Canberra Marathon

My second marathon. Almost a 9 minute improvement on my first in terms of time and an absolutely fantastic day.

We picked up my parents-in-law Gary and Reby at the airport on Saturday morning at 9am and drove straight down to Canberra. Poor guys, after a long flight they had to put up with another 3 hours in the car and then checking into the luxurious 2 star Formule 1 hotel. But they were very good humoured about it all and we had a lovely lunch and spent a couple of hours wandering around Questacon before they crashed out.

Andrew and Kathryn arrived with Kathryn's son Charlie about 6.30pm and while Gary and Reby crashed out, Sarah and I went with the other three for a carbo load at Belluchis in Dickson and a last minute analysis of tomorrow's race.

Kathryn and Andrew had done a lot of training together and posted similar times at recent races, although Kathryn has a bit more of a long distance running pedigree. It was the first marathon for both, but I know Kathryn had done almost 90km of a trailwalker a few years ago. With PB times of around 40mins for the 10km, both guys had been initially talking about 3:30, but then fired up and planned to stick with the 3.15 pacer and try to make it in on that time.

My plan was to do 3:10, I felt like I'd trained for that time and would be able to do it. I had flashes of trying for 3 hours, as well as beeing geed up by Sarah and Andrew to go for it, but on sober reflection I just didn't think my training was quite there. I'd been spreading myself around riding and swimming while getting set for Huskisson in late Feb as the major goal for this summer and Canberra was always a secondary goal - to be honest I just had it there as something to aim for after Husky and I was a doubtful starter right up until the last day to pay for entries, where I was still dithering about what to do before finally sucking it up and throwing the envelope in the post! I just didn't feel like I'd properly concentrated on running.

But with 6 weeks to go I did get into it, I never managed more than 3 or 4 runs per week and had an entire 7 days without running at all due to illness, so I would have never run more than about 70km total on my biggest week. But getting closer to the race I did feel prepared and happy with my training. Running with the HuRTS boys every Tuesday and Thursday for the previous couple of months had been absolutely fantastic and I'd managed a decent long run every week so I felt like those 3 sessions each week and totally set me up.

Nevertheless, while 3:10 felt achievable, i just didn't think I had the kms in my legs to sustain a pace to see me through to 3hours and I didn't want to blow up, so I thought "I'll stick with the 3:10 plan and see how I feel on the day"

SUNDAY
Woke up having to pee at 4am so I downed a banana and PB sandwich and half a bottle of water while I was up then crashed out until 5.30 when I joined the others in the corridor. Andrew, Kathryn, Charlie, Gary and I all jumped in the car and drove to the start, arriving just as it started raining and was pretty chilly in the outside world.

I had a wander and ran into Hamburglar and Sub-50 for a quick chat. Then said goodbye to Charlie and Gary, threw off the trakkies and jumper and pushed up to where I thought I should seed myself at the start line. It turned out to be the perfect place as I was right next to Horrie and Professor, both of whom were talking of going 3:10 as well! We were in the right place when the hooter sounded at 7am, no crowd to push through and not too many people passing us as we started cruising along at almost exactly 4:30 min/km pace. The pace felt perfect, very easy but not slow, it was weird because it felt just how fast my body wanted to go. We paced very well and for the first 5km were about 10 seconds ahead of target every km with the km markers seemingly flying past as we went round the capital circle and past parliament house.

At about 5km Horrie seemed to drop back a little bit andwe thought we was close behind but couldn't quite see him. Professor and I started chatting and keeping the exact right pace cranking as we went over the bridge and out along the highway as the soft drizzle started to get harder and harder. Hey at least it was cool! Prof told me about his first every marathon, Canberra in 2005 when it was 28 degrees and they called that stretch the "Highway to Hell". It was so chilly in fact that I could barely make my hands work to rip open a gel at 15km (1:07)

We hit the turnaround at 18km I think and were really surprised to see the 3.15 pacer only about 50m behind us. At that time Prof and I and the guys around us were all shooting for a 3.10 finish and holding almost exactly to 4:30 kms, the perfect pace to get us there. So they were already 5 minutes ahead of schedule just before halfway. I thought that can't be good for some people.

Sure enough Andrew and Kathryn had tried to stick with the 3.15 pacer from the start, but he'd been going a bit quick so after a while Kathryn let him go. Andrew was feeling really good so stuck with him, but in hindsight I think that may have been his undoing as it meant he ran through the first half in 4:30min/km pace, which was just that bit too fast.

