Chapter 40 : Runnning for fun

After entering the fun run I notice that it is raising money for the Royal Hobart Hospital. That’s spooky. That’s my hospital. Looking at the website I see many happy smiling faces training or preparing for the fun run around Hobart’s docks.  Every face has a story. About running or the hospital.  I see information about the RHH and photos of equipment that was bought from previous fun runs.

Three days before the race we go to the city to have a coffee and cake and visit a running shop. At the shop is a table which has several boxes containing race numbers. We (Me and wifie) get our numbers by telling the lady our names. Too easy. We leave. Each number contains a timing chip.

At home I tell one of my daughters (who works at the RHH) about the fun run and say, “I don’t want publicity. “

“Well why would they do that?”

“I’ve been in the hospital for 7 weeks and now I’m raising money for it.  I’ve seen their website. There are pictures of such people. They would love somebody like me. And my story.”

“There will be nothing.”

“Good.”

Before the race I contemplate the race. Who is going to be there? Any Doctors or nurses? Anybody to recognize me as a former patient?  As for my previous life. Any of my former patients to recognize me?

I know I can finish. It’s not a long run. What time will I do? What is a good time? What is a bad time? Who cares? Time is irrelevant. What does matter then? I want to have a good run. To enjoy the run. How do I do that?

I want to be in the zone. To have that moment when my mind and my body are one. To have that moment when I am thinking of nothing but running. That moment when I am so consumed with running, I know nothing about the future or the past. And if I achieve this one moment with my mind and body working together I may find my limits. I might find what I am capable of.  I might know myself a little deeper.

Race day is overcast. Looks ominous. In the past I used to look out the window and guess. Today I go to the internet and it tells me there is a 90% chance of showers. I can’t argue with the net. It’s not allowed.

We get a lift to the start.

We see a milling crowd of people, dressed to run. I don’t see any faces I recognize and names that I have forgotten. I head for the tail of the group and then without warning a gun fires and people, in the front, start to run. We don’t. We shuffle and walk. Should I start to run?  Some people are walking. Others jogging. Eventually I run and stop and then run and then walk behind a slow group. Every time I pass one person I look ahead and see other obstacles. I can go around them either left or right. And children everywhere.

We are now officially  running. Me and the crowd. Now to avoid people. I need to avoid bumping or falling. I need to avoid people who veer suddenly. Why did she do that? And I’ve got to get away from this pram. And puddles appear. Need to avoid them as well. And the footpath is slippery. And uneven. Road or footpath. What should I take? I jump between the two. And then back.

This fun run has to start to open up. It has to become easier. As I am thinking this, the second lap starts, and it suddenly becomes easier. I start to run smoothly. I have some open space around me. Around me everybody is in a routine. Nobody is relentlessly lapping others or being passed by everybody. Everybody is staying in their position and running. Now I can try and start running. To think about my running. To forget about slipping, bumping and falling. My legs are working. My arms are pumping. My lungs are breathing. It’s all working. I start to speed up and overtake people.

We approach the finish. A marshal says something. I stop and go back to hear what he said. He tells me the route to take. I have just lost twenty seconds. Now I have to finish.

There is no finish line. Just a bump in the road which might be talking to my timing chip. Nobody to say anything. I look around and see Melissa and Bradley. Melissa tells me to walk through that crowd over there and pick up my medallion. I approach the crowd and a lady miraculously sees me and gives me a medallion.   I look for a clock. Nothing. Ah well I will find out my time on the website.

Ignoring my time did I have a god run? Well yes. I’m alive. I can put one leg in front of another.  I can still run. That’s positive. And on the negative side. My time will be worse than anything I have done previously. At the start I was not fluid. I stuttered and stammered. And the result. I will do the same again. Another fun run. But next time I want to push myself. To try and approach my limits. To find something out about myself physically. 

I ask Melissa and Bradley about Lorna. They tell me where we should stand to see her.  We stand and then she appears and now we are all finished. Nothing is happening so we go. And Melissa tells us the bad news.

“I couldn’t get a coffee. They would only accept cash.”