Team OzSquad at the Sun Run
Euan 2, Carly 0 (Dammit)
Last year at the Sun Run Euan used me as his pacemaker knowing that he could out-sprint me in the last 50m to win. So that’s what he did – avoided his tendency to burn out before the end by going too fast early on and sprinted the last 50m to beat me by one second. He was in all my finishing photos for god’s sake.
This year I thought I’d be in with a chance when they announced that the course was slightly longer and that they had sneakily moved the finish line further down the beachfront. If I can just keep the new finish line position a secret, I thought, Euan will start his sprint too early and I can overtake him at the end giggling with glee. (If it isn’t already apparent, we’re a fairly competitive couple.)
Someone told him where the new finish line was. Plan B – turn up and run as fast as my little legs would allow.
The day of the ‘Sun Run’ this year was anything but. I wonder if it is possible to sue for false advertising? The weather was so bad 50% of entrants took one look out of their bedroom window and got straight back under the duvet. The other half of us questioned our sanity when we were waiting at the start line in bin bags, being blown sideways, soaked, frozen, and dreaming of our duvets.
Team OzSquad were there in full force though, big thumbs up to Kirsty, Matt, Rog, Jo, Tosh, Nick, Christine, Faye and Kate for braving the ridiculous weather. Oh and to Euan. First, shout out goes to Jo who managed to channel all her weather anger solely at me by avoiding eye contact and snarling slightly for at least 56 minutes – good stamina Jo.
The cooler temperatures actually did make for a more comfortable, if slightly less scenic, run. I was feeling pretty good until disaster struck at about kilometre one (shortly after Euan in a rare non-competitive moment had asked “shall we just run it together?”) – when my shoelace came undone. Yes, yes, I know, double knots, yadda, yadda.
Euan saw his chance and legged it to a 16-second victory.
Approximately the time it takes to tie a shoelace with freezing cold fingers.
Enough about us though – Team OzSquad were awesome (coming in at 6th out of 70 teams). There was a nail-biting wait for the official results to see whether Nick or Matt had claimed OzSquad first (Nick, by three seconds – I feel your pain Matthew), Faye smashed her sub 40 minute target, Kate completed her first ever fun run in style, Rog finished it with a loaded rucksack and Christine got first in her category. Amazing, you have all made me very proud!
Until next year Euan Rodger….
