I have written in the past about set training plans created by experts (of which I don’t pretend to be one because I simply am not….well unless someone out there thinks I am) and how much I am not a fan of them simply because of their rigidity. This didn’t mean that I was never going to log runs or have some sort of outline to what I am going to do in the lead up to this year’s Melbourne Marathon.
Below is something that I have tried to come up with to satisfy those who want a plan for the 7 weeks leading up to the big day on October 12. As with all planning (and this is something I learned whilst studying for a primary school teaching degree), the plan below is by no means definitively what I am going to be doing. For instance, there may be variations in the types of runs that I do, the pace which I do those runs, and even the events I do leading up to my personal “big dance”. To illustrate this, I have penciled in an event in Brisbane in a month’s time. However my participation in this event is subject to employment commitments and whether I can arrange someone else to work my shift.
There is also a colour coding for each type of run. Those shaded in blue are due to be completed as an early morning run while afternoon runs are in a light golden colour. Events are highlighted in BOLD text, designated Travel Days are shaded in grey, and planned rest days (an important part of any preparation, running every day does have an adverse affect on fitness) have a light green shading. Designated Travel Days are when flights are due to take place, so training for those days is virtually impossible, with the flights themselves to be booked shortly.
The plan is by no means something you may want to follow. If you want to follow this plan and think this will get you a result, then by all means do so. Just remember I am just someone living the dream, I am not a coach or guru and as what happens in so many problem areas of life, what may work for me may not work for you. Feel free to adjust running days, distances, timing or even planned events as you wish because at the end of the day, it’s YOUR plan for YOU, just like this is my plan for me that I feel like sharing with the world.
THE PLAN (Click to enlarge)
Note the week of rest after the main race precedes a training run on the Saturday Afternoon. With other events to prepare for in November those 5 days are about all I can afford to take off running if I want high levels of achievement in races in Sydney and Hobart. I try to base the bulk of my runs on time rather than distance goals. If I am able to reach the time goals then the distances that many try to run per week will take care of themselves. As a guide however the 12km run to kick off preparations on Sunday took 1:05, about 7 minutes outside my race best time in Adelaide last year which certainly is far from concerning. Active rest is simply walking rather than standing still and guzzling on a water bottle, this scenario may very well happen in a marathon (it did to me in Canberra in April this year) as well so being prepared for that can only help.
Hopefully next time I’m able to write about the adventures in the races, rather than the stuff people don’t see or necessarily want to know.
By now I hope you’ve seen the video of the pre-race musings, as ordinary and rushed as they may have been, as at least seeing that may help you understand the premise of this 2-part post. It has now been a week since the last of the 69000 finishers crossed the finish line at Bondi (amongst the 81000 that started this year). It has been a week since the goals of many walkers and joggers have been realised, a week since the TV coverage of the event has been slammed (in reality this is perfect fodder for a multichannel as opposed to a small part of the biggest waste of television during the week apart from the infomercial channels, but this isn’t a TV critique blog), and a week since the main news that came from this year’s event was the sad passing of a competitor as he neared the finish line.
Rather than dwell on this, here’s a short time lapse summary of what happened from my perspective in this year’s City2Surf. Some listings are according to approximate time (Australian Eastern Standard Time used), others are according to approximate kilometre marker during the event.
4:30AM: Awake at Central Private Hotel (which is adequate for my needs, more fussier travelers may not find their basic rooms cater for their tastes), shower and organise race gear. Make sure I carry my Gatorade (purchased the previous night from the nearby 7-Eleven) and my bib. There is a small delay trying to find out why the power points in my room aren’t operating, but much later that afternoon the safety switch is restored, and upon returning home it’s discovered it’s a problem with my cord for the laptop that I am typing this entry on. But enough of that, this isn’t what everyone wants to read.
5:40AM: Walk to start area at Hyde Park in the city, walk actually takes shorter than anticipated. Decide to look for a seat in the park to chill out and listen to tunes rather than to find liquid hydration. Pass time by posting some Instagram photos so some back home could be “wowed” by what I come up with.
A little compare and contrast in finishing medals. Not sure if the 2014 version (Right) is better than 2013. Probably more visually appealing though.
