Often when I run in an event, I always am on the lookout to see the dates for the next year to see if I can make a return trip. The motivation for such return trips can be different, sometimes it’s to improve upon the time from 12 months ago (the scientific term I believe is “unfinished business”), occasionally it’s to use the run as an excuse to see other parts of cities where I infrequently visit. There’s also a small matter of returning to use a race as a training exercise with other events in mind.
At the time of writing there are less than 14 days until the Gold Coast Marathon which I am planning to run for the first time. I’ll reflect on the specific training runs I’ve been doing at another time, but for now I’m going to reflect on the second edition of Brisbane’s City2South run held last weekend through Brisbane City. If you would like a reminder of how I went last year, then https://mhjeffrey027running.com/2013/07/26/since-we-last-touched-base/ is the place to look.
If last year’s preparation seemed chaotic, haphazard and rushed, then it was nothing in comparison to this year. With uncertainty approaching the date over when bibs would be posted, if at all, the entry was delayed until a month prior to the event when confirmation came that I would need to pick up the bib from Brisbane. Several co-workers were aghast when I told them why I had to take a day’s leave from work, and what I was planning for the weekend. Fortunately transportation and accommodation was easily organised even if the off course planning for future weekends would need to be rescheduled. Also by booking a serviced apartment rather than a motel room, I had to source food that I would need to cook myself, another small expense that I would eventually have to learn from (I only needed 3 potatoes as opposed to 4).
In the words of Split Enz, I SEE RED I SEE RED (one day at the City2Surf) I SEE RED
So after making an extra return flight to fulfil football commitments on the Saturday, it was yet another early wake up call on a Sunday morning to wander down to Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens. This year however felt a little different, and not because the ailment was a number of stiff upper leg muscles instead of a corked thigh. Upon entering the start zone, where I was placed amongst the faster group due to a quick time at the City2Sea in Melbourne last November, it felt as though there was less excitement and fewer starters as opposed to 2013. Even accounting for the entrants in the 5km event which was an addition to the program (their start line was at a separate area incorporating part of the Twilight Run course) it was later revealed that about 1000 less entries were lodged which in a way is sad given this course was one of the better challenges I had faced.
There were a few minor alterations to the course, particularly approaching the second river crossing that eliminated the need for an expanded loop beyond the University of Queensland. What didn’t change was the long drag up Coronation Drive, and the signature aspect of the course, the grind up Highgate Hill with the finish line in sight. Depending on how I felt physically, the plan was to consistently run a steady pace prior to the hill in order to save a little gas for the latter stages, the hill coming just after 11km into the run. This meant a little deviation from my usual plan which would have been useless anyway given there weren’t too many looking to use a group theory to tackle the course, also preferring individual plans.
The groins fortunately loosened up for the start, and the pace was quicker than expected. I largely ignored the water only water stations to save time, I prefer Gatorade on my runs anyway. I was a little surprised that there weren’t so many runners that took advantage of the mist tent located in the same position as 2013, but I suppose that came with being in the quicker group. After that came another change that I actually smiled about given that there’s always room for the old school remedy in the new age era. About half way up the hill there was a volunteer crew that manned buckets of SPONGES! Footballers of old will remember the old fashioned magic sponge, and this was a welcome throwback to that era. A quick squirt down the back despite the ideal running conditions, and it was onward to the summit.
In past events I have tended to coast a little downhill after expending a little more energy uphill than anticipated. This time however, thanks to the boost from the sponge, I was able to put on a sprint downhill as though I was a madman. So even allowing for a few seconds to give the kids on the fence a high 5 in the finishing chute, I was able to shave a couple more minutes off my time than anticipated. The upshot was that the 2014 time was a over 8 minutes faster than 2013, certainly a better time than I had anticipated for I was looking for a 1:10 as opposed to a 1:08. The most important thing was that the momentum generated in training was maintained if not enhanced.
These are the wheels for the next challenge, with the older Adidas pair serving me well for long enough.
Next up as mentioned earlier is the Gold Coast Marathon, the third time that I will be tackling the whole 42km distance. As this is a major event in Australia and now a big international event, I have to mention what I am mentioning to anyone who either asks or cares to listen. If you watch the TV coverage and you notice the front runners, those will be either of African or Japanese origin, none of those will be me. I’m just looking forward to finishing under 4 hours which this time seems realistic.
I’m sure the loyal readers in Australia have either heard the late Peter Allen’s song “I Still Call Australia Home” or at least have seen countless Qantas ads over the years. I can relate to the early lines, I have been to cities all over Australia that have never closed down, from Melbourne to Sydney and old Brisbane town (where I’ll be in 3 weeks time). But there’s something special and different about taking part in an event in your own backyard, especially when the course almost literally passes your front doorstep.
I was pleased to be a part of the Rocky River Run for the second successive year last weekend, an event that many local scribes and everyday common folk have got behind. When it started in 2008 there were 300 loyal souls that seemed to start a tradition, for this year across the many events comprising the morning there were close to 3000. It was chaotic in such a good way that the traffic was everywhere when I was looking for my transport to carry me to my other commitments later that day, but that’s far from the story you all want to hear!
