What an awesome weekend of running, friends and food!
Josh and I went out to Bondi Pizza for a delicious Saturday night pre-race dinner meal. We kind of splurged, and took carb-loading to the next level 😉
We couldn’t pass up this dessert, especially on a cold, winters night.. chocolate brownie scrolls
And then we had to brave the rain and bitterly cold wind to make it back home for an earlyish night before race day
First thing I did when I woke up was check the weather, which didn’t sound promising by the sounds of the rain on the roof
I made us breakfast.. Yoghurt, banana and my homemade muesli for Josh and warm banana oats for me 🙂
We managed to get a lift into the city which was amazing (Thanks Mike and Tez)! We then enjoyed the pre-race half-an-hour-or-so crowd watching and pumping ourselves up and trying not to get jumpers and track pants face-planting us.
SO cool to see SO many people ready to run! It never fails to amaze me how such a massive event runs so smoothly.
As 8:30 approached jumpers were pretty much flying everywhere and some even managed to get caught in the trees. It was most entertaining 🙂
The race began and we spent the first km dodging people. It was our longest km but we managed to clear through the crowds and settle into our pace. The vibe was electric.. with cool bands and entertainers keeping our spirits up throughout the race. These guys were hilarious and since they went to so much effort I had to sneak a pic.
There were lots of drink breaks along the way, however Josh was running to his watch, so I did compromise a few drink breaks for a bit of extra ground.
We finished strong! It was such a good feeling crossing the line together. Last year I finished the race in 77 mins. My goal for this year was to finish in less than 75 mins. We totally smashed it and finished in 71 mins and 58 seconds!
It was a great race. Lots of hills, a lot of self talk and plenty of heavy breathing! I ran faster and further than I had in quite a while.. and contrary to my own advice I wore relatively newish shoes. My feet paid for it. I took off my sock to discover the biggest blister I have ever seen in my life!
Taking a look at the stats, we ran a pretty steady pace throughout the race. Our first km lost us a bit of time which is expected when you are running with 79 998 other people, and the 6-8 km splits were the infamous ‘Heartbreak Hill’.
After the race we headed to Josh’s work tent for food, drinks and a massage :). Perfect way to wind down after the race. We then continued the celebrations at Josh’s place where we enjoyed post race music, beer and cider. Mmm. Pictures ended there.
But before I conclude, the day sounds all dandy but I do have a confession. On Saturday I shared my Race Day Tips. But I didn’t take my own advice! I wore my fairly new sneakers, which I possibly had not worn in enough and ended up with the BIGGEST and most painful blister of my life. Poor Josh, put up with my crying and treated it with disinfectant, a non-adhesive bandage and a lot of love and patience! I was tossing up whether or not to share the picture as it is quite graphic.. but after all, it is a battle wound.. so here is a mini one 🙂
I leave you with a few questions..
1) Any suggestions on how to treat my battle-wound??
2) How do you like to celebrate after a race?
3) What is the funnest sporting event you have participated in?
Thanks for awesome day Sydney! Race days like City2Surf truly make me feel proud to be Australian 😀
Well-done on your fantastic race time, Kelly! Nothing is better then a well deserved massage after a long race 🙂
Thanks Nicola! I love a massage after an intense run, perfect way to speed up recovery time 🙂
You two rocked the race. Great job girl 🙂 So sorry about your poor blister, you poor thing. At least you were treated with good food & massages afterwards!
I can confirm that good food and a massage quite effectively conceals blister pain 😛
Congrats on your race! I think all runners can relate to your blister woos–when I bought my sneakers about five months ago, I wore them for the first during a seven-mile run. Worst idea ever, and I wound up with a huge blister on my arch. To help it heal, I left it uncovered and walked around in comfortable shoes (like sandals), but I would layer two or three band-aids over it during runs.
Thanks for the advice Carrie, trying to keep it uncovered as much as possible. Comfortable shoes definitely help! As for running, I may take this week off to let it heal properly..
Congratulations on a fast finishing time!
That blister is insane! I’m sure it’ll give you some trouble for a few days.
A post-race massage is always a great way to cap off an event.
I think I had the most fun at ironman Arizona. The crowds were amazing, and they had really fun aid stations on the run with different themes, music, and lots of cheering!
Thank you 🙂 Different themed aid stations sound like such fun! And nothing beats cheerful supporters!
Congrats on your race, but YIKES that blister looks horrible! I recommend putting moleskin on it during the day, which you can find at any drugstore, and letting it air out uncovered at night. And don’t forget antibiotic ointment!
Thanks for the advice. Never heard of using moleskin but will try it out!
Congrats on such an awesome race time!!! Your poor foot…..ouch!!! I don’t have any advice on how to mend it but I sure hope it heals quickly!!
Thanks 🙂
congrattttsssss but holy shit that blister. Like whoa. it is crazy how opposite our weather is here in the US on the east coast. I am sorry that happened. Take some much needed rest. Like a lot of rest.
I know it is crazy hey.. Rest is definitely on the agenda!
Oh my goodness, that is a HUUUUUGE blister. I have had some blisters in my day, but that baby takes it to a whole ‘nother level. I think the best thing to do is to let it air out, because I believe the oxygen helps it heal faster? At any rate, congrats on smashing your race goal!
Thanks Jorie 🙂 Always great to achieve your goal! Thanks for the advice, I reckon after work today I will air it out.
Ouch, that looks so freakin’ big and painful!! I got huge blisters when I was still doing gymnastics, but haven’t had such a large one from running (thank goodness, because it might just put me off of new shoes forever!!) No tips, save letting it air out and keeping it really clean. Am interested in what other folks recommend though, so will be following the rest of this thread 🙂 Congrats on the race, though and massive kudos for getting through it with that humongous blister!
anne
Thanks for dropping by Anne! It almost is enough to put me off my new shoes. It will take a bit of courage to get back into them haha. Will let you know what I do and how it heals 🙂
Aww I hope your blister gets better – good in you for doing this fantastic run 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks!!
Thanks for visiting my post! WOW that blister is insane! Hope it heals soon. Its great to meet another Aussie runner, looking forward to reading your running adventures. PS that food looks yum too!
Cheers
RunninBear
It is a little insane! It sure is great to have another Aussie blogger and runner 😀
Well done kel and josh. You make us proud with your wonderful outlook and fitness
Thanks Shell xxxx
Well done guys!! Such an amazing time to get! What a great day 🙂 xxx
Thanks 😀 Was a fun day!! So glad got to spend the later half with you!
Hahaha those blue guys are hilarious! I love when people dress up for races! It makes it so much easier to keep on running when you’re smiling along the way!
Congratulations on running such a fantastic race! From the looks of the race map, you had some gorgeous scenery along the way too!
So sorry about your blister. 😦 I’m sending healing vibes you way! ❤
Thanks Sara! Was an amazing race with beautiful city and beachside views. The blister IS healing, so thanks for the good vibes 😉
Congrats on the amazing time! Seriously amazing.
Thanks Ar xxx
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Well done to the both of you and sorry about the foot Kelly. Take an ENGO patch with you next time … prevention is way better than cure! All the best.
Thanks so much for this advice Rebecca. I am running another race next Sunday and have been enquiring about what to use to prevent another disaster. So true that prevention is better than cure.. sometimes we have to learn the hard way! Thanks for popping by 🙂