My Mt. Eliza fun run (Myeloma) 10km
March 25th2018
The MY Mount Eliza festival is the brainchild of Mt Eliza local
Geoff Nyssen who, in 2014 at the age of 40, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a terminal blood cancer. With this devastating circumstance, Geoff has found a way forward – trumping adversity with empowerment and inspiring and rallying others along the way to live well. The MY Mount Eliza Festival will boast the values that Geoff and the MY Mount Eliza committee believe form the foundation for an engaged and resilient community.
Geoff Nyssen who, in 2014 at the age of 40, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a terminal blood cancer. With this devastating circumstance, Geoff has found a way forward – trumping adversity with empowerment and inspiring and rallying others along the way to live well. The MY Mount Eliza Festival will boast the values that Geoff and the MY Mount Eliza committee believe form the foundation for an engaged and resilient community.
Come down to the Mount Eliza Regional Park, on Two Bays Road, to be part of Mt Eliza’s only trail run event. Challenge your fitness on a 5km or 10km course and engage with community while fundraising for a worthwhile cause.
The MY Mount Eliza trail run offers two distances in and around the picturesque Mount Eliza Regional Park and Moorooduc Quarry setting, located on the Mornington Peninsula. The event will utilise professional “live” timing and the course will be marked out with support/aid stations along the way. BIB collections/sign in and on the day registrations open from 7.30am although only limited BIBs will be available on the day.
Starting at Mount Eliza Regional Park, the 10km trail run travels the same line as the 5km course with two main departures, namely the quarry and Wooralla Drive hills. The trail run will leave from the fringe of the festival space within the Mount Eliza Regional Park and head along a myriad of trails where you reach the first departure, which incorporates a steady climb to the top of the Moorooduc Quarry. It is here that you can soak up the views for a minute and descend down the last of the 470 steps to the marshalling point for a well-deserved drink. You then cross Balcombe Creek, and pass adjacent to the lake where you will be cheered on by the Festival spectators. You will proceed along the railway trail towards Wooralla Drive where you encounter the second departure as the trail leads up a short hill on Wooralla Drive which is sure to get your legs working and heart beating. As you head up the hill, you will run into the adjacent parkland, taking in some beautiful bushland views. You will meander back to the bottom of Wooralla Drive, then heading back along the railway trail leading you to the finish line in the heart of the festival space within Mount Eliza Regional Park.
Pre-race –
My Mt. Eliza run is an event that we participate in because the founder (Geoff Nyssen) is a dad from our school. It’s a local run for us, and it was my eldest son’s (Lucas) first 10km in 2017 (he was 10 years old). Lucas has run two 10km events now (Mt. Eliza and Traralgon) but I haven’t blogged about them. I thought I’d write a little something this time. There’s not much of a pre-race story. I’m always happy to run with Lucas and there’s no pressure. Last year, he ran 1:06 (not bad for a hilly course). This year the course was different (probably more hills) but Lucas hadn’t trained as much. Being a coach, I wrote him a program (of course) but he wasn’t as motivated as last year.
Race day –
We arrived early and chatted to the other school families we knew. The start hub was a large grassed area at the bottom of the Moorooduc Quarry. There were activities for the kids like Sumo suits, an obstacle course and more. They ran around with their friends until the event was due to start. My hubby and youngest were running the 5km. Lucas and I were taking on the 10km. We started slightly back from the front of the pack, which allowed us to relax.
The 10km course begins along the same track as the 5km distance until it reaches the quarry. Then it climbs up the big uneven stairs to the lookout point. Lucas and I ran steadily until we reached the steps, and walked to the top. There was some confusion which way to go. We took our time and followed the crowd to the right, along the track until we reached the man-made steps. We ran down (slowly because there was congestion). The path continued along a series of twists and turns for a few kilometres. I encouraged Lucas to pace carefully and run slowly. We reached Wooralla Drive and walked uphill. This is a steep climb and we were happy to walk. There was a right turn onto bushland that was uneven and challenging. Lucas was getting tired and his heels were hurting. We made it back onto the footpath and ran down to the railway track. There were only a few kilometres to go, and I knew he could make it. We continued across the grass, down a ditch and around the last corner. As soon as Lucas could see the finish line, he picked up his pace and finished strong. He was about 1min slower than last year! I was really proud of him!
