race report: race to the taste

I'm sure most people would say you either have to be crazy or truly dedicated to go in a fun run three days after Christmas.  I'm a little from column A and a little from column B! :)

Today I participated in the annual Hartz Race to the Taste fun run!

One of the biggest events in Hobart each year is the Taste of Tasmania, an annual food and wine festival on the waterfront that opens to coincide with the end of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race and runs for about a week, closing just after the new year.  3000 people went through the gates in the first 20 minutes today, apparently!  It's pretty popular!  To begin the festivities, there is a fun run that starts at Hobart's Domain Athletics centre and ends at the waterfront where the festival is held.  It's 6km and goes through bushland around the Domain, Botanical Gardens, Soldier's Walk and then down the main artery of Davey Street along Constitution Dock towards Salamanca Place.

I had planned all year to do this race, but two days prior to Christmas, with most of my family afflicted with gastro and Tom and I unable to leave our bed because of being struck down with particularly bad jet lag, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it at all, hence why I decided to just try my luck and rock up on the day to register! Lots of other people had the same idea :)

I did the race with two old friends - Chuq and Laura - and we made a great team!  It was lovely having people to chat to and get a bit of encouragement on the hilly bits (thankfully all at the beginning!)

It was a warm but breezy day (the breeze disappeared once the race started though!) and Tom filmed me giving my thoughts as we waited on the hill with the mountain in the background.  I will upload the video when Blogger stops being annoying :)

As usual I was hit by the toilet nerves and waited in a nervous line to use the ladies - I hate the smell of toilets on a race day, it's quite nauseating! :P

Then it was time to head to the start - after the traditional starter's gun (I hadn't heard one of those for ages!) we did one lap of the Domain (400m) and then headed out of the carpark, and up to Cleary's Gates, and then down towards the city.  The first 2km were on a steady incline, which then went downhill, and then uphill again when we hit Soldier's Walk.

Considering I hadn't run for a few weeks, I was very happy with the pace - I'm really not speedy at all, all I care about is that the pace is steady, everything is working as it should and there are no breathing or knee/ankle dramas, and that I don't have to stop.  So this race was a success!!

It was a beautiful day, and it was lovely running through the bushland roads and tracks around the Domain.  I hadn't been up there for years and years.  The lovely breeze I'd felt when wandering around before the race had disappeared by now, however, and I was starting to feel very hot, like a fireball!  My face was starting to sting slightly too.  I was glad I had slathered on the sunscreen, and was wearing my lucky hat!  

There was an ambulance that was on my, Chuq's and Laura's heels at one point along the Cleary's Gates bit, and we kept moving over so it could pass, but it seemed to take its sweet time!  When we thought it had finally passed us and we were free to enjoy the open trail, it turned out it was stuck at the entrance to Soldier's Walk!  D'oh!

There was another incline on Soldier's Walk, and then a steady downhill run into the city.  It was heavenly running underneath the overpass, in the shade, for a glorious ten seconds, and then we headed down Davey Street towards Constitution Dock and the finish.  At this stage we had to dodge some eager Taste goers at the traffic lights!  And then finally we headed around Mawson Place, and then down Morrison Street towards Salamanca, and then we saw the bright blue finish!  I then decided to have a sprint finish (Chuq and I were even at this stage!) and headed off!  I almost ran into a marshall on the other side, ha ha!

But we were finished!  Yay!  My first race on home turf...ever!! Considering I was a bit out of condition, I was pleased with my time - 39 minutes and 19 seconds!  Faster than marathon pace :)

Tom was there to meet me at the finish line, as were Chuq and Laura's family.  Tom managed to find his way from the Domain to Salamanca all on his own, I was impressed!  Then we wandered up to Mures for a post race ice cream.  It was all I felt like in the heat!!

I'm still in two minds about doing one of the Cadbury races in a few weeks time....hmmm....the promise of chocolate at the finish line is one dangly carrot!

How are you all holding up after Christmas?  Has anyone else braved a fun run?! :) xx