6:45AM: Collect gear drop bag to put warm clothing in. This year I’m in the GREEN group as opposed to the BLUE group from 2013. Take the next 15 minutes to remove track pants and top, adjust footwear and eventually have all belongings in clothing that will go in the bag. Strangely even though I pack a change of shirt I decide not to carry it from the motel. Drop bag off so that the truck can load and transport, which apparently some other competitors didn’t get the chance to given the trucks were scheduled to leave at 7:20AM. Lesson for the first timers or those planning to do this next year is to get there early.
7:05AM: Usual dynamic warm-up as per every event I enter. Fortunate to find the same area as last year to perform the warm-up, with the only difference being what I was actually listening to (last year I was listening to radio station Triple M, this year I was repeating my own tunes on the iPod).
7:30AM: Enter start area for the green group a little earlier than anticipated. The positive from this was that I was able to perform a few short run throughs to warm up the legs before finding the start position about 10 minutes later. Stand a little closer to the front of the group than I would have preferred. I am the only person that I could see in the group that removed the head wear (in my case the visor I purchased for the Gold Coast Marathon) for the National Anthem. Small applause and cheering as the Wheelchair trio and RED and GOLD (read Charity) groupings begin.
8:00AM (or kilometre 0): GREEN group begins the journey, fortunately avoiding the BLUE group’s issue of having a long delay before they even cross the line (I’m sure many were still on the footpath as the first finishers from this group were crossing the line). Congestion early still a factor although certainly not as bad as last year.
KM 1.5: As I look to the right in order to follow a young kid in a Lionel Messi replica shirt, I pass a bloke to the right having a spew. I actually feel a little concerned, normally this happens at the end of the run, or at least on Heartbreak Hill. Enter Kings Cross tunnel with an “Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi OI” chant finishing. Next few kilometres strangely uneventful but according to script.
KM 6.4: Start climb of Heartbreak Hill, my entire race plan revolves around a reasonably quick ascent even if it meant a slower start. Thankfully unlike last year there’s a relatively clear path on the hill to maintain momentum (not as many little kids or slower competitors to block the path). After the event I discover that I was one of the quickest 3000 up the hill which according to the timing splits covers a mile (or 1.6km if you prefer). As per normal, utter the chorus of Bon Jovi’s “Livin on a Prayer” as I approach the 7km marker.
KM 8: Pass a camera crew set up for Channel 7’s Tom Williams…..he’s a tool of the highest order on screen and lives up to this off screen.
KM 13: Mindful of starting the finishing sprint later than this point (where I started in 2013 only to be shot 400 metres from the finish) I actually take a little glance ahead to soak up the finishing area. Follow a Batman and Robin combination to the finish, although I suspect Batman got all the attention given Robin looked to be his son. Time the finishing kick around the final turn to finish 5 minutes quicker than last year.
9:08 AM: Cross finish line, resist temptation to kiss the medal presenter much like I did in Canberra earlier this year, instead settling for a thank you and a pat on the back. Eventually find baggage area and collect bag. Slightly miffed however not to find sports drunk or fruit on the first table, nothing against the merits of water but that liquid after any run to be honest is not my preference.
9:15 AM: Head to warm down zone to take advantage of the foal rollers to massage the legs. Little disappointed that I couldn’t find a human masseuse which were plentiful 12 months earlier. Spend more time that I would have liked but at least the phone coverage was decent given the bulk of the field hadn’t arrived in the area to clog the network.
10:00 AM: Wander across road for a spot of breakfast…..at the Oporto Chicken store. Not like dinner later that night which was frozen yoghurt!
10:35 AM: Head to buses back to Bondi Junction station, and onward for a return to the CBD. With the majority of the field finishing the queues and waiting time was significantly shorter (and causes much less stress) compared to the equivalent time of last year.
The Green bib now takes pride of place on the Bib Wall at home.
Very happy with the result, the aim was to break 1:10 and I ran a 1:08 and the experience was greater than last year. A return for a third attempt certainly is on the agenda, particularly if I manage to secure access to the RED group that I may have been placed this year had the entry been lodged early. Interestingly I feel that if I’m going to do an event then the 14km distance that the City2Surf covers should be the minimum, otherwise a training run back home would do the job.
There may be another event or two in the pipeline before the next major target, which is the 2nd crack at the Melbourne Marathon.