Race feedback and will there be a next time –
Lucas and I enjoyed the run, local community and vibe. Unfortunately there was course tampering so a large group of runners went the wrong way. Plus, the timing chips malfunctioned! Therefore no winners were awarded.
For us, we will be back next year to support the cause and our school friends.
Wings for Life World Run (Melbourne)
Sunday 6thMay 2018
Wings for Life is an international not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation. Our mission is to find a cure for spinal cord injury. We fund world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe aimed at healing the injured spinal cord.100% of your entry fee goes to life-changing research projects aimed at healing the injured spinal cord. All administrative costs of the event and foundation are covered by Red Bull.
Melbourne Start Time is 9.00pm!
The Event Hub will be located at Patterson ReserveAuburn Road, Hawthorn East. The Event Hub will feature race check-in, bib and event kit collection, food & beverage stalls, bag drop, first aid, music and entertainment.
Buses On Course
We’ll have more buses out there on the road ready to pick you up when you’ve been caught by the Catcher Car. The buses this year will start out on the course. This means they’ll be ready at various points throughout the Monash Freeway to pick up passengers. You must either stop where you finish your run or move forward along the run course route until collected.
Aid Stations
Stations will be located on runners’ right-hand side, at approximately every 5KM along the course.
Pre-race -
This is the fourth year I’ve participated in Wings for Life World Run (Melbourne). The last three years, I’ve been an ambassador and this year, Brad became an ambassador too. I’m not going to say much about race day this year because I’ve written blog posts before. The difference this time was my family joined in, including my mum, brother and sister-in-law. I walked with my mum (instead of running). We started a team (360 Running) and had 20 members, many of them from Fernwood Mornington Run Club (my work).
Race day -
Brad and I attended the ambassador lunch in the city and mingled with some important people. I caught up with Irwin (from last year), Josh Wood and a few other familiar faces. We checked into our accommodation at The Travelodge and took advantage of precious childfree time. We relaxed! After a few hours, we went for a stroll and grabbed an early dinner from the food court downstairs. About 6pm, we drove to the event hub in Hawthorn. The temperature was cool but ok. There was no sign of rain (unlike previous years).
I wore a singlet, long-sleeve top, Wings for Life top and a jacket. And long tights. We had ambassador photos around 7pm and I met the Fernwood girls about 7:30pm. My mum, brother, S-I-L and I made our way to the start line as instructed. We walked from the reserve, down the ramp, onto the Monash Freeway. We turned our headlamps on and huddled in the crowd. My mum was nervous (she’s 74 years old, had a knee replacement and needs another one). This was way outside her comfort zone.
The race started and little yellow minions began running in front of us. I reassured mum that it was ok to walk at her own pace. She was on a mission! Despite pain, mum continued walking. Just before 3km, we could see the Catcher Car in the distance. Like the crazy runner that I am, I decided to sprint for a few hundred metres until the car caught me just after 3km. Nothing like a sprint finish! I walked back to mum and checked in. After a short wait, the first bus arrived and we joined a dozen other people who were already aboard. Mum, my brother and my S-I-L had successfully completed their first Wings for Life World Run (Melbourne). Well done!
Post race, feedback and next time -
It was really good to arrive at the event hub at a reasonable hour and see other runners come in. I waited for Brad and the Fernwood crew to return. Everyone ran strong, conditions were perfect and logistically everything was great. It was the best year so far! And of course, I’ll be back!
THIS WAS THE WINGS FOR LIFE WORLD RUN 2018
Thank you all for this incredible day. More than 100,000 people came together across the planet at Event Runs, App Runs or running individually with the App, and the vibe was unforgettable! Now, every cent of the funds raised is helping researchers get closer to a cure for spinal cord injury. We can hardly wait for next year!
For more information about the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation, follow this link; http://www.wingsforlife.com/en/
No comments:
Post a Comment