The official race results are out and they confirm my City to Surf time of 54:59. That’s a relief. The race is claimed to be the biggest in the world with around 80,000 participants. I finished in 488th place overall, and 13th in the 50-59 age group. I wonder how many of the twelve in front of me were in the early 50s? I also wonder how many in the race “ran their age”? Impossible for me to tell, as the race results only indicate each person’s age category in ten year increments. But I estimate it’s probably no more than twenty or so.

Achieving the feat by a bare second is satisfying, but not as satisfying as doing it in a convincing manner. But I have future years to do that. If I were to run the same time next year, that would be very satisfying.

The race itself, with its consistent course over the years, is a great way to compare one’s performances as the years advance. Believe it or not, when I ran the City to Surf for the first time at the age of 22, I ran 57:54. I’ve probably only run faster than yesterday on about six or seven occasions, all in my 20s and early 30s. In fact, yesterday’s was my second fastest time in the past 19 years. I’m definitely happy with that.

Today’s world run photo is also from New Zealand. This was taken on the South Island between Timaru and Christchurch. The whole herd of cows saw me coming and raced up to the fence to investigate, even allowing me to pat them. I found NZ cows the least frightened and most curious of all the world’s cows.

On This Day

Aug 10, 2013

Distance today = 48.87 km; Total distance = 24,557.68 km; Location = Naracoorte, SA – 36 57.280’ S, 140 44.603′ E; Start time = 0827, Finish time = 1559

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/356227355

Awoke to a cloudless sky, and relatively warm temps. Although a few clouds did gather later, and a cool breeze sprung up, it was still a very pleasant day on the road.

It’s beautiful sheep grazing countryside around here, and a pleasure to run through. I learned something about sheep today – they recognise each other’s voices. I was passing a large field, with many hundreds of sheep in it, when a lamb starting bleating. It was the only sheep making any noise at all. All of a sudden, from about 200 metres away, an adult sheep started bleating too – just the two of them calling back and forward. The lamb started running toward the mother, calling all the time. They were still the only sheep making any noise. Eventually the lamb made it all the way to its mother, where it began to suckle.

Today’s run was over the same course as an afternoon stage of the Tour de Bois in 2010. Into a stiff headwind, the peloton was sticking together as it rode toward the finish line in Naracoorte. As the 5 km To Go banner was reached, Chips decided to go for a lone breakaway. Cycling fans always love a lone breakaway, perhaps due to the tragic reality that, despite their bravery, they rarely win.

The peloton was slow to react, probably expecting Chips to fade. He quickly got out to a 200 metre lead. A disorganised peloton is the friend of a lone breakaway, and so it was on this occasion. No-one wanted to chase, because they’d have to do the work into the wind, so Chips stayed out in front as the finish line approached.

As he passed under the 1 km To Go banner and started to show signs of fatigue, there was finally an attack in the peloton, and the gap narrowed. Fortune favours the brave, and Chips was about to be favoured on this occasion – there was a 500 metre long uphill just before the finish line.

Now, hills are not really Chips’ strength, but nor were they the strength of those pursuing him, particularly Reefton Humblewood, whose heart shrinks to the size of a pea when the gradient turns up. The hill was enough to prevent any of the chasers from reaching him, and Chips earned a courageous and memorable victory.

The VC demonstrated his power, by blowing away the best of the rest in the sprint for second place. The VC is certainly a rider to be feared when he’s at his best. Anyhow, I enjoyed reliving the exploits of Chips and the VC as I ran the same course today.

Tomorrow I run through the Coonawarra wine region. I’m looking forward to that.