My Favourite Run

Yesterday I went for two different runs that were both fantastic experiences. All of it was free, hardly seems fair but I’ll take it.

Yesterday I met Gully and Seb at 4.45am in Burwood outside Seb’s house. Every time we meet at these ridiculous hours we speak in hushed tones trying not to wake anyone in the house we are to depart from. Then almost without fail the most noise we will make is laughter. Pretty sure the chuckles stem from the same place each time. Three grown men sneaking about in the dark to go for a run is slightly funny in itself but really it’s about excitement. We know what lays ahead and giggle like school kids in anticipation.

So off we go to the Dandenongs to meet Tobes and the Moon Man for a 5.30 start at One Tree Hill, the top of the 1000 steps. It was cold up there which was a shock to the system but it didn’t take long at all warm up and feel comfortable. I was wearing my head torch which is pretty much overkill even in the dead of night, it’s that strong. I only needed the artificial for about half an hour before the big fireball in the sky started to push some natural glow on our surrounds.

By this time we were heading through Sherbrook Forest and it was simply magic. It all just looked perfect, almost felt like nobody had ever been there before and it was all just for us. We flew downhill for about 2kms before heading up some challenging steeps. Having these other runners around me, or more to the point, in front of me on these ascents was a real motivator and great for my own running. All of these guys are part mountain goat and really hammer up and down the hills.

We got to a point where we had a choice of two paths to head back to the cars. One of them was shorter and easier and we would get back with plenty of time. The other path was a bit longer with nastier steeps. We were under a bit of time pressure so Toby asked Seb if his legs still had some run left in them so we could quicken it up. My jaw dropped, closely followed by laughter. If the mountain goats were going to quicken then I was in for some pain. The start of the path home was downhill so I thought make hay while the sun shines. Ran alongside Tobes & Gully and we did a km in 3.43. By far it was my fastest km on the trails that I can remember.

We were heading up Heartbreak Hill at the end just as the trails were starting to get busy with groups training for Oxfam Trailwalker. It wasn’t even 7.30 on a Sunday morning and we had stolen 19km in them beautiful hills. That session has been elevated to my favourite training run. The scenery was awesome and running with faster blokes was tough but has me glowing a day n a half later.

 

Later on the same day my 6 year old Raf was keen to go for a run. We haven’t been running together for over a year. He used to love coming out with me but lost a bit of interest after a while. No worries, if he wasn’t asking, I wasn’t pushing.

He’s going into grade 1 this year and interestingly, he mentioned recently that he was going to be second tallest in his class and would be third or fourth fastest. I’m not sure that it’s a good or bad thing that he knows where he sits in these measured areas. It probably doesn’t matter at all. He didn’t seem phased. However I did mention that with the running side of things you could get faster if you trained. The height thing I’ve already done as much as I can to help with that.

So again his interest in running has surfaced. A few days ago Raf got out some cones and set them up in the backyard. He made a little sign and we did a few races. Yesterday he wanted to do 20kms. I suggested we start at 1km and see how we go. We kicked off a real slow shuffle. He had learnt that sprinting in the cone races had him “out of power” too quickly. The shuffle continued for about 500m. Raf said he wanted to stop. I was uneasy at this point, I didn’t want to be a tennis dad but I suggested we try to keep going and run all the way to his school. That gave him a goal and something to focus on. He saw the school fence approaching, I said let’s keep going to the other end of the school, that would be a kilometre. We did, he stopped, out of power but really happy with his 1km, all running.

We walked back home and on the way he again mentioned where he ranked in his grade 1 class as a runner. But then he started talking about what sort of runner he might be when he’s in grade six. He was talking about what might happen if he keeps training. He was talking and wondering about his future. Without using the words exactly, he was showing an understanding that his future was in his own hands.

I thought I’d been on my favourite run that morning. I had, but it had been overtaken within a matter of hours. The kilometre that Raf and I ran together was so, so good. He pushed himself and worked really hard. The kilometre we walked home together was even better. I was really proud of what he had to say but it wouldn’t have mattered what the content of the conversation was. What mattered most was giving him the *time and space to speak. I loved it.

People often mention struggles with motivation in getting started. This aint gonna work for everyone but I suggest run one km with your kid(s). Then walk and let them speak.

I had to enforce a rest day for Raf today. There’s no rush.

 

* Time and Space is a term borrowed from my brother Bill. Check out his blog, he does good stuff. http://bill-j-from-time-space.blogspot.com.au/