My current training plan included one more run than my wife's plan. I ran the Perth Trail Series night run at Yanchep.
It's a flat, 12km circuit, around the lake. Ghost themed, since the trail is known as the Ghost Trail. Limestone and sand, mostly. Well organised, plenty of fun.
On the drive to Yanchep, there were drops of rain. A flash of lightning, to the north... close to Yanchep. One very heavy -- but short -- shower of rain. The weather was fine, warm and humid at the start. Pleasant for standing around. Perfect for running.
As usual, I started my run near the back of the pack. I knew there were runners behind me. I knew there were many more runners ahead of me. We all -- that is, the people I could still see -- settled into our night running pace.
After three or four kilometres I was running with a group of three women. Two of the women were clearly faster, they would sometimes slow down or stop, to wait for the third. The third runner was slower but kept going.
Their pace was "slow" -- but faster than mine!
The three women ran faster than I wanted to run... but I wanted to keep up! So I pushed, just a little bit. And kept up. Sometimes close, sometimes back a bit, always behind.
At one point I was close enough to apologise for tailgating. That's okay, said the "slow" woman, I (she) was prepared to apologise for not letting me past.
At some points -- I could have passed. The women slowed, noticeably, when the path was rocky and treacherous. They slowed, just a little, on uphills. I slowed on the uphills but not as much. The rocks barely slowed me at all. (I should mention: my pace is always slow, I was not sprinting over dangerous ground!)
On some of the rough sections, I could have passed my three pace-setters -- but I did not! Why not? More of that later.
Compulsory gear for this run was water, a head torch and spare torch or batteries. I used a hand torch and carried a head torch as my spare.
I find that the hand torch is much better than a head torch, for walking (or running) through the bush. The head torch shines where my head is pointed. I find that I do a lot of looking with eye movements, it is not natural to always turn my head. It is much easier to flick my hand from side to side as I flick my eyes.
I run -- or walk -- on rough surfaces with a constant scan of the ground ahead of me. I focus a few metres ahead. By the time my feet reach my point of focus -- I know where they will be placed. Occasionally, though, I will glance down -- with more movement of my eyes than of my head. Again, it is easier to flick a hand torch towards my feet, rather than my entire head.
The "slow" woman of my group had a further problem with her head torch. She said (with apologies to her for my eavesdropping), that the band of her head torch was annoying. It hurt her head. (I think that at least one of the faster runners supported this.) So the "slow" runner wore her head torch around her neck... which would be the worst possible place for using the torch to see where she was running!
The torch around her neck bounced. The beam bounced from side to side. There was no consistent relation between where the torch was shining and where the runner wanted to look. This would have made running in the dark -- amongst rocks -- a very unsettling experience.
Nevertheless, these three women set a challenging pace for me to follow!
Until, right at the end...
For the last kilometre we could hear another group of runners coming up from behind. Finally, with just a couple of hundred metres to go, they caught up. And began to run past!
We can't let them do that! I cried... and ran ahead! We were nearly at the end, I was not going to let these people come from behind. I ran... I finished... ahead of both "my" group of three and the group from behind.
I had intended to stay behind "my" group across the line. But I was not ready to let more people have an easy time of overtaking. And I still had energy for a run...
What?! End of the run and I still had energy to spare?! Why?!!
If I had energy to spare at the end -- why did I not run faster?!
It's my mind, again.
On the clear track, my three pace-setters were running fast enough to keep me challenged. Or so it seemed: perhaps that, also, was my mind wanting me to go slower.
On the rough track -- I could have run past. I didn't. Because I was worried that I would not be able to keep ahead. Yet I ended with enough energy for a last-minute effort... I did have energy to spare, I could have passed and stayed ahead.
Bad mind!
I'll remember that.
Next time :-)
And yet: It was my best run of the trail series. I finished ahead of about twenty people! Thanks largely to the luck of following a group who ran at a "fast" pace that I could maintain, with just a bit of effort. To that group of three women: Thank you!
Next time, though...
I will watch my energy. Watch my speed relative to other runners. I have less trouble with rough track in the dark, less trouble than some others. I can take advantage of that!
If I can pass -- I will. If I am then passed -- too bad, I tried.
I will do better.
Next time :-)
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And then -- more Ghost Trail special effects: It was a 40 minute drive home. With rain, mostly very light. And -- all the way -- lightning. Flashing in the sky, all the way home. With one flash and boom -- together -- to welcome me home!
A very enjoyable night run.
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