Kevin Tiller

No sooner had I started than I stopped again.

A week last Saturday I was leading the Billies Bushies run in my hometown of  Bundeena. (I was The Ranger so I get to set the course and am meant to lead it, as in lead from the front). I found some new-ish tracks, and followed Billy’s instructions for where he wanted me to take the runners. But very close to the end, when I must have been tired and too worried about keeping up the speed and not looking where I was going too closely (a good sign of tiredness) I went over on my ankle. It was pretty bad but it was less than a km from the finish so jogged limped it back in.

There is a map here:

I got a write-up in the newsletter:

JoggerKev was guest ranger and promptly blew his pack apart. Hicky was dropped well before Jibbon Beach and by the time Kevin reached the end of the sand track, he had only four other runners still with him. The remaining runners gathered like a flock of headless chickens on the tar road and then, after someone glimpsed a white shirt away in the scrub, headed after them. As usual, Shirts lost the track and some runners followed him. You would think by now that every Bushie would know to never follow Shirts anywhere. Eventually, Kevin and his four mates were seen again in the distance and after much chasing, the pack regrouped – just in time for Kevin to duck back into the scrub again. However, this is where karma prevailed. When Kevin finally said ‘GO!’ he had nothing left in the tank. He was last in and as he was running along the final straight to the cars, he was practically running on the spot, covering more distance vertically than he was horizontally.

my response:

I think you were a bit harsh on me. I checked with someone reliable – Brian P – and he said the pace was ok. I totally ignored cracks as Billy said not to trust him at all – he wanted an even faster pace AND was telling jokes about you. As proof, I got dropped by the group going up the Sandy Track and this included even Fat Phil going past me ! It was only when I pulled a stroke of pure brilliance and did a circuit which included a bush bash and a dry creek crossing did I get to re-lead the pack, only to then get dropped again heading to the road. I added a couple of great bush sections and swamp – a shame you missed them – but with 100m to the “go” I tripped and twisted my ankle, which is why I went so slow when you saw me from the comfy seats at the cafe.

Even now, a week and a half later, my foot is still bruised even by the toes, so have not been running. But been walking the dog on the beach most mornings and done some leisurely strolls.

I did a great walk at Bonnie Vale the day afterwards, when I could only go very slow. I was paddling in the (cold) water and it started tipping down, by the time I got home I was like a drowned dog.

Unfortunately it meant I missed going to SMC, shame as I wanted to run AND I had about 80 pairs of shoes to drop off, and more coming I think.