Canberra Marathon race report

So here it was, first marathon and as I've posted previously, I was really looking forward to this one. I knew the night before I was going to have trouble sleeping and I probably only got in a good 5 hours of sleep, but woke up pretty much every hour through fear of waking up late or something! I actually dreamt that I missed the start of the race and that I had to start 10 minutes after everyone else. Talk about paranoia!

However I was up at 4:45am (having set 2 alarms just in case), and forced some food down me, despite not being in the mood for anything, but some honey and bread and oatcake were washed down as I started about an hour of warm-ups. I went for a 20 mins run the night before, very easy and light and did loads of stretching too, so my body felt in really good shape. I was amazed that I had got to the start line with no aches or pains whatsoever to be honest given the calf trouble that I'd had for about 3 weeks, but the physio had cleared that up good and proper.

The weather was looking a bit ominous as the storm clouds gathered, and as I made my way down the the start line from the hotel (about a 5 minute jog), the spots of rain started to come down. It was all pretty relaxed down at the start, and I could hear people talking of PB's. Canberra is know for being a quick and flat course (well some of it!), so a lot of people actually travel here to do personal bests. The field is also a good quality one. The average time here is around the 3hr 45min mark, so I knew I'd have to run a good race to not look like an idiot! It's also one of the reasons I chose this as my first marathon though, as I knew there would be lots of good runs to egg me along!

I kept my tactics pretty much as I said in my last postings, taking each hour as it came along. The ultimate goal was to make sure I was at around the 34/35km stage after 3 hours, and then it was a case of me putting my head down and toughing it out for the last 7kms to see if I could hit under the 3hr 40 min mark. I decided the night before that this was what I had come here to do. I would be pleased with something around the 3hr 45 min mark, but if I wanted to do justice to myself, and do the time I knew I could do, then under 3hr 40min it was to be. I even stood myself in front of the mirror the night before and had a word with myself, saying I wasn't allowed back into the hotel room until i had done it! Crazy man!

Anyway's after around 5 pees later in 30 mins, all the runners lined up on the start line. I positioned myself around mid-pack, not intentionally, I just ended up there. The usual whippets and idiots pushed through to get up front, how funny. My one issue was making sure I didnt go off too quick and that I just kept a steady pace. I decided on the start line that whilst I wanted an 11.5km/h pace, I was going to push it out to 12km/h and see how that felt, if it felt good then great, I would stay there, if not I'd hold back a bit.

So at 7:01am off we set in what was now the pouring rain! And slowly I started off. After the usual whippets legging it through I found a really steady rhythm, and was surprised to see that after the first 5kms, I was running smack on 5min kilometres, which did worry me a little as I thought it was too fast, but it felt good, so I kept it going. I'll also add that I decided to wear my camelbac too, so I had an extra 2kgs of weight on my back. However I always train with it, and I wanted to keep my patterns exactly the same. In hindsight I probably didnt need it, but in some ways I'm glad I did as I could drink when I wanted.

So the first 10kms came and went in a real blur, and I was on track, hitting the 10km mark at just under 51 mins, and feeling great. By this stage though the weather was horrible, and my feet were sodden. I passed some crowds, and the girlfriend who took the obligatory pictures of me soaking wet and smiling, and we pushed on through 14 and 15kms, still feeling really good. However it was around this stage I started to feel a bit like poo. at 17kms I was a bit miserable and started to tell myself I felt like crap, but I think this had more to do wit the weather than anything else. Having wet feet didnt help either and I was longing for the sun to come out!

A special mention also to the organisers, who were excellent. This event is known for being one fo the best organised around in Australia, and it proved so. There were drinks stations pretty much every 3kms, and I made use of them as I knew my 2 litre camelback probably wouldnt make the distance... or so I thought. But the half marathon distance came and went and I think I went through 21kms in 1hour 46 mins, which i was quite shocked at again, thinking this was way too fast. Indeed as 2 hours approached I hit 24kms, so i was still going string and by this stage feeling pretty good about it all. I knew that if I kept this pace going to 36kms, then we were on the for 3hour 30 something that I really wanted. And push on I did, coming up to 32kms, this was our Everest 'deathzone' so to speak and would separate those who had sped off quick from the workhorses. Slowly I started to ctach people. I think the defining moment for me in this marathon was at around 30kms, where I had 4 ladies in their late thirties overtake me. Not that I minded as they were all very fit athletes, but as they passed I told myself to hang onto their tails, and use them to drag me along, and so I did for the next 3kms, until we got to a water station, where 3 of them just picked up water and started walking! Anyway, I pushed on with two other guys and we kept each other going for the next km, until suddenly my favourite music started playing on my ipod, que Dan speeding off. I couldnt help it, but it's so inspirational, that I just strode away from these two guys and thought sod it, 10kms left, it's do or die for a good time so fuck it!

So off I pushed, and then all of a sudden I reached the 35kms stage, quite a big physcological barrier for me as I'd never run beyond this distance. Looking at the watch, I crossed 35.5kms in 3 hours. This was it I thought, I'm on for it, only I can mess this up now. I got myself in the position I needed to and it was now up to me. 7.5kms to go and at least 40 minutes to do it in, easy peasy! hahahahaha

These 5 kms between 35 and 40 were so hard, just watching them slowly go past. Between 37 and 40 I was running with another lady and we pulled each other through it. I kep telling myself to just put one foot in front of the other 1-2 1-2 1-2, and before I knew it, 40kms was up. It was here I knew I would make it, only 1 more km and then I'd be in the last kilometre. It was here that I was shocked at how many people started to walk. I knew that if I started to walk I would seize up, and there was no way I was stopping. I promised myself that I would not walk any of it at all. I must have passed around 30 people in the last 4kms or so, and as I turned the corner with 200 metres to go I could see the clock at abou 3hours 34 mins, I'd done it, I was going to smash the time I wanted by around 5 minutes, I couldnt believe it! It was at the finish also that there were quite a few people. Canberra is a lonely course at times, you go miles without seeing many supporters (understandable as there is only 1041 runners!), but at the finish it's great. I hadnt even thought about a sprint finish, but I thought sod it, and sprint I did crossing the line in 3 hours 35 mins and 19 seconds, which was later adjusted to 3 hours 35 mins and 3 secs.... aghhhhh just 3 seconds off beating 3:35! I was over the moon though, but my legs werent!

So all in all, brilliant just brilliant. I think i learnt a lto from that marathon. I learnt the value of interval training and could really see the difference that my hill training made when I was out on the course. I passed people with ease on the relatively low gradient hills that were on the course. But I also learnt that the last 10kms of the race is everything. This is where you make up placings and where the strong come through. Overall I came 366th out of the 1041 that started. I was chuffed to bits and did myself proud. Placings don't matter though, what mattered is that I ran good race tactically and it went to plan perfectly. I also learnt that interval training is key, as is the hill training. My training from now on will be more focused on intervals, so rtaher than run 7 miles straight, I'll run 7 miles and run the first 2 slow, the next 3 quicker and the final two slow. I was a little too obsessed with timings on my runs before. Timings matter in actual races, not in training so much, so my training will now change to reflect this I think. The long distance runs still matter too, but I place less emphasis on running distances at one pace from now on. Anyways enough ramblings, time for some work!