrated to have to stop. I knew it was the right decision, but I had so much more energy left in me and I would have been able to finish off the run. I laugh when I think how times have changed, and I'm frustrated I can 'only' run 7km....!!
I limped back to Hyde Park where some of the faster gazelles were already finishing their run. They looked so happy! Dave looked very concerned but was happy I didn't push myself to injury. What a disaster of a morning. Pent up energy was still waiting to be released and I didn't even think I had earned a big breakfast afterwards with the others! Better to be safe than sorry. More stretches and bum exercises for the next week. On a positive note, the pain didn't set in this time until the 7th km, as opposed to after 1km the week before. Whatever I'm doing must be helping :-)
“Of all the stratagems, to know when to quit is the best”
Chinese Proverb
http://www.cantoo.org.au/Sponsor-a-Participant.html
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