As I mentioned in my last post, we went for the City2surf 14km fun run on Sunday. Luckily, this year, unlike last few years, the weather was fine and sunny and it definitely made the run better.
Since 1971, Sydneysiders have been joined by participants from all over the world, elite athletes rubbing shoulders with locals to run, walk, or watch the 14km race from Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD to the finish at Bondi Beach.
We normally register for the race in April. I like to think ourselves as healthy people so once we register, we go and make a plan for exercise and diet. We both are so excited and start our regime but after a few months we slack off a bit. As it is winter in June/July our enthusiasm slows down a bit. But we have managed to successful complete the run for the last few years.
The run starts from the city centre and passes through the suburbs of East Sydney, Kings Cross, Rushcutters Bay, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Dover Heights and ends at Bondi Beach. The most difficult part of the course is “Heartbreak Hill” at the halfway mark, a 2 km long steep ascent from Rose Bay to Vaucluse along New South Head Road.
This year we ran in the blue group as we able to register quickly. So our run was to start at 8.30 am. We caught a train to city and joined 85,000 other runners.
Like every year, just before the start of the race everyone throws their jumper so charity can collect it. It is a great idea as the runners become hot during the run but they need a jumper before they start the run. Look at some of the jumpers that landed on the trees looking like they grew on them.
When the gun when off me and AS along with everyone else took our pace. This year we decided to pace ourselves so we are not too tired half way through. Therefore, we ran and walked alternatively. It really helped as I didn’t feel too tired at any stage at all. I have to thank AS for that as he knew we need some planning to complete the run easily.
As every year, there were people dressing up for charities as ballerinas, smurfs, Spiderman, flash, wonder women, a pie (seriously) and people in onesies . We also had opposition leader Mr Tony Abbot running the race as the support runner for blind runner Nathan Johnston, with the pair crossing the finishing line in 1 hour 21.16 seconds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Like every year, there were many people cheering along the way as well as many water and Gatorade stations. There were lots of live bands and mascots as well.
As it was a warm day and there were a few people hosing down runners to keep them cool. Also there were people giving away oranges, chips, lollies etc. Isn’t that nice and what a spirit to join the race.
This year I felt a lot better about the run. With AS’s plan I was never too tried to have to stop. We did really well until the last 500m when AS’s leg started to cramp. But I am just proud to say that we both finished the race.
It was a good feeling when we crossed the finish line and knew that it was done for one more year.
After the run, we went straight in to a Cancer council tent for a massage. For $10 for charity, they were giving 10 minutes massage and it was a great idea. Last year we missed out because we didn’t have cash but this year we made to carry cash for this. The people offering massage were university students studying to be chiropractor.
After the massage, we jumped on the queue in the first food stall and had bacon and egg sandwich. We were just happy not to have to wait too long for the food. It was time to go home after the food.
I have to admit, I am less sore this year than the last year and the year before. I guess the massage and AS’s techniques definitely worked for us.
So official results for the City2Surf are in and I can be proud to say that I have beaten my last year record. I managed a time of 1:47:32, which I think is pretty decent with great experience and can’t wait to do it again next year.
Do you run long distance? Share tips if you have any to become a better runner.
Take care,
M from nepaliaustralia
XOXO
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| *Healthy eating | *Benefits of wheat grass Juice |
*Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea |
The latte-lover tends to be a bit softer, like a milky latte. They can be more romantic than others and are probably still friends with their first crush! They are the ones who always stay back at work (and actually mean to) without ever complaining. They would bring in their own heater and high-altitude gear rather than ask for the heating to be turned up. They’re generally pretty nice people.
Straight-up types. No fuss or pomp here. On the downside, flat-whiter drinkers may lack imagination. These people are not early adopters – they probably still have their Nokia mobile phones. But they will tell it exactly how it is (if your butt looks big and you ask them, they WILL tell you). They’re traditionalists.
This person is all about strength and a long black suits stamina needs. This person is busy, fast and on the go (as kids their parents would tell them they had ants in their pants). They also can tend to show off.
The capp-lover doesn’t really indulge in their coffee as much as they should. They probably had their first ‘capp’ when they were about 25 and haven’t deviated since. They are still a child at heart who really loves that chocolate sprinkle on the top! They are probably from the country.
Beware – the person who opts for the Affagato (scoop of vanilla ice cream in a martini glass with a shot of espresso on the side) may also like a ‘little here and a little there’. These types find it hard to settle down in a relationship, a job or whatever. They’re often reading five books at once and rarely finish any of them. They join the gym, go twice and talk about it thereafter. Unless of course the Affogato is ordered as dessert, in which case, they have excellent taste.
The purist. The person who orders the authentic espresso takes life and themselves very seriously. They have no time for fancy adornments like milk or a dusting of chocolate. They want to get straight to business. They are often CEOs and leaders. They make decisions quickly and rarely back down. There’s not much ‘grey’ in this person’s life which could annoy those around them.
What about the person who orders the short macchiato, or ‘short mac’ to those cool enough to drink it? This is the tipple of choice for the coffee-savvy young professional. They work and play fast, so have fun but be careful of burnout! This coffee is on the rise. As young gen Y-ers take over the coffee scene, the short mac is cool and everywhere.
While this is a great order Après-skiing, it’s probably not appropriate in most urban settings. Those who order it are often drifters. They find it hard to settle down. They always want to be somewhere else. They’re constantly planning trips and dreaming about other places. Indecisive.
Excellent choice for after Bikram yoga, a 40km bush walk or a spot of nude surfing. Cool.
The Clayton’s Coffee. Great if you are a tradie and can’t find a barista open at 5am but that’s about it. If all the ‘stars’ in LA waltz around with iced Starbucks it doesn’t mean we have to. It breaks so many rules that the coffee connoisseur holds dear to their heart. The only way coffee should be taken cold is as a coffee martini
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