Lets get back on Track!

Ok, time to get serious again.

Summer Series final event at Macquarie Uni. The scene is I am running 4th by 2 points from 5th. If we both run the same score then he goes past me as he gets to drop a lower scoring poor run. So I need to beat him by a bit, hard to do when he is significantly faster than me.

To complicated things further it had been absolutely bucketing down with rain here and when I got to the start part of the course was closed, as it was on sporting grounds (as you will see from the map scan). So a max of 480 up for grabs which means need a perfect score as 480 is gettable!

A route selected I'm off, good thing is I have run this map twice before so have a bit of an idea what to expect. Out to 3, down to 7 and in and out to 22. Around to 2 and another in and out for 13. Running very freely here, quickly past 12 down the hill to 15. First muddle here as I misinterpret the map and stumble for a minute or 2 with another runner. He leaves, I re-establlish map contact and sort out the problem. Back out up the hill for 21 on the way to 1. Continue up the hill and across an overgrown paddock for 25, down the hill to the dam and 14.

Major stuff up here as I completely fumble 26, but it seemed I was not the only one... Lost many minutes here, very frustrating. Finally sorted myself out and then raced across the paddock towards the campus and got 4/23 and 5 very quickly. Around the buildings now and extra complication of people everywhere. Slow down for 23 and then again lose map contact on the way to 6 sucking up at least another minute.

Now on to 23 and it is obvious time is not good and so opt to miss 30/19/20. Through the buildings again for 16 then real open running for 27 and home.

Here is the map and my route

http://www.users.bigpond.com/dmbray/Uni.jpg

End up back in 50:38 so 60 points deducted for lateness. Given I got 410 that gives a net of 350, a terrible score given the fast guys got the lot in under 40 minutes. The only saving grace is 5th place did not show up so I managed to keep 4th place!! Also scored a special award and a bottle of wine for the work I did on the web site.

The run stats, 9.1km in 50:38, avg pace of 5:33 and avg HR of 168.

So the season ends, ended up 4th. Interesting looking at the three guys in front of me. First just finished 6th @ 6ft in 3:43, 2nd also just ran 6ft in 4:30 and 3rd has run a sub 4hr 6ft as well. Pretty esteemed company!!

The other good thing is both lower leg niggles gave no problems, the groin was a little sore but I think that will be the case for a while whenever I am running this type of event with sudden changes in direction etc.

I think next year I'' approach SS a bi differently and always aim to get the lot, just to stretch me out a bit further.