The day of the 100km world championships

Yesterday in my blog here I reflected on my journey to get to this race, my brief phase of negative thinking I wished to compartmentalise, and the focus for the race.
Executive summary

If I was to summarise in executive summary style, the race went to plan in terms of the focus. In terms of the physical outcome, I went out with no fear at my desired race pace I’d been training at in my long runs in Sydney, blew up in the humidity, and rode out the race with patience.
The finer details:
The orientation

With a great year of racing under my belt, coach Brendan and I had set an ambitious ‘good case scenario’ race goal. Arriving in Sveti Martin Na Muri, we re-evaluated that goal to be ‘run to feel’ in the heat and humidity. So that’s how I set out. Comfortable, getting slightly warmer until I dunked my body in water at 5km, then fabulously cool running into the wind, on the ‘back’ uphill section of the ‘out and back’ 7.5km loop. My temperature would rise again with the wind behind me, I’d slow the pace, then I’d dunk my body and run back into the cool wind, totally drenched. It felt like a great sustainable plan that was working well for me in my first long music-free race.
Complication # 1
At about 33km, my mind was willing but my body was not cooling down the same way with the water dunking. I slowed down the pace. I rode out a bit of negativity between 33 – 37km, then started smiling, whilst running at this reduced pace. I was moving. That was the main thing.
The resolution # 1
At 58km (yes I had been riding out that wave since 33km), I started singing this song I had memorised the night before when I found out that music was forbidden in this race.
BROTHER, LET ME BE YOUR SERVANT,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.
We are pilgrims on a journey,
We are brothers on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christlight for you
In the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.
This was the song I sang with a good friend Sally at my brother’s funeral. As I was running, I burst into tears. I was so grateful to be here, alive, and moving, so picked up the pace and ran, crying, singing that song.
Complication # 2
The water was not cooling my body at that pace so I slowed it back down
Resolution # 2
The first two verses of that song came to life – ‘we.’ It’s very easy when we are going through hard times in ‘whatever it may be' to bring the focus inward. I was representing Australia here. There were 6 other ladies out there and coach Brendan all creaming the field. I needed to re-shift my focus to them and encouraging them. There were 300+ other athletes out there doing this race, I needed to give them right of way to run on the inner corners and not have to dodge my slower pace.
Celebration # 1
All the other 6 Aussie girls finished in stellar times, placing our country 8th overall. Coach Brendan finished in 25th overall in a very elite field.
Resolution # 3
Running alone for my last lap and a half, I recited the verse of my focus again and again.
‘Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.’ (Hebrews 12:1-3)
I’m drawing so much strength from this, knowing this race has been a test of patience. I gritted my teeth to get it done, encouraged by the team and superbly encouraging support of the Australian men’s team, and the Australian support crew, including Jerel, my parents, and Aussie team members Darryl and Dion going above and beyond.

Celebration # 2


I finished. The time wasn’t my best, wasn’t my worst. But boy was I happy to beat those 2 Ukrainians in the last kilometre and that Belorussian girl in the last 50 metres ;). It was such an honour to run in green and gold, I am so happy with the Aussie team, and forever grateful for the support crew out there.
Celebration # 3
Awards, dinner and drinks with the team now!
