Wednesday 14 September 2011

RUN OR SUPPORT - THAT IS THE QUESTION!!

We have just spent a wonderful weekend on the Sunshine Coast;  Mooloolaba, Noosa, Beerburrum.  We were there to run the Glasshouse 50km Trail Race, an annual event that also includes a 12km, 30km, 100km and 100mile (161km).  Jaci and I had decided to run the 50 because we thought that the 100's might be a bit too tough at this stage of our training and experience, while the 12 and 30 were a tad too short.  Well, as they say in the classics, 'The best laid plans of mice and men', or something like that, but anyway I developed bilateral inguinal hernias (double hernias in the lower abdominal region), and than managed to develop Piriformis Syndrome (a pain in the bum.......literally); in other words - I'm out of it!!!  I initially thought that I could drop back to the 30km and perhaps walk it, but after a 20km training run around our hills and trails, and doubling over with pain towards the end, I figured that I probably needed to withdraw my entry.  Bugger!!!!  Anyway, that's not what this blog is all about; this blog is about what you do when you can't run an event......you support your Partner, or anybody else that is able to run and may need support.  Ahhhh, piece of cake, you say; anybody can do that, just hand em a drink and a GU and send em on their way.....WRONG!!!


As the support person for your runner, you are not only the water and food carrier, you become the cheerleader, counsellor, motivator, nurse and driving force when things get tough.  You've also got to know when to back off and not say anything, when to fill the bladder, when to only put a litre in and when to leave it alone; and most important, DON'T ASK STUPID QUESTIONS OR TRY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION......it's all about your runner - not you!!.  You've got to be prepared for a change in nutritional plans and be able to produce a variety and combination of foods at a moments notice.....or less!  You'd better be able to produce things like vegemite sangers, fruit buns, chewy protein bars (not the nutty kind), water and electolyte mixed to the minutestly correct ratio and be able to perform intricate micro-surgery on a variety of chafes, blisters, cuts and bites (spider, sandfly, mosquito or snake) and be able to quell feelings of failure, fatigue, hallucinations and surrender.


You're probably thinking at this stage that you will never NOT be running, and I hope that is the case for you.  Personally, I am glad that this opportunity came up for me to be support crew for Jaci, just as I am glad that I was able to spend time with others who are runners (and Nullarbour Conquerors [Andy] and Ironman Extrordinaires [Scott]), and for various reasons had to support their respective wives/training partners.  It has now put my own running into an entirely different perspective and made me appreciate those who attempt to support us and who aren't runners.  Unfortunately, they have no idea what we go through, as much as they try.


It gave me a feeling of satisfaction to see 'My Runner' trotting off down the trail, all filled up with yummy vegemite sandwich and electolytic fuel; then to see her cross the finish line with a big smile having spent just over 6 hours running around the Glasshouse Mountain Trails.  The satisfaction is doubled because I know that even though I didn't run that particular event, I played an important part in the whole process and I will be running again, perhaps hoping that my support is as good as I was.    

2 comments:

  1. ha ha i had a good laught at this .. sounds like you had an interesting adventure.. im yet to be a support person.. but i cant wait to be that for my running buddy who has been my cheer squad for the last three races while they have been out with injury.. your article certainly gives me something to think about
    Naomi

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  2. Another pearl of wisdom from the boxing ring 'u can have the best fight plan. training, coach n want to tear the other guys head off. But it means nothing after u get punched in the face. Always a pleasure to care for our loved ones competing. Rusty.

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