Well I cant beleive I am about to post this.
The World Masters Games are being held in Sydney this year, in October. It has been something of a small dream of mine that I should enter. I told a few people I would love to do it but didnt really think that it would be a posiblity.
After my success at The Buller Half Marathon, I started to look towards the end of the year with a great longing. Then some thing happened that made me change my priorities. What happened? A very sad event happened.....while competeing at the Buller as I neared the end an ambulance went out with lights and sirens blazing. Everyone was talking about this at the prize giving and then a couple friends of my training partner came over and told us of seeing a male walker colapase and they stopped running to asist and ended up giving CPR until the ambulance arrived. Lucky they were nurses. Well after that, no one knew who it was or any other details until I looked up on the Stuff Sight and went to the Westport paper and learnt of the persons name. It was a walker we all new, he was only 60 and his wife had walked that day too and had won her age group in the rec walk. They both come over to our events and compete and are well liked and respected. Sadly, he died on Weds afternoon after spending 4 days in intensive care.
This made me think that time is really too short and that why put off tomorrow what you can do today!! so I chatted to my hubby and he said go for it.
So I am officiall announcing that I have booked and paid for my flights and entry....
I am going to the 2009 World Masters Games in October!!!!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Buller Half Marathon 2009
This is an event I have been waiting all year to enter again. Last year I was second women home in the Race Walking section and I was so determined to go back and win it and do a faster time.
This year was to be more of a challenge to me than I had first thought of.
1) - my training partner and very good friend was entering as a RaceWalker
2) - I had torn my calf and it has not healed
3) - I had not long recovered from 100 day cough
We had all challenged my husband, Shane, at xmas time to enter and so he had been jogging along with Yvonne and me on our long Sunday treks. Week 1 a 12km, week 2 a 16km and week 3 an 18km and then after that we shortened it back again. But 2 weeks out both Yvonne and I were injured. We had both pulled the same leg calf muscle. Both of us were hedging bets on how the race would go and as the day drew nearer the scarier it got. I just couldnt see myself being aggressive and competitive against her. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to find my competitive edge at all.
This year the race was run on Valentines day....which is also our 6th Wedding anniversary.....a nice way to celebrate it I thought.
We drove down to Westport on Friday, stopping at the swing bridge and going over (me terrified of heights....I nearly had kittens..TWICE!!) but I lived and made it back.
We pull into Westport and find our accommodation. A lovely man had opened up his home and billeted us for the night.
5am Saturday, we awake to eat banana's and get ready only to find its RAINING!!!!! well that's better than 30 deg heat....a little....We head to the buses and get taken to the start line. Promptly dropped off at 7.30am and left as offerings to the sandflys (that were the size of house flys!!) Race start was 8.30am and the gun goes off and away went the runners. I waved and blew kisses to Shane as he jogged past to start his first ever Half Marathon. Then in a huge mix up, instead of waiting 5 mins the guy yelled out to go as walkers were getting mixed up with the runners. So off we shot. Yvonne and I flew off to a shocking pace...way too fast but neither would let up. We did out first km in 6mins 11 (and thats up hill too) and that pace continued for the first 7km. I clicked on my music at 7km and set off in the hope that I could pull away and put a small amount of space between us. I slowly pulled away...metre by metre until at the 10km mark there was a 30 mtre gap. By the 10km mark my leg was hurting terribly, I had felt it tear and the pain was awful, but the stubborn me kept pushing. In this whole time unbeknown to Shane...he was only 100m a head of me and I had been watching him the whole time. I had hoped to catch up to him just at the finish but he found a surge of energy towards the end and I lost sight of him. But the time I crossed the bridge 2km out from the township, I looked behind and thought I saw Yvonne hot on my heels (about 30 mtres behind me) and was so paniced as I was completely done and dont think I could have fought her off.
Turning at the ANZ bank has never felt soooo good. Racing towards the park and finish I was thrilled to know 100% I had won the race walk section and given a personal best time. As soon as I crossed the line it was a quick dash to the first aid station and ice on my leg for half an hour. I was there for Yvonne cheering her on and jumping for joy seeing her beat her last years time and finish too.
We stayed on for prize giving and I won .. a trophy, a pair of shoes, a rimu jewellery box and a huge bottle of bubbly. The cute wee tiger is my Valentines pressy...hehehe...still romance there.
This year was to be more of a challenge to me than I had first thought of.
