Your encouragement convinced me to race last Thursday night – 25 laps of the AIS track. I was almost a minute slower than December's 10,000 metres, but finished contented. It was hot! My mate down at the BOM said it was 30°C (86°F) with humidity of 34% at 8.30pm, mid-way through the race. Queensland friends would probably call the weather "perfect". I found it hot, and I don't do heat well. For distance running, give me the coolness like one finds at the summit of Grouse Mountain.
For the first 10 laps, I had the company of a patched up CJ. It was a bit of a role reversal from the same event in 2007 when I desperately hung onto CJ, using her to drag me to a "good" 5000 metre time of 23:09. I stopped there while she went on to win the ACT 10,000m Championship. This time CJ was coming back from injury, and lacking race fitness. She dropped back just before 5k, so I ran on alone, being continually lapped by the faster runners. Three laps from the finish, I realised I was catching Roger, so chased hard and overtook him with 600 metres to run, happy, as I rarely finish ahead of him these days. Actually racing those last few laps was fun. So, 13th place (out of 20 starters) in 45:51.74 with 5k splits of 22:41 and 23:10. Kathy, my training partner from Calwell was the female winner in 39:51 - not bad for a 51-year-old mother of two!
Now I'm looking forward to the shorter track races of 800 to 5000 metres, where melting in a pool of salty water is less likely to occur. I'm also working on my running goals for 2008, which I'll reveal in a future post.
For the first 10 laps, I had the company of a patched up CJ. It was a bit of a role reversal from the same event in 2007 when I desperately hung onto CJ, using her to drag me to a "good" 5000 metre time of 23:09. I stopped there while she went on to win the ACT 10,000m Championship. This time CJ was coming back from injury, and lacking race fitness. She dropped back just before 5k, so I ran on alone, being continually lapped by the faster runners. Three laps from the finish, I realised I was catching Roger, so chased hard and overtook him with 600 metres to run, happy, as I rarely finish ahead of him these days. Actually racing those last few laps was fun. So, 13th place (out of 20 starters) in 45:51.74 with 5k splits of 22:41 and 23:10. Kathy, my training partner from Calwell was the female winner in 39:51 - not bad for a 51-year-old mother of two!
Now I'm looking forward to the shorter track races of 800 to 5000 metres, where melting in a pool of salty water is less likely to occur. I'm also working on my running goals for 2008, which I'll reveal in a future post.
A chill in the air, like I'm feeling here on Grouse Mountain, would have gone down well last Thursday evening.
19 comments:
34% humidity. dry as a bone!
are you a bom junkie?
don't we all desperately hang on to cj? she's like Rizzo.
Great race Ewen given the temp. Can't imagine running in that heat, especially at the moment (I'd like to imagine being in that heat though - miserable weather)
A good goal for 2008 would be an M50 pb in the 800m
Good run Ewen in the heat. 34% is dry not humid. Not sure if I could down a Moose Drool.
I'm with the other's, 34% I reckon is dry, but 30 degrees is still hot.
Well done mate! Good on you for getting in there and giving it your best shot. I can't imagine "enjoying" the last few laps. It does help when you can find some incentive to run a bit harder and make a bit of race towards the end.
Tough work Ewen, 10k on track is REALLY tough and made evn tougher when its 30 degrees!!!
I have watched Cathy on two occasions, at the Nat XC in SA a few years ago and the Masters in ACT, an amazing runner who is very capable in beating A LOT of younger runners (both male & female)!
Good race in the conditions Ewen. That's almost as hot as Canterbury when the nor wester is blowing! Like i think you said, i will have to set a goal of running a few shorter races this year. 45 mins sounds like a good goal time.
Bah, only 30 degrees and 34% humidity what I would give to run in conditions like that :)
Are you looking for suggestions for 2008, I'm sure I could help with a few!!
It's so weired to imagine opposite seasons . . . so hot compared to our "Texas" cold season, if you can call it that. I also can't imagine running that far on a track without getting dizzy . . . but maybe that's just the blonde in me.
Sounds like you coped well in the conditions. I'm not one for racing in the heat either. Looking forward to hearing the 2008 plans.
Well done. That's an excellent result considering the temp. Gees, the track must've felt hot!
PS Give me humidity any day over the dry heat. At least when you sweat you know you are still alive.
That proves it; Queenslanders are a different species. We mammals down south feel much more comfortable when we can sweat and cool down. When I ran Doomben in 07 it was horribly hot and humid and the locals loved it; in 06 at least for the first half of the race it was much more pleasant and the locals whinged.
10 on the track, I miss those days but would be scared to do it right now :) I'm glad to hear you left the track eith a smile. That is cool that you got a little racing at the end. That always makes for a fun race (well assuming it ends in your favor hee! hee!)
that is a bit warm for evening.
-Dusty (cant log in from cell)
800 to 1500m one month and sixfoot the next - Hadd would be impressed.
Nice work in the heat there Ewen. It must be hard to concentrate going round in circles for 45 mins?
Great run especially in those conditions, I would of been cheering from the sidelines with an ice cold one
You've really started something with your bold assertion the 34% humidity is humid!
I agree that 30 degrees is hot and combined with 34% humidity it wouldn't be nice to run in. But if 34% is humid then 3 inches is big!
Works for me ;)
34% and humid are not to be used in the same sentence. It is like saying big underpants are sexy.
Congrats Ewan! Great run! That temperature sounds lovely to me, for lounging in a chair and reading, that is. :) Way to go!
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