The first Shield Round of 2009 at Coburg

First day back at Little Aths and first day back at AV Shield. Firstly Little Aths, a big compliment from a guy from the Aust Sports Commission regarding my coaching and attitude with the U6 kids but in particular with an autistic boy who had so much fun in the 2 weeks before Christmas where a group of Ausistic children visited the Centre & he & his mum felt very confortable that he has now registered for the remainder of the season. The kids from my training squad had a 50/50 day, 4 kids 'smashed' their 400m PBs and then some of the normal high performers ran 4-5 sec slower than normal, amazing what lack of sleep can do, even to youngens!
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Today's North West Shield comp moved to Coburg for our first 2009 competition, a quick Club Committee job organising some AV rego numbers and a few invitation runners then a quick chat with Jeg from Coburg about 'stuff'....then a 12 minute jog with Ads, Gary & Adrian in preparation for my 800m, which I made a morning prediction of 2:28/9 which would be an approximate 5 sec SB. And my other morning prediction was to run 11:50 in my 3k.

The 800m races were held up because of the starters doing something, not what they were suppose to be doing....grrrrr. So the men's races started approx 30 minutes later than scheduled. I was allocated in the 2:30-45 heat, starting in lane 6 with a field 12 (OMG), but I wasn't too worried as I suspected I would be near the front end and not mixed up with the big pack. The race started and as expected at the cross over I moved into 2nd spot probably 5-8m behind a Coburg runner and with a pack 'right' behind me, at the 200m a few went past me and I completed the first lap in 72/73 in 5th spot. The Coburg track has BIG bends and little straights (roundish) but I was lucky that I was able to pass on the bend and quickly return to the inside running, with 300m to go I was second but very aware that a KSB guy was sitting and waiting, I thought he was going to make his move on the back straight before the bend, but he was patient and with 80m to go he 'hammered' past me, I crossed third in 2:29.51, a SB.... yay.
A ten minute cool down afterwards with my uncle hit the spot!

A shortish break then I watched the first heat of the 3000m and then into the second heat of > 12 minute, whilst I was hoping to run sub 12, this was the right heat for me. I took a front line position in a pack of 40+ runners and made a quickish start so I could get an inside run and not have to run too wide. After my first quickish lap (88) I was in 3rd/4th position but then I was past by 6 in really quick succession, but after a few more laps I started to slowly pass the majority of that group. I finished up working hard for the last two (why can't I finish faster...) laps, crossing 5th in 11:50, yay again.

Splits:

• 88.26 / 94.94 / 93.95 / 96.55 / 97.41 / 98.13 / 97.46 / 44.34

Then I went to watch Jo's 400m race (a SB), so just in case I took my spikes....and yep I decided I would run in the last heat and finished in 67.11, nothing great, but considering it was within 10 minutes of my 3k, I thought it was solid!

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After a 5-8 min cool down around the paths of Merri Creek, myself & Jo drove home and whilst driving I recognised that I had a BIG day and I could already feel the aches starting, so a bag of ice was bought and then 12 minutes sitting in some very cold water leaves me feeling quite good considering.