The Orange Running Festival

Running can take you to visit different parts of the world, but it can also take you to interesting new places within a country. When a friend first suggested a road trip to the "Orange Running Festival", I had hoped that my leg would have been sufficiently recovered for me to take part in either the half or the full marathon. As it was, I wasn't even sure if I should attempt one of the shorter runs, but as we had decided to head up there anyway, I kept my options open by entering the 10k and the 5k (there were no entries available on the day) figuring I could take a view on the morning of the event.

We got up there on the Friday night and so, after a cheeky parkrun on the Saturday morning, we decided to spend the rest of the day sightseeing......ie wine tasting.....not exactly something I thought the "serious" runners would be doing! 

Saturday's parkrun

I was really undecided about what to do the next day......for starters, it felt like the parkrun had nearly killed me. Not my shin as such, but my (perceived) lack of fitness. Yes, it was hot and humid, but I was so close to stopping (even within the first mile) that I wondered what "the point" was. Still, although slightly short, it was an interesting testy course and I hadn't run too badly.....so several wines later, I'd put it to the back of my mind.

The wine tasting had an interesting twist to it, in that the lady host at the first vineyard had been at boarding school with my mother (in the same year but neighbouring houses) back in the uk, so I got to try more expensive (and just plain more) wine than the regular punter got. Another unusual thing was that we also found a cider orchard that offered tastings......and I've certainly never had a "dessert cider" before!

The 10K route

On the Sunday morning, I still hadn't quite decided what to do, but on finding out that there were 2 female Australian Olympians competing for the win in the 10k (as well as the lady who'd been the overall first finisher on a "leg stretch" at parkrun the previous day) I opted for that distance, as I knew they would take away any pressure I might put on myself for a podium finish.

There were a few sharp corners, speed bumps and pot holes to negotiate very early on....and I was also almost taken out by a man with a buggy, but as we turned on to a narrow path (paved though slightly irregular due to tree roots rising up), I'd settled into a comfortable pace. After passing the location of Orange parkrun, we were marshalled off onto an "undulating" rough gravel road. I guess that a slight positive of the headwind was that it made the humidity feel a few percent lower. 

Finishing the 10K

This rough section was several kms out and back so I got to see the race leaders (as well as some of the marathoners who'd started much earlier in the day but had the same run in as us). There was a small pack of men at the sharp end, but the leading 3 ladies were well strung  out and each running their own race. By the time I reached the turnaround I realised that I was 4th (and probably the first LV40). 

Running back in, I got to see all those still coming out in the 10k, and also to encourage  those marathoners I was now passing. Fair play to them, they'd been out a long time. Back onto tarmac for the last few kms (again, not the flattest kms you've ever seen), and finally I was turning into the finishing straight. 

I'd finished 4th (first LV40) in what wasn't exactly a good time for me, but it was actually a few minutes faster than the winning time from the previous year.....although a long way adrift of the speedy ladies on the podium this year.

The 5K route

I received my medal, some water and an electrolyte drink gratefully, and then a gentleman asked me where I was from. He was wearing a Scottish top (though he now lives in Orange) and had spotted my "home club" in the parkrun results from the previous day. As I wanted to go for a little cool down jog, he encouraged me to use my number and join the 5K race which was about to start. I was worried that the 5k was geared at juniors, but it was actually one of the most popular events with runners of all ages and physiques taking part.

The day's medal haul!!!

The start was quite crowded but I ignored everyone else and just ran to feel. I knew the route by now as it was the same as the 10k bar the gravel road, so I didn't worry about watching to see which way the runners ahead of me went. As there were still 10k runners on course, it became much more crowded after the gravel section and it was hard to know who had set off at breakneck pace in the 5k and was fading and who was in the 10k. I wasn't bothered about how I was doing as I figured that I'd be a long way back from any decent female 5k runners (and I certainly hadn't any in my sights) but I did make sure that I overtook a "race mascot" in the last couple of kms.

As it turned out, I was actually second female in the 5k....though first and third places were taken by 13 year olds (though I bet they hadn't spent the whole of the previous day drinking  wine and cider!) so a podium photo must've looked a little odd! I was over the moon to have managed to run a total of 15k without a big flare-up, but as it did feel tender afterwards, I erred on the side of caution and didn't run again during the week.