After the turnaround Prof and I powered up the only real incline of the course and cruised over the halfway point in 1:34:30. I was feeling sensational, my legs were light and I couldn't believe how quickly that first 21km had ticked by without me even really noticing! I thought I could go faster, but I'll wait til 30km and if I'm still feeling good try to up the pace then.

So on we went until about 28km when suddenly Professor got a stitch and had to slow a bit, telling me to go on. I paused as I did want to stick with him, but he waved me on so off I went. I had been feelin the need to pee rise up for a while, but just hoped I would sweat it out and not have to stop before the finish, so I held tight and tried to pick up the pace.

It worked a treat and I was was feeling great at about 4:15 pace, passing people left right and centre. Then shortly after 32km I realised that the bladder pressure was getting worse not better and I'd have to stop if I was going to be able to run freely. So I dashed off to the nearest tree and let flow, with one eye on my watch. After 30 seconds I thought I had to be done, but no it kept flowing and took a full 55seconds to empty my bladder, so I was back on the road having lost exactly one minute but feeling all the better for it.

I felt the need to atone so sped up again to 4:15 pace to re-pass all the people who had just passed me back while I was in the bushes. And it worked well, I recognised them all and reeled them in one by one until I got to the turnaround again. I had almost closed the gap on my target time (which had blown out by 45 seconds on my toilet stop, I'd been 15s ahead before that). Once again the km markers were flying past and I couldn't believe how quickly this race was going.

Up the hill after the turnaround I decided to push it (I know in the hunter Marathon last year, pushing it on the hills was where I passed the most people). A guy a red singlet I had just passed came level with me and we raced up the slight incline, but he managed to get away at the top. I kept within about 100m of him for the rest of the race but never got any closer, he was running well.

My legs felt slow and heavy a few times, they were starting to ache a bit but never too badly. I just focussed on my form and tried to keep a light footfall and a quick cadence and it managed to work. I couldn't believe that I was still feeling great, there were no waves of depression or hurting - I was feeling strong and happy with a big smile on my face, the sun had just come out and it was nice and warm without being too hot - everthing was perfect.

Coming up to 36km and approaching the final bridge it was getting a little harder to keep the pace up. One tall bloke in an orange singlet passed me and he was absolutely flying, I stuck with him for a few hundred metres but he was going way too quick so I had to let him go, but it did pick me up for a short while. Then my pace felt fine, I couldn't get much faster than 4:30s even if I wanted to, but that was ok, if I couldn't maintain that pace I should come in at exactly 3.10.

The last few kms fell away rapidly and at 40km with 3.01 on the clock I thought "It's go time!" and tried to pick it up a little. I felt fantastic, people were cheering, I was happy and new I could maintain the pace up to the finish so I ran hard, smiling ear to ear.

At the 42km mark just before the corner I had 30 seconds to go and thought "uh oh, have I been celebrating prematurely?" I turned and saw the finish line and the clock with 3.10.40 on it and just bolted as fast as I possibly could. The seconds ticked over while I pumped my legs hard and crossed the mat as the clock ticked over to 3.10.01

I had a small tinge of disappointment, but it passed in a microsecond and I thought who cares, 3.10 is what I wanted, it's what I got and I had an incredible and very enjoyable race! I was happy. In the end with adjust times (I had taken about 7 seconds to cross the start line) my finish time was 3:09:55

People yelled at me "Finishing or 50km?" and I said "Whÿ the hell not?" to them and kept going. Mistake. 200metres earlier I felt like I could have easily slowed and maintained at least a 5min/km pace for another 40 minutes to finish the 50km, but that sprint had ruined me. I had gone as hard as I could possibly go for 30 seconds and I had just nothing left in my legs, I'd ruined them.

I hobbled slowly around the crescent and back onto the main drag, painfully picking my way along until I got to the 43km marker. Then I thought "There is absolutely no way I'm going to manage another 7km, there's no shame in stopping now" so I did. Wise decision. It took me another 10 minutes at least to drag myself back to the finish line to see Gary, Reby, Sarah and Charlie, I could barely walk.

I watched Kathryn finish strong as I walked back, she managed 3:18 and did very well with a sprint down the line as well. Andrew had his legs seize up at the 30km mark and had a very uncomfortable last 12km home, Kathryn passed him at that point. He finished well in just over 3:35 I think, but he knew he could have done better. I think it was the 3.15 pacer being too fast which ruined him, otherwise he would have done sub 3.20 as well for sure.

That's enough writing for now. Hooray to everyone! I loved it and I can't wait for the next one.