Just a quick video of me rambling before and after the Perth City to Surf Marathon from 30 August. A full race briefing will be coming shortly.
This year would be my third attempt at the City2Surf, meaning for the second time after the local Rocky River Run I would actually do an event more than twice. A little piece of useless information perhaps, but something that bears mentioning. The third attempt would be a second leg of what would turn out to be a sporting triathlon for the weekend, with the late addition of watching the Bledisloe Cup Rugby live at the Olympic Stadium the night before and the AFL match between GWS and Essendon being the opening and anchor legs if you like.
Preparation wasn’t ideal before the event. The physical workloads I normally put into my legs were sadly lacking, partially due to extended work periods and partially due to a little laziness on my part. Indeed the last dedicated training run I undertook was a 17km effort some 7 days prior which was more geared towards future marathons as opposed to being specific to the City2Surf. Indeed as it was in past years this event would often herald the beginning of the training cycle for Melbourne in October.
One difference between last year and this was the start group. Perhaps this may inspire others to try to get quicker, but in 3 years I have gone from the 3rd Blue Wave (which this year had to put up with Prime Minister Tony Abbott hogging the cameras and space which I’m sure the taxpayers contributed towards) right through to the quickest Red Group, which start at the same time as the elite competitors. Sadly the chance of wearing a low race number went begging due to a change of address, the redirection not being activated before the bib was sent, and the failure of the old address to at least return the bib to the sender prior to my departure (not for the first time either, football game tickets also went un-returned until the Monday AFTER they were required). This would necessitate a visit to the pre-race expo for the first time, and a forfeiture of $20 for a replacement bib and number. This was only possible thanks to Virgin Australia in Brisbane being able to help me get on an earlier flight, for if I was forced to follow the original schedule I wouldn’t have been able to run, as bibs are not distributed on race day.
This year the Red group had a start zone all to themselves, apparently due to construction on a light rail extension (no construction zone was visible in the start areas). What it meant was that the space behind the tail of the start zone would provide a decent warm-up area to get the legs working. Perhaps I used this too much in hindsight, having already performed the usual warm-up in Hyde Park. Still I was calm enough standing in the start zone before he starting gun sounded at 7:55AM.
The start was rather tardy, and there really wasn’t much of an excuse on my part. After crossing the start line I tried to activate one of my timing apps (I was using the Nike+ App on the iPod as well as Map My Run on the phone this year), only to find I was back at the start screen. After hurriedly entering the details and successfully activating the device I was on my way again, probably at a pace quicker than anticipated. The plan was to at least save something for Heartbreak Hill so the sight of others passing me didn’t phase me given I knew I was going to pass them up the hill anyway. Indeed the Hill was the only part of the course where I had to consistently change direction as I passed slower climber after slower climber. Sadly the in race recovery didn’t go to plan and I felt I was sluggish on the flat sections after uphill rises. To me it was all in the legs as opposed to hydration, for the plan was only to ever take on board drinks at one station before the hill as it was last year and as I had at least planned for in the few training runs over shorter distances.
The City2South medal, a part of the Run Out Loud series that sponsors are looking to promote as opposed to individual events. Some believe the City2Surf medal should also look like this.
In the end I tried to put in a blistering sprint towards the finish line, but instead I only managed a constant rapid (for me) speed in the final straights at Bondi. The time this year was mere seconds slower than 2014 (about 45 from memory, too afraid to try to check after high web traffic has virtually halted the results page in its tracks), but for me not only did it confirm my fitness levels were OK but a return visit in 2016 would again begin from the Red Group, even though the run in Brisbane in June had already confirmed this.
What the medal for the City2Surf reminded many of. More than a few have expressed disappointment at the prominence of “Run Out Loud” as opposed to City2Surf, I cautiously share their views.
There has been plenty of talk about the medallions on social media and how they seem inadequate for the event. I understand why the organisers want to promote a series of events using the “Run Out Loud” barrier. I understand why they want to condense the several dedicated pages to the individual events onto a single page. I even get how sponsors can influence events and organizations, just look at NRL clubs and how their jerseys are walking billboards. I also understand why so many are disappointed that “Run Out Loud” was prominently placed on this year’s medal (which appeared to be identical to the medal participants in the Perth event received) when many wanted something that they could wear with a little more pride. Personally it’s certainly something I won’t be in a hurry to wear or display, perhaps some tweaking should have been done to make both the City2Surf and the Run Out Loud promotion as visible as possible.
So another 14km year is done and dusted with the return visits likely but not 100% locked in at this stage. Next year’s schedule hasn’t been planned and won’t be planned until later in the year (and of course this is the place where it will all be revealed again).
Just after 7AM I positioned myself in the starting zone and seemed rather relaxed, with no sign of the trouble laying ahead. After the usual pre-race ceremonies associated with the start of an international event (interest in this event is now such that it is considered part of the elite circuit, although next year’s field may be of lesser standard considering the Olympics), the gun went at 7:20 AM to send a shade under 6000 runners on their way. It all started well enough too, with the plan to stick with a pace runner in motion and the usual habit of not taking drinks on board until the 3rd or 4th station enacted, for even though many cringe at this my training includes not sipping on my drink until about 9-10km have been covered.
Comparing the 2014 and 2015 finishers shirts. I reckon the 2014 shirt (RIGHT) is nicer to wear.
The first sign of trouble came upon taking on board the first fluids at around 10km. Normally I only stop to take on board sports drinks which for this event was the Endura brand as opposed to Gatorade or Hydralite for other events. I’m not certain whether it’s the formula that Endura uses or the quality of the water that mixes with the powder to create the drink, but something about it didn’t taste as attractive as it should have. For me it would mean a readjustment to taking water rather than electrolyte which was something I didn’t train for, a lesson that I probably need to heed next time.