For something a little different to cover this year’s City2Surf in Sydney, I decided to do a Before and After 2 part series. The before component was recorded on the flight down to Sydney from Brisbane the night before the event, so I couldn’t rant as loud or as long as I wanted given I had several passengers to consider. Apologies also go to the lighting (which is always dimmed after take off to save fuel), and the attire which was for an event earlier in the day whose timing ensured I had no time to change to something more ‘normal’
When we last touched base the time for talking and preparing was just about at an end. It was just about time to hit the road to see how much pain this 42km would provide. It was just about time to see just how far away I am from getting within a bulls roar of the best of the best, many of whom were in the elite start zone. Then as if I wasn’t ready enough, Australian marathon legend Rob De Castella decided that an old fashioned rev up was just what we needed. Normally when older legends commandeer the microphone prior to the start, it’s usually a brief Q&A session spoken almost quietly. The manner in which “Deek” decided to use his mic time was almost designed to wake up the neighbours!
The route itself seemed simple enough, head south for 15km to Burleigh before returning through the start section, then head north for 5.5km looping through Labrador before returning to the finish chute in Southport. There were no hills to speak of save for a small rise at 30km through the start zones, plus a rise and fall over a couple of bridges. There was not a substantial breeze blowing, which allayed some of my pre-race fears given a large portion of the route incorporated the esplanade through Surfers Paradise (among other areas). What I was surprised at however was some of the narrow stretches of road at the northern end of the course after passing through Broadbeach. The concern I had was that with the narrow road divided to complete the “out and back” course profile, the traffic would be chaotic in the middle of the road where many runners would go to avoid crowding near the gutters and parked vehicles where I assumed many would position themselves.
I was hopeful that the traffic would be reasonably clear by about 10km from where I was starting (just in front of the 4:15 pace group) and fortunately I was able to pace myself to a decent spot near the 4 hour group well before this marker. Energy levels were still at a high level when I mentioned to another runner that we had better keep our eyes peeled for the elite guys passing us in the other direction. At about 12km, after the wheelchair athletes had long passed us (they started about 15 minutes before the able bodied athletes), we saw a couple of cars, a few media bikes, a police car…..and then 13 of the world’s best flash past us in virtually a single group save for a couple close behind obviously tactically saving their energy for the later stages. But there was no time to stop with the turning point not all that far away.
Having run at the pace of the 4 hour group for about 7km, I decided that it was time to slightly increase the tempo. Everything was going well for the next 15km with a nice steady rhythm and pace being churned out and fluids taken at almost every opportunity, a legacy from the cramping that plagued the campaign in Canberra in April. Everything seemed easy, even if a couple of adjustments to the calf bandaging and footwear had to be made at 27km. Then the fatigue set in and the quads started burning. It wasn’t overly inhibiting but it did cause a slowing down in my pace.
Fast forward to the end of the 40th kilometre, and I had unexpected company. Often it is reassuring to be able to run the last section with someone in just as much hurt as myself. It sure makes a difference to Canberra where it was a virtual solo finish anyway. This time, one of the pacers for the 4 hour group had also blown up so badly he had fallen off the pace. Together with someone who was dressed up as a Ghostbuster (and to be honest he probably couldn’t wait for City2Surf in August, either that or he was desperate for 5 minutes on the tube in the news bulletins) we trudged up towards the waiting crowds behind the barriers. Thinking their cheers weren’t exactly loud enough, certainly not in the De Castella pep talk decibel range, I tried to encourage them to make a little more noise with mixed success. At least the crowd in the stand at the finish line was very accommodating when it came to cheering me home.
3 Marathon Medals down, several more to come…God Willing.
The end result could be considered a mixed blessing for me compared to my goals. The aim of breaking 4 hours once again eluded me, but only narrowly. The net time of a tick over 4:01 at least meant I had run a distance best time by over a quarter of an hour, testament to the positive training sessions throughout this bloc. It may even have been improved if I had done one or two more taper type runs before the marathon, there was a time between the Sunday afternoon and the Friday morning in the week prior where I was inactive, something to learn for next time I suppose! Still, the rewards of a PB, another training shirt and a third marathon medal to add to the collection were more than satisfying.
After the run I didn’t exactly feel that good. The legs were their normal heavy selves so I was expecting that, but I was struggling to stomach the water and gatorade almost 35-40 minutes after the run. Even a trip to the porta-loos didn’t solve the problem, which was only cured by a late lunch. In fact I feel I over re-hydrated with my weight taking a couple of days to return to normality. Training will resume at the start of next week, with more events to look forward to starting with City2Surf in just over a month’s time.
