Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Decision pending....

I had another big weekend of running and one for which I am paying some costs. Saturday started with a 2 hour 20 minute effort, part of which I ran with buddies from my Saturday group over our favourite territory at Farrer and Isaacs. It was a good run, although hard work in stages and I battled with some nerve problems to my right glute. At one point a couple of ladies from our group had me on the ground going through contortions to stretch the nerve. What I was doing might have looked a bit kinky to outsiders but it was fun for me just the same.

The main event for the weekend, however, was the Sprint Marathon relay on Sunday. That saw sixty runners front up at Dunrossil Drive, a short distance from the Governor General's residence at Yarralumla, to battle it out in ten teams of six running a series of 1k relays over the marathon distance. The event has been going for about 12 years, and in recent years has been organised by Canberra running identity, Jim White. Jim sorts out the teams and allocates runners so that each team has a spread of runners from those capable of about 3.30 to 4.00 minute per k up to those of around the 7.00 minute standard.

I was fortunate enough to find myself as the only guy in a team of wonderful lady runners. There was Natasha and Beryl from my Saturday group, along with Strewth, Helen, and Barbara from ACT Vets. Except for Barbara, I had met them all before and I liked them all. We didn't get a podium finish but that didn't matter. We had a great team, it was a wonderful morning of morning, and it was fun. It was a privilege for me to run with these ladies.

I caught up with many other friends on Sunday from my Saturday group and elsewhere, not least Flashduck, PRB, Griffin, Friar, and others. Speedy Geoff was there, not part of the official action but using the area for a training run. My running buddy Michelle was in another team. I know she had a good day too.

The cost from Saturday's long run and Sunday's intense effort was that I have aggravated some slowly developing problems with my right abductor. I was at the physio today and will need to reduce my workload just as I need to be increasing it for my marathon plans in April.

These niggles add yet another piece to the jigsaw of my Boston v Canberra conundrum. I have given myself just over another week to resolve all the various issues. Friday 23 February is D-Day!

8 comments:

Tesso said...

That marathon relay sounds like an absolute ball. And lucky you, all those girls!

I did one once where we had teams of three, each person had to run 2 lots of 7.x km each. My time for each runs was identical to the second - how's that! The race director was a hoot. He even had people there to give (in his words) "between the legs" massages :-)

Hope those niggles are nothing much.

Good luck with the decision!

Anonymous said...

There's never a right time for niggles. Hope that's all they are, well little ones anyway.

Ewen said...

Congrats on your team making the top 10 Don! Must have been due to their fearless leader. Strewth said she 'enjoyed' it.

Ask Jim how many podiums he's scored since he's been organising the teams ;)

10 days... still plenty of time to think about it. Don't envy you (although I do if you run Boston).

Rob said...

Take it easy Don, and get over that injury. The relay sure sounds like a lot of fun and a great idea.

All the best with the deliberating/decision making process.

Robert Song said...

Sorry to hear about the right abductor niggles.

Hope it wasn't aggravated by sitting on the fence re Boston for too long ;-)

Vicky said...

The thorn amongst the roses ah!
Sounds like a fun event.
The glutes and the adductor seem to play up together in my experience... hope the physio brings some rapid relief.

MAR. :-)

PortRunr said...

Sounds like an enjoyable weekend despite the niggles. Sounds like your decision is only becoming more complex...I'm sure whichever way you go it will be a wise decision.

Friar said...

At some stage you might have to concentrate on Marathon Training, and forgo all the other pleasurable runs.

That then wouldn't be much fun though.