Despite the setback I felt I was still going reasonably well at the turn at the southern most point of the course, and was feeling comfortable enough at half distance. Going through the timing point signifying half distance I felt I was only slightly behind where I had wanted to be but the gap certainly wasn’t insurmountable. Little was I to realise that a matter of kilometres later the seemingly small gap had become a chasm that was insurmountable. For the first time I felt I had hit the proverbial wall with the legs having given out, and there was no choice left but to trot/shuffle/walk/crawl (if necessary) to the finish line, which at that stage was close to 17km away.
Strangely I didn’t feel overly embarrassed with the situation, instead I felt as though the interrupted preparations had taken a toll that proved to be too great to overcome. This however wasn’t an excuse to be used on race day, it was now a case of survival along with many other stragglers who also felt the pinch. For a few kilometres all I could try to do was to think use a strategy used on the Point to Pinnacle run in 2014, simply go for about 100-200 metres before the legs required a rest. If I saw a drinks station ahead I would jog to that point before sipping on some water, for by that stage the temperatures had risen from cool to reasonably warm even for early July (which is the middle of Winter for those reading in the Northern Hemisphere). If I saw another straggler ahead I would even try to catch them even if they re-passed me just seconds later as their strength returned as mine diminished.
After what seemed an eternity the final kilometre began. Unlike last year where my feelings were of jubilation, so much so that I was imploring the spectators on the roadside to increase their cheering, all I could raise was a hand in the air thanking them for their support as I trotted past. After all, I couldn’t feel satisfied in my efforts but the least I could do for those waiting for hours was to give them due acknowledgement. In a spur of the moment thing I thought about what I would do when I reached the finish line. For a moment I considered doing the “lizard” celebration made famous by NRL star Greg Inglis, but I reconsidered thinking that someone would see this as a sign that I required medical assistance. Instead as I crossed the finish line some 43 minutes outside of what I had set out to achieve, I attempted to do a cartwheel across the finish line. Now THAT was embarrassing, not because I managed to somehow not fall flat on my ass, but because the legs simply didn’t look anywhere near vertical as a cartwheel should. I suppose however I did get noticed by the PA announcer who was giving it the good old “What The?”
Strangely for someone who struggled through the bulk of the journey due to fatigue in the legs, walking was not so much a problem. Admittedly it did help that my accommodation had a spa bath which at least gave me a little time to relax, but still it didn’t feel as satisfying as it should have. It did however confirm that I would come back for a 3rd crack at the event next year, for there is now some unfinished business for me to deal with. It also probably has made me more determined to have a real crack at Melbourne in October, let alone at the other events on my schedule.
After doing a little digging, I’ve discovered that I recorded another of my random pre-race ramblings to my phone. If the readers out there can pick up something that may have contributed to what I’m going to write in Part 2, then please don’t hesitate to respond. This was recorded a 5:15AM on 5 July 2015.
Sometimes in life you look forward to something so much that you feel disappointment at the end of it all. Often you are underwhelmed by the appearance of iconic figures, other times the experience is diminished for financial reasons. In running, you often can get disappointment by not achieving what you really wanted even though your heart is set on something that in hindsight may have been awfully difficult to achieve.
Sunday 5 July 2015 would be the first time I would have to experience these emotions. As you may have been aware my main aim was to start and finish with the 4 hour train figuring that the pace would be suitable considering the chequered lead in. Unfortunately despite the plan working for a reasonably lengthy period this would not be the case. It turned out to be the SLOWEST Marathon finishing time I had ever done, and I’m certain that I am not going to forget it even though many would send a performance like this to the recycle bin never to be seen or heard from again.
It all started out well enough, I got a decent night’s sleep although a couple more hours may have been handy. It’s not unusual for me to get 5 hours regularly particularly after a longer training session, so I didn’t feel overly worried. After taking on some fluids (a protein drink) and making sure I had everything needed including the gear bag for the dry clothing, it was off to catch the tram known on the Gold Coast as “The G” to the start line (There’s only one place that gets called The G in my book, and a tram on the holiday strip ISN’T that). It was on this tram, where I stood for about 20 minutes, where I saw many of the half marathoners unable to climb aboard because of crowding, My advice to prospective competitors, apart from to book accommodation close to the Broadbeach area where the terminus station is, would be to arrive much earlier than you normally would. Far better to arrive too early than to have to panic just to make it to a start line.
After arriving at Southport, where the start/finish precinct was, I felt very relaxed although I probably needed to sit down more rather than burn up the nervous energy by standing and moving more than I needed. The pre-race planning allowed plenty of time for a toilet stop as well as to get a decent glimpse of the half marathon start which was 80 minutes before the main event was due. After making comment on the dicey habit of some runners having to literally jump the barriers just to make it to the start line, and shortly after the field set off on their journey, it was time for a trouble free warm up, an issue free bag drop, another trip to the loo and the chance to photobomb an interview for the worldwide webcast between a couple of roving reporters and cricket legend Adam Gilchrist…..OK the urge was resisted but I could have done the old “Hi Mum” even if she wouldn’t know where to look to have a look.
So at about 7AM came the time to pick out my position in the start house. Fortunately I was able to find a spot and stick to it for the start without having to make too many movements or where other runners would try to shuffle their way forward just to get a better spot for themselves knowing they would get passed rapidly. After a brief tribute to the late Ron Clarke (running legend and former Mayor of the Gold Coast) which was observed in a superior manner than the State of Origin crowd at the G did, it was time to focus on the road ahead. The usual ceremonies prior to the international event that this has become came and went, and before I knew it, it was 7:20 AM, time to get down to business.
COMING UP IN PART 2: The run itself.
MHJeffrey027 Running 