Lisa’s Journey, Week 18: I tripped, I fell. But I got back up!!

The week came and went with speed, as they seem to nowadays! I was excited to be heading up to do the Marina 2 Marina in Picton on Saturday. After all these years of wanting to do it, I’d finally knuckled down with exercise and was able too! The sun shone and the event didn’t disappoint. It was so well organised and Picton’s foreshore is a stunning wee setting. So top job to the organisers for an event well run.

Once we got started I found a lady who I tucked in behind.  She was wearing an orange singlet and black tights, which is completely and utterly non important, but when you’re trying not to focus on what you’re actually doing and follow a person for six odd kilometres you get to know their every foot placement and the back of them pretty well. The track is up and down, in and out of bush and if you like me (I’m sad to say) have never done it before, take the time to go and walk, run or bike it if you’re in Picton.  It’s a neat wee track!  Once out at Waikawa Marina and we turned around and headed back. On returning I tried to go to the loo, only to to get to the door and see a notice saying “Swipe Card Access Only”. I didn’t have a freaking swipe card did I!

I caught back up to orange singlet/black tights and at the next toilet block she veered off, so in we went and out we came in unison.  I was feeling a little tired and my legs felt heavy, so I had the wee chat with myself.  It wasn’t that much further to go.

As we headed back into the bush I was granted a free trip. Not to Fiji or Australia even, but a hard fast plummet onto the gravel track, with no gracefulness at all. I do not fall gently to the ground like a feather!

It took me by such surprise, orange singlet/black tights turned back and another lady behind me helped me up. I said I was fine and waved them off so I could weep in silence and gather my thoughts. I was relieved to feel it was all surface damage, well except for my pride.  That was deep!  My mental game hurt too.  It was so unexpected as I’d been very careful the whole way over, watching where I put my feet, I was just super pissed off it had happened and I wanted to stop. Orange singlet/black tights was now nowhere to be seen. My hands stung like a ‘B’ and my leg hurt.  I checked to see what was going on only to discover my trusty morfa tights now had gravel holes in them and my knee was bleeding because my pants were sticking to my leg. More curse words!

I walked and ran for a bit, trying to get over myself. Then a gorgeous little lady came up behind me and in the coolest Irish accent offered me a barley sugar and said I was doing well and to keep going because she’d been following me the whole time. So I walked for a bit while I fought with the lolly wrapper and then followed her. Whoops –  even down a hill the wrong way.  Back up it and onto the right track. I pulled myself together and spotted a lady who’d been walk/running it. White tank/grey tights with headphones.

She kept a good distance ahead and I walked when she did, but if I was going to redeem myself, I needed to catch her. So when she walked, I kept running. I caught up to her and as we turned the corner back into the Marina car park, I commented probably more so to myself as I was aware of her headphones that “we’re nearly there”.   She took them of and we chatted for the last few hundred metres, she had done it last year in the rain, so was also pleased it was fine. She had just started back running after having had twins six months earlier. Kudos to her! It’s nice to hear peoples stories and why and where they’re at.

So to wrap up this rambling. Yes I fell over.  Yes, I was super pissed off!  Yes it took me longer than I’d hoped, but I guess it’s all about ‘learning from the experience’ – right?

I learned that I will lift my feet no matter how tired I feel. That shit happens, and it’s how you deal with it that counts.  Next year I’ll just have to return and better my finish time! (Not before finding and chopping out that root, because I know where you are!!).  Because I was so disappointed at my clumsiness, I just keep telling myself, I’ve been at this for a mere  18weeks. I took a wee trip, got some gravel rash and bruises etc.  Just imagine the athletes that have trained for years for major events that have things happen to them. Putting things in perspective!

Turned out that orange singlet/black tights was sitting behind us afterwards, and she asked if I was okay. She said I’d helped her keep going as she had been ‘that’ person in front, and could hear me behind her. LOL, I did apologise for the heavy breathing, probably sounded like some sort of out of breath creep following her. But hey, it kept her going too, so I was only too pleased to have helped out!

So all in all, it was a lovely day in Picton with my supporters (kids have to come, and Nanny wanted too), a delicious open steak sandwich at the Seabreeze restaurant for a late lunch and then lazing in the sun watching the kids get soaked at the playground/water area.

– Lisa Harris

Now that Lisa has completed the 10km Kaikoura Whale Run, she has agreed to continue writing to continue to inspire other people out there to get started and make a positive change. Check in next Tuesday for her next article.

Read Lisa’s article from last week here:

Lisa’s Journey, Week 17: So, what’s next?

And all her previous articles are stored here:

https://www.coachray.nz/category/client-stories/lisas-journey/