Community Fitness Events

Today was the annual City to Surf fun run, the day where 48 000 Perthian's take to the streets to run, walk, crawl...what ever it takes to get them over the line at to the surf. This was my first year entered in the race and I was nervous! At high school, our interschool cross country took place on the first half of the dreaded Heartbreak Hill and that was all that was on my mind, knowing that I had a couple of killer hills to conquer before I even got to that one.

At the assembly point for the start of the race I realised just how big a crowd 48 000 people was! Very slowly we filtered through and I was starting in the first wave of runners. Mum and I got ourselves into a good starting position and by the time we were in the streets at the start line we weren't that far from it considering the number of people. The horn sounded and we were off...well not straight away, there were a few hundred people in front of us to move first.

The start of the race is straight up the first of the hills, not the most pleasant. However I was having a slight equipment malfunction for the first 1km of hill - my heart rate monitor was flicking off. By the time I had that back on  (kept running the whole time!) I realised my headphones were caught underneath and were lifting my top up. In retrospect, should have just left it but I know I had a long way to go and I wanted to be comfortable, so while still running I tried to untangle myself. And in the process, I lost a bud of one head phone! Great start! So I tucked the budless headphone into my top and started work out what was going on around me...1.5km post start line. At least I was a little distracted for that first hill!

I just love community events like this. The atmosphere is incredible, everyone is there for the same reason - to exercise and raise money for charity. The feeling as you cross the finish line is of accomplishment, satisfaction, relief and pride...nothing can beat it! I did a time of 56.05 minutes, achieving my goal of beating the hour, one happy chappy :)

So as if a 12km run wasn't enough, I continued on in the arvo to my boot camp which I also participate in. Another free community fitness event I run weekly for women to inspire instil fitness and healthy lifestyles in women no matter what level of fitness, shape, size or ability. So a big day of exercise, in my opinion the perfect sunday!