Friday, December 13, 2013

run club.

This past Wednesday, I decided to check out Melbourne's Nike Run Club. I've only been doing the pavement-pounding thing for a little over a year and a half, and I don't consider myself a particularly fast or gifted athlete - on a good day I typically run 9-minute miles, which is pretty average, and that's just fine with me. One of the things I like most about running is that everyone is acknowledged and respected, no matter how fast or not-fast they run. You're a runner if you win half-marathons on a monthly basis, and you're a runner if you do an 11 min./mile lap around the lake once a week. Everyone is pretty supportive of each other, and even though winners are acknowledged and win prizes, often anyone who crosses the finish line is congratulated for their accomplishment. Pretty neat.

I handed my registration sheet to one of the leaders, who then explained that there would be several different pace groups to choose from. "5 minute pace is the fastest group, 7 minute pace is the slowest." 

Oh. Oh dear.

I thanked her and smiled and secretly panicked, trying to recall if this was actually an elite Olympic training group. And then I realized that paces here are measured in kilometers, not miles. Silly me! I decided to run with the 7 minute km people, even though the 6:30 pace might have been a better fit - but I'd rather run near the front of the pack than struggle to keep up and get lost in the great Australian outback.

The run was great - we started at the Federation Square amphitheater and ran around the good old Tan Track. There was Gatorade at the finish and free t-shirts for people who have attended at least 5 meetings. This marks my very first attempt at an Australian social gathering. Per usual, I did not make efforts at building long-lasting relationships with fellow humans. But I got out and did something with people, and I'm definitely planning on doing this again.

Because clothes in Australia are expensive, and a free t-shirt is too good to pass up. 

CK

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