Only Seven More to Go
It was another perfect sunny City2Surf day in Sydney.
I was pleased with my preparation and expected to run the 14k fairly comfortably in under 80 minutes, but things started to go wrong on the Wednesday before the event.
Met up with a few of the Sunrise team at the end of the run. I did warn Sam not to get too close because I was a bit sweaty and smelly
I went for a slow morning jog with a couple of friends and we discussed how this was to be a very slow tapering run just to limber up. The temperature was -1C and 2 km into the run we went up a very slight incline when I felt the untimely snap of a calf tear.
I was very disappointed. I had done everything right as far as my preparation was concerned and then this. There was nothing I could do but hobble back to the car park with the aim of resting my calf as best as possible until Sunday.
On the Sunday of the City2Surf I started slowly, left calf strapped, and I tried to stick to a 5:30 per km pace but it was a little hard to stick to.
I made it over the first hill with only minor discomfort but by the time I’d got to the top of the hill at Edgecliff, my calf was fairly sore. When I got to the 5 km mark I decided it was best to nurse it over the hills and hope that my if I walked up the hills and jogged along the flat and downhill sections I would make it in my time limit without causing too much damage.
Unfortunately I have a fairly slow cadence and so the only way for me to gain speed is by bouncing along, and my calf just wasn’t up to it.
I felt that I would still be under my time limit but I was very mindful that I had to keep pushing myself. My goal of running 50 consecutive City2Surfs in under 100 minutes was again put to the test.
I finally crossed the line in 94:19 with five and a half minutes up my sleeve.
Oh well, there is always next year.
Had a great day and now only have to do it seven more times.
Article by Chris Edwards