Aiming for a new PB

Two more weeks of "brutal training" (my new strength training program) under my belt and early suggestions are that it's making a difference. Right sided issues (psoas, back/QL, etc) have dissipated. I feel like I'm running taller. Seriously, yes. Though I did say that perhaps it's just because my arms and core are so darn sore I can't slouch if I want to! ;) It's all correlational research so far, though, so more time will tell - particularly as I start to build the mileage base again markedly next week towards Coburg 6 hr.

Setting up the alien calling devices? Transporter beams?

My chief problem now may be that I've just gone into the black hole known as "PTS Season." For most here in WA, they call it "summer." But I have this beautiful and very demanding little curly haired mischief called the Perth Trail Series. This year, now my second year of running the series, I decided to increase capacity from 150 to 200 people. Well, that's a 30% increase in work! Plus, on top of it, my IT-brained other half of the series, Rolf, decided he'd like to have a go at creating his own timing system. Yup, right from scratch. Write the software, build the RFID antenna towers, source the chips. Learn how antennae talk to chips in their language and at what decibel they speak and then get them to talk to a laptop, as well. Then convert that all into "human" language that racers can read in a pretty table on their computers at home, because that's the part they care about. The lounge is now a permanent workshop. Neighbours slow down as they walk by the house, with concerned looks for all the antennae on the lawn during testing phases! Most people had Santas on their lawns at Christmas; we had an orange gantry and metal rods and pylons and cables :)

180 of 200 entrants showed up on the morning that stayed rain free

This past week was a blur of handling emails with competitors debating shoe and hydration issues or debating between long and short courses, arranging volunteer duty rosters and duty sheets, gluing chips on bibs, compiling lists, recompiling lists, buying water, arranging fruit (organic, yee haw!), creating a contingency plan when Cyclone Narelle threatened to dump 60kph winds and heavy rain on us, flagging the course, piling up prizes, talking to park rangers, recompiling lists, panicking (best to schedule that one in before race day to get it over with), stuffing swag bags, meeting runners to hand out bibs at pre-race collection...and on it went.

All of the sudden it was race morning. I rang the bells 4 times, to start the long and short courses in two waves each. I got 5 more volunteers into place and 50 minutes later, the first trail runners were sprinting in after polishing off a quick 12k. The long course runners (19k) came in from 1.25 to 2.5 hours, as expected. Shoulders and ankles were iced, bodies were re-hydrated, laughs were shared, and presentations were made. Four of the 180 starters came back the less preferred way, with a DNF. At 10.30 AM, everyone headed home. My world went from 100 kph to 0 in 6 seconds. We took all the leftover bits of the PTS "mischief" and crammed them back into the cars.

Where the joy is - seeing them finish

The denouement hit as I packed up. This is an incredibly rewarding job. An utterly exhausting one, that certainly has me questioning how on earth I'll manage to peak with training in the middle of it all, but something that's so darn good it's worth it right now. Perhaps it's a bit like an ultra to me. There's the excitement of the lead-up, then the "business end" of the race itself when it's all hard and hurting, but accepted because of the anticipated reward at the end when the fruits of the labour are reaped.

But this event's reward factor was slightly down. It wasn't a record performance for me. Numbers are up, yes. But it meant I was spread too thin, micro-managing too many details that need to be handled by others. Easily half of yesterday's runners I didn't get to personally cheer, meet, or congratulate in any way. And that's where the joy is.

I'll have to write a new "race plan" for two weeks' time. Fortunately, I get 4 more opportunities to set a PB ;)