It was a really motivating event to prepare for and pushed me to change the way I approached run training. For over a year I was stuck at 1 lap of lake monger (3.6km) and I just couldn't see how it was possible to run that second lap. I'd done it once but felt awful afterwards. After running with a very fit colleague that trains for marathons I got some advice about pace and style that helped me push to 2 laps, then 3 laps, then the 12km! Very cool, although I have to say I am definitely not a runner and training for running is one of the slowest progress activities I've ever done.
We were lucky to have perfect weather, although a bit chilly. I met up with Andrew, Darrell and Nikky and after a 20min wait in the Ibis hotel toilet queue I just made it to hear the 8am start countdown for group A. Group C (the group Nikki and I ran in) started at around 8:30am. After a congested start for the first km the crowd spread out and we got some room to ourselves.
There was lots of entertainment along the way which along with dodging other participants made the whole run very distracting in a good way. It was over before I knew it! Running on the freeway and the tunnel were a cool novelty although the tunnel got so stagnant that almost everyone around me exclaimed a sigh of relief when we finally emerged.
I also learned that you can't drink while running. I hate stopping (my muscles refuse to start working again) but decided to grab a cup and sip while I ran. About a teaspoon made it into my mouth and the rest went all over me before I gave up and tossed the cup into the sea of cups spread along the tunnel floor.
After finishing (in 1h 13min, 9.86km/hr) I collected my free Powerade Zero (disgusting), water and apple, and decided to go get a massage while I waited for the others. I was happy to see that I landed a small lady that I didn't think could be too rough, but she absolutely kicked my ass. I bit my finger trying not to scream during the calf and hip flexor part.
We all caught up at group I for Immersive then caught a shuttle back to the city. It would have definitely been faster to walk, but we finally made it to Petition for breakfast, only 40 minutes late (poor Alex was waiting for us). Alex had done the half marathon, got his best time, gone home, had a shower, come back and had two coffees by the time we got there! The breakfast was worth the wait though; butter mushrooms, kale and 65 degree egg probably more than made up for what we burned on the run.
The Mystery of the Missing Package
The mystery of my missing package never did get solved though. My HBF package was apparently delivered to my work on April 26th at 7:56am (before our reception is open), and signed for but it never arrived.After some back and forth with Australia Post I discovered that someone called J Pontifex signed for it, but after visiting every floor in my building I couldn't find anyone of that name.
Australia Post said that because we're owned by a newspaper (we're not), we get things couriered (we don't), but this prompted me to google "west australian hasler pontifex" since the West Australian newspaper building is on the same street as my office. This brought up a result of someone named Joshua Pontifex, an exercise physiologist who worked at an address that turned out to be Sonic Health Plus. I gave them a call, and the lady there said that she could see Josh Pontifex in their email system but no one knew who he was!
I found Josh Pontifex's mobile via his new business and gave him a call, but he knew nothing about a package. In fact he said that he used to work in Osborne Park but hadn't even been to the suburb in over 5 years! How's that for a mystery.
Australia Post closed the case as "package missing" and I received a replacement from HBF. I wonder what happened to the original one. Is there another J Pontifex lurking around Osborne Park? Has someone assumed Josh's identity and begun signing for random packages? What the hell kind of policy does Australia Post have where any old shmuck can sign for a package addressed to you? We will never know.
