running race (Black Hill Challenge) 1:31:39 [4] 15.0 km (6:07 / km) +450m 5:19 / km
shoes: Asics Trabuco
The course for this has changed - starts at Foxfield Oval (Wadmore Park) and goes up behind the houses to the top of Addison Ave, down into then all the way up Ghost Tree Gully, down towards Gorge Rd but then you turn right up some Besser blocks I didn't know existed and up the Main Ridge track which it was beneficial to walk, down across the saddle and then all the way down Ghost Tree Gully, up to Addison Ave and down behind the houses, finish across the oval (just like the club relays did).
Nice cool morning for it which made a difference, and paced myself okay (didn't hammer the first big downhill) so never struggled too much - never very fast either, but that's something to work on. Always got passed on the ascents and regained something on the descents; had Doug Smart & Rob Reid in my sights but they pulled away from me at the end. I did get past the Asian guy, Andreas, who often runs at about my pace. As I crossed the oval I heard his footsteps bearing down on me and had to do a sudden very short sprint to hold him off! Up the first hill I knew that there were at least half a dozen women in front of me, and I gradually overhauled three of them, so ended up with a $50 cheque for 5th woman, which was a nice surprise (hoping they got it right)!
Simon won outright, Bridget wasn't far behind me, and we handed out lots of Summer Series and Snap Sprint Series flyers afterwards :)
Emily Sorensen, who is only 11, ran the whole way - with her mum who had run the Heysen 105km two weeks ago!