Run 78. Home town – Wangaratta. 19/2/2020.
Having tried to plan a run in my home town of Wangaratta over the Christmas period, I finally found a day that worked for me. A combination of heat (one day hit 46 degrees) and smoke made running a half marathon virtually impossible and definitely unhealthy.
This was to be a run of rediscovering my home town, so I planned a route that visited multiple sites. Kindergarten, primary school and secondary school all covered off. The house that I initially lived in and a couple of other residences. My grandparents’ house (both sides) and the hospital that I was born in.
It was a coolish morning by Wangaratta standards so quite a nice run and I made my route decisions as I ran and as I thought of relevant destinations. At one stage I took the opportunity to run around the block of my original house. This is where I first remember going for a run. I also played a lot of sports in Wangaratta so included a couple of cricket grounds and the Wangaratta showgrounds – the home of the Wangaratta Magpies Football and Netball club.
One unplanned stop was an old silo beside the railway line and next to the vegetable packing business where I got my first full time job (during uni break). It was also the place where I opened my HSC results. It made me smile.
And whilst I wasn’t really concentrating on speed I still managed a tidy 1:45:43.
My Three Learnings
Not all runs are about speed.
46 degrees is too hot a run any distance.
Distractions seem to make the run go faster – but not the stopwatch.