I'm back, baby!

This morning I ran 14k and it felt GREAT. Actually, I should clarify. I felt terrible to begin with, had niggles all the way, but after I managed the run and with nary a kilometre at slower than a 6:30 pace, I feel enlivened and reassured and recommitted to kicking butt at the City2Surf.

It felt like it was going to be a tough one going out, my knee was hurting from the outset and I could feel that my form wasn’t very good, so I concentrated on making sure my toes weren’t clenching inside my shoes (a terrible habit, I think I picked it up with an old pair of shoes that were badly fitted, and my feet slipped back and forth badly), turning my hips out properly, and keeping my shoulders loose. I didn’t really watch my pace at all, alternating between obsessing about my form and distracting myself with the latest Zumba instructor CD. I must have had the energy to burn though, as I don’t feel like I was going out too hard and I finished the 14k in under an hour and a half. I don’t know if aiming for an 80 minute C2S is really feasible, but I’m not going to hold myself back on that account. I’m going to go for it. Eye of the tiger, etc.

I think it’s the tilt on the footpaths that causes my hip clickin’ evilness and my left knee problems. I can also really feel the transition between the different surfaces more than I used to. Pavement isn’t as springy, and tarmac bike paths don’t cause as much impact up my legs.

On the costume front, I think I want to run the City 2 Surf in something like this:

Yes indeedy. A dirndl. Then I can run straight to the pub after the race. What do you folks reckon?