Painting a funrun picture.

Spring is sprung, the sun is here and funruns and triathlons abound!

Now the term FUNRUN might make people laugh, but I would bet these are people who have never been to one.  Unbelievably, it IS fun!  Let me paint you a picture....

Some time previously, you have made the decision to enter your first funrun.  You may have run before or not, but hey, you will be doing this one for real.  You fill in the online registration and payment details and press send.  All of a sudden a mix of excitement and horror descends on you....what have you DONE!!!!!  YOU ARE GOING TO BE RUNNING WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE!!!!!

As time draws near, you do a few practise runs and self doubt may creep in.  I don't think I can do this.  I wonder if I can back out.  No, too many people know about it.....so you slog on. The week leading up to your first run it's almost all you can think about.

 The night before, you check you have everything you need 50 times over, your mind is racing and you don't know if you should carb load ( what the hell is carb loading anyway?) or if you'll get to sleep or not.

The day dawns, you are too excited ( freaked out) to eat.  EAT! AT least a piece of toast or banana.  You put on your running gear, pin on your number and timing chip and get to the start line.  If you are driving, your mind is in hyperdrive....put on some music and sing as loud as you can, just to stop any self doubts.  If you are meeting people or driving in with them, everyone is talking at hyperspeed and laughing just that little bit too loud......

It's almost time...you are waiting with what feels like a million other people at the start line.  What is taking them so long?  Finally you hear the start gun/hooter/cheer and very very slowly start inching your way forward with everyone else. 

You cross the magic blue mat to start your timer and it starts to clear enough to jog, then run.....GO FOR IT!

As you run, you've got half an eye on the people around you.  There's a chick in a red shirt just ahead of you and you think you can pass her...you speed up just a tad and YES!  You passed her.  It doesn't matter that she passes you again a little further up the road.....you may find you play 'pass tag' like this for the rest of the run!

About half way through you are feeling it but you are pushing on.  After all, there's cameras around taking pictures of you running and you don't know quite where they are!  You are puffing and panting, your ipod is blaring, it's hot and sweaty, a little bit hurty and you start talking to yourself in your head, positive messages to keep you going. You are counting down kilometre markers or looking for the pace runners to see how you are going.  Damn.  Only done 2 kilometres so far....LOL

Time doesn't really have any meaning, it passes slowly or quickly, you don't really notice.  You are so focused in the moment and keeping on going.  And you see it...the end line.  The last blue timing mat, a long straight stretch of track lined with people who are cheering and waving bells or streamers, clapping and yelling.  You find the energy form God knows where and run as fast as you can to the finish line...you are on fire!  You can fly!  And you CROSS THAT LINE!!!!!!!!!!!

Your endorphins are having a party, your brain is screaming YOU DID IT YOU DID IT! Everyone around you is feeling the same....there's a party atmosphere with stalls and massage tables, a free showbag at the end with bits and pieces, sometimes a medal.  You have jelly legs but your breathing no longer sounds like a steam train and you cannot wipe the smile off your face.  YOU DID IT!  For the rest of the day after the race you tell everyone all about the run, how good you feel now and wait for your time to be emailed or texted to you.  You  get another rush of happy when you see your time...because it means YOU DID IT!

You are a CHAMPION!!!

 

YOU ARE OFFICIALLY AWESOME!

So, when are you signing up?