Finishing High
In the week before my surgery in June this year, I felt I needed to have something to aim for, beyond the months of treatment and physical impact ahead. It'd be a goal to keep me focused on progressing through my treatment.
So the day before my surgery I contacted Jason Cameron, race director of my favourite mountain run, The Goat, and asked him to confirm me as an early entry. (The race is run every December, a 21k alpine adventure on Mt Tongariro, from Whakapapa to Turoa across spectacular terrain). Jason called me back that night at hospital, to confirm my entry and wish me well for the treatment. I told him I'd see him at the start-line in December. And went off to see the anaesthetist.
I didn't tell a lot of people about my plans; I didn't really want to scare them.
Secret training started in July at Hutt Hospital, first with slow walking laps around the plastics ward in Alaskan slippers. Then with physiotherapist Laura taking me out to the stairwell to walk up and down the stairs, in preparation for my own stair training at home.
Over the next few months training took a back seat to radiation, chemo, various hospital stays and an unscheduled fasting period over September and October. But with the ultimate alpine adventure in mind, working on my eating & drinking skills had a real purpose. My stomach tube (aka Jake the Peg) had to stay in, so I did my training runs with it taped up under my t-shirt.
On Saturday 5 December I made it to the start line. I tried to keep a cool head for the start of the race but the rush from being there was too much - I took off like the 21k was a 100m sprint. Good sense kicked in eventually, and I ran a slow & steady pace for the next few hours.
It wasn't an easy run. But that's what made it so rewarding. I finished on a high.
p.s.
Special thanks to Liz & Angela from Newtown Physio for helping get my knee in order, to Dan, Chris & Ross for their support on race weekend and to Jason Cameron for my early-bird entry. And to the many people this year who, without knowing it, got me to the start-line.
