This is funny. I actually won a race on Thursday evening! The circumstances were curiously strange. It was a combined 3000/5000 metre event at the ACT Masters' track meeting. I had intended to compete in the earlier 1500 metre race but my legs were creaky, and complained incessantly during the warm-up: "I don't want to do this!" they whined in unison.
I relented, and told them "we'll run the less intense 5000 metre race instead". My decision was fortuitous — the field of 22 had been running for 7 minutes when rare summer rains started drenching the track. I caught and passed my rival Jim. I knew he was running the 3k, so wasn't surprised when he regained the place during the 6th lap.
After 3k I splashed on. Coming into the home straight with 4 laps to go I took a quick look around the track. I was the only fool still racing! All the other runners had bailed out at 3k. I was going to "win" (or come last) — take your pick. I'll call it a win, as for mid-pack runners, wins are rare. I crossed the finish line in a fairly pleasing 21:44.8 — not far from an M50 PB in a race I wasn't targeting for a fast time. Salchows — 4:11, 4:14, 4:22 (12:47), 4:33, 4:25.
It's been a happy week of running. 103 kilometres (64 miles) covered, including a half-decent race and some good 200s down at Calwell on Tuesday. The 200s showed a little speed at last — 39.5, 39.1, 38.5, 39.8, 38.1, 38.5, 38.3, 38.1, 38.7 and 37.9. If I can turn those numbers into 36 to 37s I'll be confident of running a respectable 800m race later in the season.
I relented, and told them "we'll run the less intense 5000 metre race instead". My decision was fortuitous — the field of 22 had been running for 7 minutes when rare summer rains started drenching the track. I caught and passed my rival Jim. I knew he was running the 3k, so wasn't surprised when he regained the place during the 6th lap.
After 3k I splashed on. Coming into the home straight with 4 laps to go I took a quick look around the track. I was the only fool still racing! All the other runners had bailed out at 3k. I was going to "win" (or come last) — take your pick. I'll call it a win, as for mid-pack runners, wins are rare. I crossed the finish line in a fairly pleasing 21:44.8 — not far from an M50 PB in a race I wasn't targeting for a fast time. Salchows — 4:11, 4:14, 4:22 (12:47), 4:33, 4:25.
It's been a happy week of running. 103 kilometres (64 miles) covered, including a half-decent race and some good 200s down at Calwell on Tuesday. The 200s showed a little speed at last — 39.5, 39.1, 38.5, 39.8, 38.1, 38.5, 38.3, 38.1, 38.7 and 37.9. If I can turn those numbers into 36 to 37s I'll be confident of running a respectable 800m race later in the season.
32 comments:
Good on you Ewen you did so well I admire you so much.
Kelley
Well I wouldn't go as far as Kelley but I was happy for your "rare win." Watch this to get a sense of my reaction on hearing the news.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=71y45saVqOk&feature=related
I admire you so much too. Fancy being able to swim the fourth km in 4.33. Was it a down-stream km?
That was definitely a win. We run for a variety of different rewards; one of them is achieving a goal even when the going gets a bit tough. The determination to finish at all costs can be dangerous, but when it was just a matter of splashing through the rain, you made the right choice and you were the outright winner. It is good to see that you are reaping the benefits of your recent twice daily training.
Fantastic win Ewen. If you had some competition for the last 2k your M50 PB surely would have been there for the taking.
Great job Ewen! Too bad you didn't have more 'competition' to push you're unwilling legs to a PB but then again think of all the folks that never make it to the starting line. Those u-tube reactions are too funny.
Nice job Ewen, especially considering you weren't planning on running a 5k until right before the race.
I agree about the 200s. If you can get the 200m repeats down to the 36 - 36.5 range, you'll blow away your M50 PB in the eight.
Excellent job on those 200s Ewen. I need to get my legs moving. They haven't run in a whole week. I don't think that is a good thing.
Congratulations! I think it's great that you stuck to your plan when everyone else let a little rain stop them. Mental toughness and all of that...
those times will come down for the 200s and the 800s :) well done on winning
Congratulations Ewen. Fantastic mate. Tell the rest of them that pulled out at 3k to HTFU. Nice work on the 200's as well.
Wow, what a good looking week with the 103 K's and those 200's! Congratulations on the win, as well - despite the default win there's definitely something to be said for being the only one to do the last 2K in those conditions!
Awesome job with the 5,000. Of course it was a win. You can't come in last if nobody finished in front of you, right?
A win is a win is a win!
C'mon guys, let's get some balance here. You'd have to be a few snowballs short of an avalanche to keep running in a deluge with lightning and hail looming. But I suppose Ewen just wanted to achieve his life-long ambition and finish in the exact middle of the field, something he has regularly fallen short of.
That's a good story Ewen. You are the one who stuck it out to the end so you deserve all the accolades.
Love it!!! Huge congrats on the win. And that time isn't too shabby either.
I didn't realise how soft Canberrans were, I should have done a bit of racing when I was living or visiting there.
So was it a case of the last man standing ie were you doing a Bradbury?!!!!
Well done in any case.
Soft! Canberrans? Yes! Ewen didn't even show up for tonight's 5k show down , that's how soft he is. Just because there was a little breeze! Take it all back, effusive fans!
...although, to balance my own imbalance, I do admire Ewen so much for attracting no less than 20 comments to a post! You are my hero after all!
I like rain... :-)
Gnome
Your win has certainly attracted some attention.
In all my years of running I have only won a handful of races. Part of the joy of the victory was knowing that you had been in duel with others and you had beaten them. A one horse race seems a bit of a hollow victory to me. On the other hand it was a good time trial especially considering your recent high mileage.
Well done Ewen. A solid result no matter what the circumstances.
Congratulations on a win! Good time too, sounds like that next 10,000m race could be a sizzler! The 200's is a pretty good session too, smashing the 800m time sounds very likely too, way to go!
Winner!
Don't let the bastards get you down, Ewen. They're just jealous!
Great kms again Ewen, I reckon you have Jo worried....esp in the 15 & 3k...
Well it looks like you are going to have to quit being so self deprecating after all! You won a race and that just proves what an excellent runner you are. I did have to laugh about how you might spin it as "finishing last", but no one can deny that you won.
Best of luck with all your stuff and I really like those fast 200s.
Ewen,
Sometimes you run the best when the legs don't want to run!
Congrats on the race!! So awesome to win when you feel off at the warmup and surprise yourself!!
Congrats Ewan!! That's a blazing fast time and I think you'd have done well even with some competition. :) Way to push through the rain though, you deserve an extra award for not being a wussy. ;)
Nice work Ewen; You're clearly more suited to running in the muck and rain than I am.
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