1) - my training partner and very good friend was entering as a RaceWalker
2) - I had torn my calf and it has not healed
3) - I had not long recovered from 100 day cough
We had all challenged my husband, Shane, at xmas time to enter and so he had been jogging along with Yvonne and me on our long Sunday treks. Week 1 a 12km, week 2 a 16km and week 3 an 18km and then after that we shortened it back again. But 2 weeks out both Yvonne and I were injured. We had both pulled the same leg calf muscle. Both of us were hedging bets on how the race would go and as the day drew nearer the scarier it got. I just couldnt see myself being aggressive and competitive against her. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to find my competitive edge at all.
This year the race was run on Valentines day....which is also our 6th Wedding anniversary.....a nice way to celebrate it I thought.
We drove down to Westport on Friday, stopping at the swing bridge and going over (me terrified of heights....I nearly had kittens..TWICE!!) but I lived and made it back.
We pull into Westport and find our accommodation. A lovely man had opened up his home and billeted us for the night.
5am Saturday, we awake to eat banana's and get ready only to find its RAINING!!!!! well that's better than 30 deg heat....a little....We head to the buses and get taken to the start line. Promptly dropped off at 7.30am and left as offerings to the sandflys (that were the size of house flys!!) Race start was 8.30am and the gun goes off and away went the runners. I waved and blew kisses to Shane as he jogged past to start his first ever Half Marathon. Then in a huge mix up, instead of waiting 5 mins the guy yelled out to go as walkers were getting mixed up with the runners. So off we shot. Yvonne and I flew off to a shocking pace...way too fast but neither would let up. We did out first km in 6mins 11 (and thats up hill too) and that pace continued for the first 7km. I clicked on my music at 7km and set off in the hope that I could pull away and put a small amount of space between us. I slowly pulled away...metre by metre until at the 10km mark there was a 30 mtre gap. By the 10km mark my leg was hurting terribly, I had felt it tear and the pain was awful, but the stubborn me kept pushing. In this whole time unbeknown to Shane...he was only 100m a head of me and I had been watching him the whole time. I had hoped to catch up to him just at the finish but he found a surge of energy towards the end and I lost sight of him. But the time I crossed the bridge 2km out from the township, I looked behind and thought I saw Yvonne hot on my heels (about 30 mtres behind me) and was so paniced as I was completely done and dont think I could have fought her off.
Turning at the ANZ bank has never felt soooo good. Racing towards the park and finish I was thrilled to know 100% I had won the race walk section and given a personal best time. As soon as I crossed the line it was a quick dash to the first aid station and ice on my leg for half an hour. I was there for Yvonne cheering her on and jumping for joy seeing her beat her last years time and finish too.
We stayed on for prize giving and I won .. a trophy, a pair of shoes, a rimu jewellery box and a huge bottle of bubbly. The cute wee tiger is my Valentines pressy...hehehe...still romance there.
Shoe Clinic 10km 2009
As a New Years Eve dare....I dared shane to enter the Shoe Clinic 10km race held in Nelson around monaco. He had been walking the 5km series with me and had just started to jog the odd few. So he took up the challenge and started training with me. Everything was going to plan until I pulled my calf muscle during a hard training session on the track. But this didnt stop me entering too.
The day dawned and it was going to be a super hot one. The race started at 4pm and the heat was horrid. At the start we were all told there would be no drink stations either......most of us dont carry water so it was a shock to us but not much could be done about it.
The race was more a training run for me as there was no competition in this one for me so I set into an easy pace but by the 5km mark was starting to suffer terribly from lack of water. At this stage shane caught up to me and jogged along beside me for some time but about 1km out I told him to head off and to his surprize he did. He bet me by 2 mins flat. So the challenge was laid by the walking team that shane should enter The Buller Half Marathon.....to which shane nearly fell off his chair and spilt his beer!!! "what..in 6 weeks you think I can jog 21.1km....."
and so the training began.......
RUNNERS
Shane Sunderland 63.17
WALKERS
Nyle Sunderland 65.17
The day dawned and it was going to be a super hot one. The race started at 4pm and the heat was horrid. At the start we were all told there would be no drink stations either......most of us dont carry water so it was a shock to us but not much could be done about it.
The race was more a training run for me as there was no competition in this one for me so I set into an easy pace but by the 5km mark was starting to suffer terribly from lack of water. At this stage shane caught up to me and jogged along beside me for some time but about 1km out I told him to head off and to his surprize he did. He bet me by 2 mins flat. So the challenge was laid by the walking team that shane should enter The Buller Half Marathon.....to which shane nearly fell off his chair and spilt his beer!!! "what..in 6 weeks you think I can jog 21.1km....."
and so the training began.......
RUNNERS
Shane Sunderland 63.17
WALKERS
Nyle Sunderland 65.17
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