Ops Sunbird #8: For The Win, Sunbird Road

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Sunbird Photos #8 by FatBird AC
Facebook Photos #8 by Sunbird Jacqueline

The rain in the middle of the night chased away the slight haze that was accumulating in the evening. The early birds at The Nest had to roost for a bit longer as the rain continued unabated. By the time the main flock arrived, the rain had trickled down to 'run-able' levels, and the large turnout in spite of the rain was the only surprise of the morning....it could be that all have been preparing to put in their longest training LSD to date, and have been preparing for the past week in anticipation...so a little bit of rain will not a dampener in our spirits be.

Then there was the glee in collecting the Sunbird training top which the trainees have worked hard to attain, with a few parading their new 'feathers' and some even wore it for a dry-run..hehe. Group photo-taking was in parts as there weren't sufficient distance to capture the complete group. With already a few 'Pace' sessions in the bag, we started off as a group and had the various pace teams with their trainees fall into place within 1km. Aside from the run-walk strategies to be practised, there were minimal start-stop sessions and marshaling on the ground as all were adamant to run through their respective paces for as much as we could.

The last-minute route-change due to the weather added an interesting dimension to the session, with the various pace groups passing one another several times, cheering and encouraging one another. With the many pairs of eyes, there were a lot more motivation to keep running and focusing on achieving the training objectives. The weather was cool and breezy for the initial 2 hours of the run, which helped us glide through the first 15-22km on target pace. It was only when the sun came up did it put on a slight challenge to those 'warmed-up' wings. The Half-Marathoners were definitely enjoying themselves while the Happy Group was in fine form and cheery mood this morning. As we watched the various Sunbird pace groups running in formation, the notion of 'Birds Of A Feather Flock & Pace Together' seemed so apt a scene painted across The ECP.

The entire flock completed the run within flight limits of 4hrs, registering good improvements in pace and distance conditioning. Although the aches and muscle-tightness were apparent (as always in such long distance runs), most of the Sunbirds have completed their longest runs to date, and the endorphin levels were way high in a number of the birds. As we move into REDCON 2, it is most important to RICE from the long run and keep the engines well-oiled and systems maintained. Any tightness and defective parts would have to be treated and reconditioned. As we prepare ourselves for the longest run in 7 days, all Sunbirds are advised to rest, hydrate and fuel-up well.

Sunbird Road, take us home,
To the place, we always train,
Eastern Flats, Mountains West.
For The Win, Sunbird Road!

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