I’m sure all of the readers out there have visions of hitting the big time or being on the same stage as some of the best of the best. In many sports and pursuits this will never be possible to anyone bar a select few whom are chosen through a scientific process thinking that what is seen on a computer will be translated in the performances of some poor young lad or lass. Fortunately most running events these days at least allow the populace to live some sort of dream.
They talk about the big marathons being based overseas, and hopefully one day I’ll be able to join those on the start line in locations such as New York, London and Tokyo amongst others. For now however the marathon with highest international acclaim (with apologies to Melbourne) would have to be based every July on the Gold Coast. I say highest international acclaim given the high Asian interest in the region in general, not just as a playground for athletic prowess. This year would mark the first time I would join the masses on this particular start line (and the third time I would take my place on a Marathon start line), and it would also be the most elite field that I would have in front of me.
It wasn’t exactly a start to the morning that went to plan after a Saturday that incredibly went without many hitches, even accounting for a delay to the flight from home due to fog which allowed me extra time sleeping in my usual window seat. I even managed to make use of the expo which I often find a little inconvenient given I usually want to just collect the bib and depart. But purchasing a visor to run in was certainly part of the plan, even if my intention was to head to a sports shop as opposed to a stall at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.
After finding my way to my digs for the weekend in a hotel precinct in nearby Nerang, it was time for a change to the pre-marathon day routine. For Melbourne last year after bib collection, the day was filled in with lunch at Subway, a few bets on the horse racing, check in to the motel, and a reasonably early night following some light sustenance from the nearby 7-Eleven (an establishment where I would purchase race day fluids on race morning). In Canberra earlier this year, with the bib posted to me my day was filled with Subway, bets and football with a trip to the local supermarket after the game to buy pre-race fluids. This time the location of the accommodation was handy to not only a supermarket but also a pizza shop, so after buying the usual race day fluids I also purchased a pre-race pizza. Whilst this was the first time I had a pre race pizza for a marathon, there were a couple of shorter events where I’ve had a pizza before race day prior to a positive result.
The bib wall of fame at home, with the newest addition (number 5318) alongside the pair of red and white bibs.
For once sleeping before the race wasn’t a problem, I was snoring about 8:30 on the Saturday Night and arose as scheduled at 3:30 AM on Sunday Morning. I was nice and relaxed at this stage, there was plenty of time prior to the 7:20 start time, the clothing was laid out, all the devices were either charging or charged and a liquid breakfast was consumed without much trouble (I can’t stand eating solids before footy matches or running events, doesn’t sit too well in the stomach and I’ve never performed well after eating something solid). I was showered and ready to rumble at 4:30, and after making sure I hadn’t forgotten anything it was simply a case of ringing a taxi, walking out the door and playing the waiting game.
The waiting game turned out to be more nerve wracking than most other things I’ve participated in throughout my life. The initial call for the cab was made at 4:42 AM, and I thought it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes for a taxi in a major centre that the Gold Coast is to arrive. After waiting 15 minutes I made a second call…..then came a third call at 5:07 which was an automated message confirming a car had been despatched. Not believing this I made an extra call at 5:16 AM (the cab still not having arrived at this stage) to confirm the pick up address worrying that the cab was in the wrong place. Eventually the cabbie turned up a matter of minutes after the call, and by the time it was 5:30 I was boarding the shuttle to get to the start/finish precinct in Southport.
By the time I made it to Southport and the start area, the Half Marathon was about to commence. Based on my experiences (but probably not in most world events) usually this event starts after the full marathon begins, but at least I was able to see the field off even if the sky was still in near darkness with the sun only starting to rise. When the field cleared, it was time to apply bandaging to the hamstrings and calf (I was always going to strap the hamstring, but the calf was a decision made on the Friday before the event).
Following bag drop and the consumption of a pre-race Gatorade, it was time for the dynamic warm-up, which was interrupted by a photographer looking for the pre-race snap. Despite some fiddling around with flash bulbs and angles, the final shot can be found at http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/gold-coast-marathon/photos-fnn8upxe-1226979479144?page=2. Then after completing the balance of the warm up, I was performing stretches on a public BBQ area when out of the corner of my eye I saw an Asian participant puffing away on a cigarette…..well there many days where I see first time occurrences.
With about half an hour prior to the start, I looked unsuccessfully for a water station before wandering onto the road to take up a start position. The journey was about to begin in earnest…..
COMING UP TOMORROW: PART 2 – The Race itself
MHJeffrey027 Running 