Puffing Billy Run

Today I went out with a group of friends to the picturesque Dandenong Ranges to run the 34rd annual Puffing Billy Race. The course winds through over 13 kilometres of the hillsides with the added bonus that the steam engine, Puffing Billy, competes in the race. I'd run this once before, 3 years ago, started well, but struggled to get up the second hill, which is a long drag of over a kilometre at about an average of 4%.

I'm smiling, and with a coffee, before the run. Won't be smiling much longer...

I set my goal as making it around the course, up the hills, without stopping. I have been on a sort of training plan, but it has had more emphasis on my fitness level, rather than to achieve the fastest result in a race. This time round the hills didn't cause any undue problems for me and I was able to climb ok. I'd done a run the week before through the hilly suburb of Mt Waverley which probably helped a bit with my uphill performance. My time was 1.31.13 which is actually 10 minutes slower than the last time I ran! Saying that, I haven't trained as much and was running with a friend.



Again, it was very enjoyable, a challenge and great to run with friends. I usually train alone, and will be training more in the coming weeks as I've signed up for the Run Melbourne Half Marathon at the end of July. Although this is a further 8 kilometres on what I did today, it is nowhere near as hilly so I'm hoping it won't be much harder than today's run. Anyway, I have a plan and am setting some goals which will hopefully direct my training over the next couple of months. I'll write a bit more about my running and training for a half marathon over the coming months. I'll see if I can get under 2 hours 10 minutes for the half marathon, though this will be tough for me.

Anyway, here's the team of Kids Unlimited after the race, still smiling....almost!

l-r. Carl (me), Kate (who I ran with), Tim, Michael, Alana (spelling?) and David