20km Australian Masters Road Champs

RACE DAY!! it was meant to be 16degs and sunny. Nope.....it was about 10 degs and cold!!!! It was also my Dad's birthday today and I really wanted to do well for him.

I had no pain in my back but the pain in my feet was back again and they were feeling pretty sore this morning. We got to Albert Park at 8.30am just as Jim was arriving...meeting my coach for the first time and I was rather nervous. We went off to warm up for the race and for Jim to check me out. It is pretty sad when you only get out 4 steps and Jim's going ok stop right there........oh oh.........sure enough...I was doing lots wrong. So we went over the things he saw and I tried hard to adjust to them. Now it was David's turn and sure enough he got the same treatment!! lol so we head to the start line and I am nervous and possum eyed, there were so many walkers.

The gun goes off and we are away. I felt great and Jim said after the race that I look totally different when I race to when I warm up....but he did notice that I "sat" again...not as bad as before but I was still doing it. I passed David and headed off after Heather Carr and caught and passed her by 2km. My km splits were pretty quick and I did wonder if I had gone out a little too quick but I carried on and kept up the pace. I went through the 5km in 28:08 ( a new pb) and through the 10km in 57.38 ( another new pb) but my 10th km the pace had dropped and I was struggling a little. I also noticed that Heather was gaining on me again. At 14km I tried to pick up the pace as I could really feel that I had dropped off pace, my back was hurting but the worst was the pain in my feet and down the sides of my legs. I HURT bad.....at 15km Jim called out that I was still on pace for a 1:56 just pick it up a little he asked. Well I tried but ended up getting slower. I literary had gotten a flat tyre. I had no drive and my pace was creeping up to 6km pace. I pushed on and was bouyed by my Dad and Jo-Anne cheering me on. I gritted my teeth and thought come on dig it in......but try as hard as I could I just couldnt get the pace to pick up. (I know now why) David was also struggling and we would encourage each other when we passed down the lanes, at one point I thought he had pulled but no...he was struggling with stomach pains. It was no only 2 km to go.......and I was going so slow...I was so frustrated at I always have a strong and fast finish. Normally picking up the pace for the last 3km easily.

I still had Heather in my sights but she was too far away for me to gain much on her. She beat me by a minute and gained herself a new world record in her age group. When I rounded that last corner I gave it all I could and crossed the line in 1:57:26 Winning me GOLD and an aussie title.

this is a new PB for me and I know that once I get my Psoas sorted out that I could have had a good crack at 1:55:?? today.......so that is now my goal for Sacramento.

the next best news......................NO marks on the dq board!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and just one warning on the course. Whoop whoop.......

After the race Jim came back to Dad and Jo-Annes and went over the race with me. He said that he could see that with my sitting the issue is with my Psoas and he gave me lots of exercises to do to help stretch and strengthen it. Plus my glutes are not working. He was generally pleased with my walk but wants to see a change in my Psoas. He even gave me a quick sports massage after the walk on a table outside the club rooms............OUCH..............I am sure I will be bruised tomorrow, but once he had done it he noticed a difference in how I stood. So I have lots of work a head of me.

the splits in the gps are wrong. I just let it read its on every km but they were out by lots.

20km Australian Masters Road Champs