Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pinged by the Handicapper!

In the last run for 2009 in November I won a bronze medal at the Vets' Handicap. As a result of this the handicapper made me suffer accordingly and put me back NINE groups from Group 18 to Group 27. Now that's a pretty tough call. We ran the Campbell Park course at 8.30am in warm to hot conditions - an undulating out and back course, a bit rough in parts but at least I knew what to expect and where I was going having incorporated it in our long run yesterday. I enjoy catching up with everyone at the monthly handicaps - people we only see once a month and others returning to running like CJ - so good to see her out there again.
I ran a short warm-up with the usual suspects round the flat carpark then headed for the portaloo and from there to the start.
Total distance of run: 6km (plus 1km warm-up)
Time taken: 33:37
Average pace per km: 5:36
Handicap group: 27 (in the same start group as Jen; Ewen and Chris ran off Group 25 - how does that work??)
Finish place: 112 (a little different from last handicap - wonder if that qualifies for a new group next month?)
Number of finishers in Thomas course: 132
The really great part of the results is that our speedygeese won the first three places in the Thomas series. Andy won Gold, Craig Silver and Brett Bronze. What a fantastic result!
After the run I joined Jen, Andy, Ewen, Heidi, Janene, Ken, Noeline and Garry for a very civilized coffee and brunch at Carlo's - if fact I indulged in two coffees, they were so good!!

Total distance for week: 71km

4 comments:

  1. Of course you will go forward ONE group for next month. We are not so harsh to let you finish outside the top 100 every month. Plus more long distance running leading a marathon somewhere, sometime, a couple of years you may win a medal again. You also have a good speedycoach, and a good slow coach. Then one day you can go mountain running.

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  2. And your average pace was quicker than mine!! Well done. And spaking of harsh handicapping - I have to start in Gp 32 next month. Its going toget very lonely at the rear!

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  3. And of course i meant 'speaking' - suffering typing dyslexia.

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  4. Serves you right for running so fast last time! My goal for the rest of the year is to keep starting in groups ahead of you ;)

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