Route: Hyde Park to Bondi Beach
Distance: 14km of winding uphill/downhill road race
Cost: $220 for four
Value: PRICELESS
Will I take the 3 boys again? Absolutely!
It’s 4.50am. I beat the alarm clock. It will go off at 5am. I take a moment to orient myself. What time were we meant to leave the house? 6.15am. I wake up Ariel just as the alarm clock goes off. I drag myself to the shower. Then I wake up the two boys. Migo is immediately alert, he is my meerkat like that. We have been telling him about City2surf and showing him YouTube videos for days now. So he is ready. Gabo on the other hand gives me a cold shoulder. He does not want to come but I’ve given him no choice!
Breakfast is sourdough bread toast topped with blueberry jam {no added sugar}, cottage cheese and avocado slices for me, Ariel and Migo. Nuttela toast for Gab. Oatmeal with blueberries for Ariel again {he likes to eat brekie in two ways}. We all have A’s perfectly boiled 4 minute eggs for a protein punch. Oh and baked beans too!
I prepared all our running clothes and gear, including layers of old clothing to be discarded later in the race, the night before. Despite all these, I still left my iPhone arm band. Rats. It’s winter down under, the mornings are cold. So I brought an old small fleecy blanket to cover my legs in the train ride. The boys are wearing old fleecy PJs over their running clothes.
The drive to Pennant Hills Station is uneventful. The 7.02am train is full of excited City2Surfers. I spy three couples in their 40s. I wonder where their kids are. I wish I did not drag Gabo along, his petulance is a dark cloud hovering over us threatening to dampen our good spirits. But this thought flash for only a second. I remind myself that it is not right not to be together. For today’s event anyway.
At 8.30am, the gunshot for BLUE goes off. But the going is so slow. We are packed like sardines in a tin can called College Street. It takes us another 20 minutes to reach the official start line where our individual start times are taken. Boy, the bedlam and the excitement are palpable. I totally love the thumping and pumping energy of these nameless like-minded people. The ones who wake up early and drag themselves out the cocoon called ordinary lives to move and have fun in the sun! Some of these people are raising money for their favourite charities.
The crowd is now moving in different directions. You can see the inexperienced dash off with no thought for pacing. My team of four walk on the side and let the running crowd through. We begin to jog at 250 meters. On and on we go, under a tunnel where only cars pass through normally, up up hills and down down hills. We stop when we need to, or when Migo indicates we stop. He did not mind the crowd so much, not even the noise. But this euphoric thought of mine is short lived!
At the 4km mark (we normally run this distance around our neighbourhood), Migo starts his litany of pain.
Oh no my tummy {he meant stitches}, oh no my back, oh no my legs…I hurt myself!
We slow down to a walk. I keep praying that Migo do not develop any blisters nor any cramping or anything that will stop us from reaching the finish line. Oh god, how I prayed. I will him to keep going! {As i write this, I realised that I forgot to make him wear an ID in case we lose him in the crowd! Gasp. Major major oversight!}
At 5km, we pause for a toilet break at a park reserve. Note to anyone who cares to run C2S, avoid the portaloo queue by using the loos on roadside parks. I was lucky I found one just as soon as I felt I needed to go. No queue at all and clean restrooms!
At the 6km mark, we are jogging again. This is when Migo starts to get agitated. The residents along the 14km route provide much needed entertainment. They hang out outside their houses and shout encouragement. They take out their loudspeakers and play loud party music to our delight. “Y.M.C.A“, one loudspeaker blasted. We all made the Y sign. A Kiss tribute band performed atop a hotel pub. Community performers made a show for us runners~ a jazz quartet, several school bands, a Hare Krishna group etc. This is why I love C2S. It has a festival atmosphere. It’s not too serious and drab. Its a funrun, literally! However, Migo is getting worked up with all the noise the crowd started to make. He started yelling to people in front of him.
Get out of the way. Go go go. Excuse me. Keep going keep going. Get out of my way!
Gabby is telling Migo to be quiet. This gets Migo all the more riled up. I ask Gab to change lanes and run behind us. Just move away from Kuya please! We run in pairs. I am with Migo, Ariel is with Gab.
Migo pushes a woman. I am aghast! I give the lady a pleading look, hoping that she understands my signed apology. I try to calm Migo down. We stop again. He catches his breath and walks with deliberate movements to emphasize his exhaustion. This is his way of complaining. He is telling us in his own way, “Are we there yet? Why is this run taking so long? I am hungry. I am thirsty. My knees are in pain!”
Migo shifts to verbally stating his observations. He read street signs, commented on seeing a church, and various runners in costumes. Oh good, good. Thank god for Spiderman, the blue Smurfs, the military folks with their heavy packs, the fairies, Superman, Flash….I am grateful for these wonderful people wearing costumes. Keep calm my darling.
They come from everywhere. All shapes. All sizes. All ages. All colours. All {dis}abilities. All different reasons for running. 85,000 participants. Over $4 Million dollars raised for various charities. Everybody having sun in the FunRun!
There is also entertainment amongst the walkers/runners. I spy a mother and daughter tandem. The little girl is probably only 3 years old. Fit-mum-in-compression-leggings is urging little daughter to keep going. Oh how cute! I see a grandpa with his grandchild, Hannah, strapped safely in a baby back carrier. How did I know Hannah’s name? Because we see them at the finish line, Grandpa was telling Hannah over and over again, “We made it Hannah, we did it!” I see a couple of blind joggers with their running guide carers. WOW. A lot of determined folks in wheelchairs. I even see a very old man, who looks like he is 90 years old. Straight as a tree, lean and fit, he kept a slow running pace. But run he did! Dads and their small kids. A group of mums who look like fitness nuts with their little children. Pushing encouragement. “You are doing well mate. I am so proud of you. Not too far away now.” I hear these words all throughout! My heart swell with pride and good feelings…
At the 7km mark, I can feel an annoying pain in my left knee. I ignore it. We have water and Gatorade every few kilometers. I rationed Migo’s water intake. Keeping him hydrated but not too much that we had to take a pee break again. Oops, my right calf is signalling discomfort. Ignore!
It does not matter what time you finish. The main thing is you finish what you started. Go on. Finish something, today!
10 km. Wow. 4km more to go. Ariel and Gab are both fine. No complaints. Migo? He is still complaining of tummy and back pains which I ignore. I listen to my guts, I did care for Migo for 14 years, so I probably know if his complaints are real or simply venting. I look for real signs of distress. I decide that he has not reached the end of his tether. Yet. Ariel however is perennially concerned. He wants to stop. I tell him not to run beside Migo. I will take care of Migo. I will carry him through if need be.
And this is how we finished the race. 14 kilometers. 2 hours and 32 minutes. Quite a long time. But we finished. WE FINISHED. The boys conquered Heartbreak Hill! Mum and Dad are in high spirits; already planning a 10km race in October. The boys? Let’s just say they were exceedingly glad it is over!
The End. Finally.
Note to new readers: Migo, 14 years old, has autism (standing rightmost).
Enjoy City2Surf.
Chiqui Pineda-Azimi says
This makes me want to try running a marathon! Thanks for sharing the experience, Chawing.
Cha says
ChiquiKat. I’m trying a half marathon first..May 2014. Then marathon hopefully. Dream big di ba? Sabay tayo!