Saturday, 9 February - Vic Champs

Well, after getting home last night around 11:00 pm, once I had watched a little television and played around on the internet, it was like 1:00 am by the time I got to bed. So much for the early night ahead of today's 5,000 metres!

Woke up to a series of wake up calls from my darling partner and mother which pretty mucg forced me out of bed around 9:30 am. Had a bowl of cornflakes while I watched what was left of Star Trek Voyager. Good episdose. Then played on the computer until I realised with a start that it was midday and I hadn't had anything else to eat to keep me going through the rest of the day. So with three hours to race time, I had two pieces of peanut butter toast and some coffee. The latter of which was probably not the best thing to have

So I get to Olympic Park around 2:00 pm and I have to check in for my event by 2:10 pm. Except that I see Tim Erickson from my club about to start the 5,000 metre Walk. I had brought a digital camera so I could take some pictures of our banner (that I was about to hang up on the fenceline) so I decided to also take a heap of Tim in his event.

I put the banner up then jogged around to check in for my event. That left me half an hour to warm up and take pics before having to be in the Call Room for my event. Spent fifteen minutes taking pictures of Tim and our banner, and barely had enough time for ten minute warm up before I had to be in the Call Room

Once there I saw Tony Dell - Tiger Boy from Coolrunning and Ausrun running forums - and gasbagged to him for a while. In so doing, I didn't do my usual pre-race stretches and was still putting on race numbers when called up to head out to the track

Lined up on the start line and saw Marc Chew from the Harriers. Great to have some local support in the stands.

We start and straight away I am tucked behind Joji Mori from Richmond, who in pre-mjury form I would usually beat having raced against him before. He was on 16:40 pace and going very steadily. We went through the first km in 3:18. Still feeling surprisingly good as we go through the second km in 3:20 for 6:38 on the clock. Starting to feel the pinch but another steady kilometre of 3:20 for 9:58 and bang on track for 16:40

Starting to think that 16:40 is on the cards but start to hit the wall with these five laps to go. Not too sure what the clock read at the 4 km mark, but I do not that the last five laps felt really tough and in the end finished with 16:50

I didn't really have any expectations going into this race, especially after the disappointment of last night. Nevertheless am very pleased with this time, and the fact that I managed to stay steady and strong for the majority of the race. Perhaps I am a 3,000 metre runner at heart? So to have 16:50 off a PB of 16:35 I think I am pretty satisfied with given I am only about six weeks into full training after a two month layoff

After the race scored two free tickets to the Melbourne Grand Prix athletics meeting for having my banner up so the day got even better. And did my warm down with Marc Chew which was great to have some company - thanks Marc

Rest day tomorrow on account of the fact that Amelia has her birthday party for turning two and I can't get out for all the prep that needs doing

TOTAL DISTANCE = about 9 kilometres including warm up and down