more fun.

It’s been a busy week. Work commitments and a full training schedule have wiped me out, which explains why I was sound asleep on the couch at 9:00p.m. Friday night.

As expected my “run to work” plan is very demanding, I was cursing the idea on Tuesday after the commute home left me totally shattered. It was a very hot day and my route has no shade, to top it off I’d worked overtime and forgot I had to pick up my kids from school. By the time I’d realized my plight I had only given myself 45 minutes to run the 10k to the school before they closed! I made it (just) and vowed to modify my plan before my endocrine system becomes too depleted.

My solution was to dust the cobwebs off my road bike and get some smart, low impact, cross training mileage. I soon found myself racing every biker in sight (even if they’re not going my direction) I don’t know what it is about me on a bike but I get COMPETITIVE!

My commute is over undulating terrain, but there is one hill in particular that I love to ride up, “Black Swan Hill” (aka Monte Zoncolan) it’s embarrassingly small and it kicks my butt every time I go up it, so it’s pretty cool.

The highlight of my running week was being introduced to the “Masters Athletics of Western Australia.” They hold track nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week.

I joined the track team back in high school…for two days; I hated the idea of running around in circles. Now, a little older and open-minded, my curiosity has gotten the better of me and I wanted to see how I’d fare in sprint events.

I signed up for the 100m and the 400m races along with a few other ultra runners (who have asked to remain nameless to protect their “secret racing” adventures)

The 100m was up first and I was warmed up, stretched and ready to run…I was also terrified! There where people there with racing spikes, starting block thingies, matching singlets, these people know their stuff. I felt pretty embarrassed asking the nice man with the starting gun how the whole “ready, set, go” thing works.

“Do I have to get down…where do my hands go?” I asked nervously.

“You can do a standing start if you like” He said encouragingly. “I just hope you don’t blow a hammy!”

We all cringed at that comment, and then there was a loud bang.

We all ran as hard as we could and I found myself leading…and then it was over, I’d won my heat! That wasn’t so scary after all.

The 400m was up next, all the advice I’d received about this one was “get an inside lane.” The man called us in and the inside lanes were quickly occupied, I ended up in lane 8 (the very outside)

“I don’t see what’s so bad about this?”

Again, a loud BANG and we were off.

I again felt like I was leading for a long time, it was great! Then at 300m in I realized why lane 8 is bad (At 300m you all end up at the same point.) 100m to go it was an all out sprint to the finish, Somewhere I found a gear I didn’t know I had and kicked hard to the finish. I won my heat again! Maybe I’m a sprinter after all.

It’s very exciting to suddenly add a new dimension to my running, and although ultras are my passion, I am going to devote a portion of my training to track shenanigans.

Happy trails.http://www.mastersathleticswa.org/