Sat 18 Aug 07, WLAC Handicap race & AV Round 8 8km XC

At least the day started off well! I went to the WLAC XC Presentation Day which started with a 1500m handicap race which combined all age groups, I was the rabbit and ran the entire course. The first two place getters of the race were a 12 & 14 year olds I coach, both started way ahead of where they really should have been as the Centre uses a formula which uses their PBs from the XC season but also their 1500 & 800 PB times from the track season, well those times were before coaching, so they had a BIG advantage and were nearly 20 seconds ahead of 3rd... Presentations, C & D were both very happy to get third in their respective age groups, especially D as this was his second trophy and his first placing trophy.




After the Presentation I took off home to make lunches and to organise the boys. I left home 10 before 12pm, stopping along the way to drop off, then pick up Cam in Lav & then Ads near Spotswood, arriving in Fairfield at Yarra Bend just after 1pm. We walked to the starting area and quickly organised the boys (they were playing) so I could take off for a warm up with the guys. We ran the 3k course for a look-see, not too hilly, but heaps of uneven ground, long grass, not a typical course for AV, but a honest one. The course for the men today was one 2km loop then 2x3km loops.

Not too many good words about my actual race, my first DNF in a few years and to sum it up "a very frustrating experience"!!! The race for me finished at approximately the 5.5-6km area. Just after completing the first 3k loop I became quite unsettled and tried to walk it off, I re-started running again after receiving some concerned comments from Tim C (Sandy AC & the AV Winter Mngr), cruising past (not racing) Burkie I checked if the rest of the 10 Western Aths guys were still running (knowing I was an extra), they were, so I thought well I'll just cruise for the remainder of the run and play it safe. But up the next slight hill I became dizzy again and so I decided enough was enough and stepped off the course. I then sat on the sidelines with a few concerned AV persons, once settled I wandered back and got dressed and took some time alone. Which ended up chatting with D who came over to see how I beat Cameron... :-) at least he had been watching.

This may be the end of the winter season for me, three races now, a rest from racing may be on the cards, my current confidence of me completing races is quite low. And for the regular readers, yes I did go to the doc last time, lots of tests, NO problems, very healthy according to the tests.

Known splits: 2k - 8:24, 3km - 13:04