Blowing my own trumpet!
I have competed in the ACT Veterans Athletics Club (ACTVAC) Run/Walk Handicap series since about 1985 with a long break from about 1992 until 2003. However I had never won any awards until June 2007 when I managed my handicap so as to be both eligible and win the Mt Ainslie event. I dedicated this to the memory of our friend Richard Morcom who collapsed and died on one of our training runs but had won the event twice.
Of course, that win destroyed my handicap (as it should have done, and put it back to where it had been 4 years earlier). There then followed a period where I kept getting injuries which made running unpleasant and ineffective. It did have the benefit of getting my handicap back down in an honest fashion: my best efforts were such that I was finishing well down the field.
However by working at the exercises prescribed by my excellent physio I seemed to be getting better late last year. The November handicap was run on a day of pouring rain on a grass course. This seemed to put other folk off, so plugging along at my customary pace got me a Silver medal. Because of the bad weather my time wasn't great so my handicap didn't get too badly massacred.
The next two monthly events were ordinary for one reason or another, but on my most recent training runs I seemed to be going OK so I decided that I would give things a nudge in the March event and see what happened.
The course was at Stromlo Forest Park and is, in my opinion, a fairly tough number. Half the course is on a lawn (see image in preceding link - what wimpo elite athletes call a cross-country course) and the other half on some rather run down fire-trails - more like what I call a cross country course, although there was not a ploughed paddock or unhappy livestock which a proper course would have. It also undulates a bit, especially the final 2 km, most of which undulates upwards with a lot of bends. There was also a small puddle near the 4km point which seemed to cause other people some issues.
I seemed to be going OK and by the time I got to the final 2km reckoned there about 6 folk in front of me. I seemed to keep running rather well (although I was finding it necessary to keep a lot of mental focus on the job at hand) and as I got to the top of the hill (about 300m flat - slightly downhill and very open - to go) could hear other people yelling "Go for it Kelly" so I knew someone was coming from behind. With about 100m to go a bloke came past me but said something like "I'm not eligible keep going" so I found a bit more and just held off Kelly to be first eligible runner home.
GOLD, Gold Gold!
Here is a snap of my Curtain Rod of Fame: the RH 3 medals are my Vets medals.
I have a suspicion that the handicap system will do something unpleasant to me. However I got this gong honestly and my time was 3 minutes faster than last year and about 10 seconds faster than 2 years ago when I had run with my friend Jill. Woo-hoo!
Of course, that win destroyed my handicap (as it should have done, and put it back to where it had been 4 years earlier). There then followed a period where I kept getting injuries which made running unpleasant and ineffective. It did have the benefit of getting my handicap back down in an honest fashion: my best efforts were such that I was finishing well down the field.
However by working at the exercises prescribed by my excellent physio I seemed to be getting better late last year. The November handicap was run on a day of pouring rain on a grass course. This seemed to put other folk off, so plugging along at my customary pace got me a Silver medal. Because of the bad weather my time wasn't great so my handicap didn't get too badly massacred.
The next two monthly events were ordinary for one reason or another, but on my most recent training runs I seemed to be going OK so I decided that I would give things a nudge in the March event and see what happened.
The course was at Stromlo Forest Park and is, in my opinion, a fairly tough number. Half the course is on a lawn (see image in preceding link - what wimpo elite athletes call a cross-country course) and the other half on some rather run down fire-trails - more like what I call a cross country course, although there was not a ploughed paddock or unhappy livestock which a proper course would have. It also undulates a bit, especially the final 2 km, most of which undulates upwards with a lot of bends. There was also a small puddle near the 4km point which seemed to cause other people some issues.
I seemed to be going OK and by the time I got to the final 2km reckoned there about 6 folk in front of me. I seemed to keep running rather well (although I was finding it necessary to keep a lot of mental focus on the job at hand) and as I got to the top of the hill (about 300m flat - slightly downhill and very open - to go) could hear other people yelling "Go for it Kelly" so I knew someone was coming from behind. With about 100m to go a bloke came past me but said something like "I'm not eligible keep going" so I found a bit more and just held off Kelly to be first eligible runner home.
GOLD, Gold Gold!
Here is a snap of my Curtain Rod of Fame: the RH 3 medals are my Vets medals.
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