#oneHRC House Marathon – Gryffindor 21km
The #oneHRC House Marathon was a four part event encompassing (in distance order) the Hufflepuff 5km, the Syltherin 6km, the Ravenclaw 10km and finally the Gryffindor 21km. When combined the four events would equal the distance of a marathon – hence the overall event being called the #oneHRC House Marathon.
I’d completed the first three events relatively quickly after the medals arrived back in July but the “big one” sat in the hallway cabinet waiting for me to earn it. I’d been putting off doing the half marathon distance for months now and after receiving the display case* and slotting the medals that I had earned into place, the gap became glaringly obvious.
Isabelle asked why there was an empty space and I explained to her that I hadn’t earned that medal because I hadn’t run 21km, she replied ..
“We’ll if you add off of your runs together you have .. where’s the medal?”
Bless her – I explained that although technically I have run 21km if we decided to do it that way (and some people do) I wanted to complete the entire distance in one go – because that would be a VERY BIG challenge for Mum and that would make the medal very special.
I surmised that since I hadn’t been able to run as much as usual during the last two weeks due to the school holidays that I’d kind of been tapering so it made sense to head out on Saturday and give the 21km distance a go even though I haven’t run anything even close to that distance since I last ran a half way back in March (and even with sufficient training, it hurt – a lot).
I decided that I’d park up at Exhibition Drive and run two out and back legs, that way I could stop half way (at the car) to grab more water and (quite probably) throw down pain killers and pick up my poles if my knee started to protest. Although James usually runs with me on a Saturday morning because the 21km would take me FOREVER I suggested that he drive across as I was heading back from my first out and back and run the second part with me (especially as I knew I’d probably struggle on that leg) but he decided to keep me company the entire way.
My ever patient (when it comes to my running) husband
I’m glad he did because it made time pass much more quickly than if I was alone and we spent the majority of the time laughing our heads off (yes that’s how slow I run, I can chat and laugh while moving). I had decided (because my knee had a fit the last time I did a half) to start out slower than usual in the hopes that I’d be able to finish stronger – hence the chatting and laughing, but unfortunately it didn’t make much difference and that same thing happened again even sooner (km wise) than last time.
James and I were discussing my knee after I was lamenting how shit it is and we deduced that in my case the problem seems to be more about the time on my feet (or in this case knee) than the actual distance traveled – so I probably should have gone out faster (as I’d traverse a greater distance over the same period of time). I’ve still got one more half marathon medal to earn (and then I’m calling it quits on “long distance” running) so I’ll try out “our theory” next time.
Yet again, the poles come to the rescue!
This time however I did end up using poles for the last 10km and although I did spurts of running, I walked the majority of it, stopping semi-regularly to try and stretch out as best I could to relieve the pressure I could feel in my knee. You’d think I’d be sad (and to be fair there were times I wanted to cry with frustration) but I was more proud of how I just got on with it and I became happier and more proud with each passing kilometer – counting them down loudly like Count Dracula (complete with cackle) .. lolol
As we rounded the last bend and I could see the car park in sight I’d never be so jubliant, I was slightly short of my mileage so I left my poles with James and turned around to complete the remaining distance. I used those last 200 metres as a bit of a stretch out, walking 100metres (which incidentally was the length of the driveway) then running back with a stupidly huge grin on my face because I did it!
Run and Done!
This one I really earned. <3
Till next time
*The display cases were sent out to all participants free of charge after it was found that some medals would not stay linked together with the magnet closures alone. If that is not true customer service I’m not sure what is!
