'What the HELL am I doing here??' I asked myself at 4am whilst running in the cold night with half a marmite sandwich hanging from my face. 'WHY am I putting myself through this?' Well that’s the big question.
My feet are throbbing with pain, every step sends nails up my legs and my hamstrings are tighter than the Pak’n’Saves pricing managers rinkytink. I’m terrified I won’t make it back in time to start the next lap as that would mean the END of my race.
Fear struck and I started to sob inappropriately loud. I was missing my kids and my little dog who curls up around my neck at night. Tears mixed with the dust on my face leaving streak marks that matched my melodramatic mood, meanwhile snot streamed from my nose leaving tendrils flying in the wind behind me as I tried to jog.
Then a small voice in my head reminded me: “Watch out for your overprotective brain, it will try and trick you into quitting!” OMG, that’s right! So I hurriedly ate the rest of the sandwich that was still stuck to the side of my face and swung my arms and legs with savage purpose, harder than a middle aged Mum (me) chasing down the neighbors kid who stole the letterbox milk money (me in1986) and somehow I carried on for another 9 hours. Folks, that's just a snapshot of life in a backyard ultra.
Now, by the time i’d REALLY had enough I was sobbing (again!) into my friends arms and then the race directors arms and in that moment, in my delirious state I suddenly knew WHY I was doing all of this. I had finally answered the question! …But my brain was so toasted I have no idea what that was! However, these words I do remember: People, LOVE, Compassion, Laughter, Struggle, Stories, Humour, Connection, Dramas and Lolly Snakes.
-27 laps, 27 hours, 181 kms
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