Originally written October 2023
I promised Graeme that Sydney would be my last race for the year.
But then I saw this one.
Turtle and The Lamb 19K Trail Race.
Who could resist a race with a name like that?
It sounded so cute and harmless. I mean, turtles and lambs have cute little heads, right? 
Apparently, that is not a reliable way to assess the difficulty of a trail race. 
Three weeks after running a full marathon, I found myself doing another 19 kilometres — this time heading towards Turtle and Lambs Head.
Lesson learned:
Three weeks is probably a little too soon for another race after a marathon. I eventually became very friendly with the sweepers, partly because they were lovely people and partly because I didn’t want them getting cranky with me for holding them up. At least I made new friends.
I also learned that I should probably keep my promises to Graeme.
As punishment — or perhaps marital negotiation — I am now sitting at the tennis centre watching tennis and being exceptionally nice to him. 
And finally:
There is no such thing as a cute and harmless race.
They all require effort.
Some of them just have better marketing.
Stories Along the Way 