So the training didn’t quite go to plan, I failed to get further than Week 3, Day 1 of the couch to 5k program I was following! So I was fairly contented to walk to the full 8.4km. It seemed fairly busy as we all made our way to the start and when the gun went off it took a full 5 minutes or so to reach the start line and even then the field was fairly congested. It was reported that 70,000 people took part in the event!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6595042/Auckland-Round-the-Bays-a-success
After walking for about 10 minutes, the field in front opened up a little and I was feeling good so we decided to try a little jog. We jogged for a short time until I was feeling tired and then we walked for a bit and we continued like this the whole way. The most I had done in training was 3.4km and it was about this mark that I was feeling tired, but by this time I had entered into a secret challenge with Chicken boy (a boy in a chicken suit with a band-aid on his chin). We would overtake chicken boy and then when I got tired we would walk and chicken boy would overtake us and so on. At first my aim was simply to beat chicken boy and that kept me amused for the mid section of the race but towards the end I got passed by a team of people carrying a caber and then I had an extra challenge – to not get beaten by the log! In the end I achieved both my secret challenges and that made me very happy!
I completed the race in 80:58 which is by far my slowest time yet, but it is also my most under prepared event to date – lesson learned.
http://www.roundthebays.co.nz/
After the race, we went to find our friend Jude’s works BBQ and headed off for Glover Park after walking all the way out there we found out that the BBQ was actually at Madills Farm and had to turn around and walk 2.6km all the way back. However I think the extra walk helped and even 2 days after the event I don’t have any pain or much stiffness.
So now I’m giving some serious thought to the Auckland Half Marathon in October – but I really have to do some proper training for that!
