Countdown to Gold Coast
I ran in
the Hong Kong Marathon back in 1997. The race started on the new
Tsing Ma
Bridge, ventured down a new wiz bang freeway, which was
yet to be opened, and finished with 10k on the tarmac of the
also soon to be opened, 'new' Hong Kong International Airport.
At this
stage of my career I had my warm up routine down pat (pardon the
pun). A light 10-15 min jog followed by light stretching then
some run-throughs to get some spring in my step. I would always
do my run-throughs in a secluded area such as at the rear of a
building, removed from all the masses so I could be alone with
my thoughts. I would then slip into my super slick racing flats
that weighed next to nothing.
Bring it on
The
training had been done, the warm up completed and I was ready to
go to battle.
Around 15
minutes prior to the start I ran up onto the bridge passing
fifteen thousand or so runners who had already assumed their
positions and were patiently waiting for the start. I finally
made my way to the front of the pack and ran a few more sprints
along with the other invited elite athletes.
Unfortunately my standard
warm up had been met with a vital omission.
Pit Stop Pat
One of my
greatest legacies that I have carried throughout my entire
running career is my weak bladder. I am famous for having to
stop on training runs to answer the call of nature. However,
never once had this been an issue in a race. Well, not until
this particular race that is.
Just
before the start, sure enough, I felt the need to water my
horse. With no portable loos supplied and the obvious lack of
trees I was left with a dilemma.
Mind over matter
Mind over
matter I thought. Just put it out of my mind and get on with the
task at hand.
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