Last year I tested myself over the 10km course and broke 50 minutes, but this year I decided that in keeping with my long term goals for 2014 and the fact that I needed to be on a plane at a time where running the 10km event would not leave enough time to get organised and transported to the airport, that distance would be too short for my liking. The lack of distance and a date clash also meant that the event I attended in Perth last year (Run for a Reason) was ruled out for 2014, although a trip to Perth for their City2Surf on the last Sunday of August MAY be on the agenda. Thankfully the 21km event was early enough in the morning (6:15AM start) and was at a decent distance for me to achieve all the goals for the day. Training for this was surprisingly positive, for I had reached 20km in a couple of runs in the weeks leading up to this, and a little course reconnaissance on Friday morning topped me off nicely.
The conditions though different were not too concerning for my liking. It wasn’t the first time that I had undertaken physical activity in foggy weather for I had umpired some Under 13 matches in recent years that started beneath a thick cover of fog. Compared to those mornings the fog wasn’t too bad to run in, visibility was more than reasonable even if some of the roads lacked a little traction. In hindsight though perhaps the blue zinc may have been too much even though it made identification for the many photos on course easier, and the sunglasses were of little use apart from a short section early in the event.
Much like the Run Sydney event, it turned out that I had made a nice plan to find a group and stick to their pace for the duration. Initially I had joked to some footy team mates that I was going to beat a person associated from a rival club (turned out I did pretty easily). But much like Canberra I was pleased that I was setting a good tempo with a trio that looked to be going within themselves. At the end of the first lap, this being a 2 lap course for the 21km runners, our group was virtually altogether with no person looking like faltering. I even managed a little kick at the start of lap 2, if only to set a little tempo for a few kilometres.
Eventually I managed to lose contact with the group at the midpoint of the second lap, but not before I did something on a run course for the very first time. One of the drink stations on a grass section of the course (based at the Norbridge Park junior soccer facility) was situated at a right hand turn. Thinking I could keep up with the group for a little longer I went to scoop up a cup of water from the table……and dropped the contents on the grass without spilling a drop on myself. It was probably the most embarrassing moment of my time as a running competitor, although I’m sure it’s happened heaps of times to several better credentialled runners through their journeys.
At least dropping the tempo slightly had a number of advantages. Firstly I was able to give a wave and a word of encouragement to the 21km stragglers as well as the mid pack runners in the 10km race which started during our event. It also allowed the photographers clear access to me for those all important snapshots. Check on Facebook and the “Rocky River Run” page, I’m the bloke with blue zinc across the nose wearing blue with a white bib.
It felt as though the finish was a little anti-climactic, but the timing of the finish meant I could sneak across the line without being overly noticed. As I was about to enter the finish chute, the countdown to the start of the 5km run was taking place. It was the quietest 53rd placing (197 finished) anyone could ever achieve, not that finishing positions mean anything to those running for the love of running or just for fitness and fun. It was all about the time and pleasingly I was able to shave a 5 minute chunk off my best ever time for the distance. There was a little fist pump, and a thank you to the lass to was waiting with an open bottle of water at the end.
Apart from being in a local event, the best part of being involved is measured financially. Pricing was very reasonable compared to equivalent events in bigger cities where $45 entry fees would be unheard of. I could spend the previous night in my own bed, even though footy commitments at Tannum Sands on the Saturday meant that I didn’t fall asleep until after midnight prior to a 4AM wake up call. Plus I knew every part of the course thanks to last year’s event having the same course and training runs, where I’d need to spend an hour or so online trying to understand courses interstate which I’d be tackling virtually blindly. At least the next event, the City2South, also uses the same course as the previous year, so perhaps a time improvement is also on the cards there!
It all seems easy for professional runners in so many ways doesn’t it. Have coaches meticulously plan out on track events and training patterns, and have a manager who’s only ever interested in a bigger slice of the pie organise off track appearances somewhere where the runner probably doesn’t know where the venue is, let alone where they want to actually be. They’ll all tell you it isn’t all beer and skittles doing it all for modest amounts getting by week to week on results alone.
Compare this to the types of schedules that I have for myself coming up over the next month or so. Sure there’s the usual routines of training early in the mornings a number of times a week before earning a few dollars working (certainly far from enough to exceed the proposed debt caps, but this blog isn’t going all political so this is a discussion for another time). Throw in commitments on Saturdays to football and mapping out the running schedule and anything associated with these events and I can tell that readers out there will think I’m whinging. WHY WOULD I WHINGE WHEN I’M THE ONE SETTING OUT THE SCHEDULE?????
So lets take this week for example, working from Monday the 19th of May to the next Monday the 26th. There is naturally a full week of work to get through, nothing new when you take your leave at the very start and very end of the year save for the big marathons around the country where an extra travel day is essential. There are 3 early morning training session planned, keeping in mind that there is only 2 months until the Gold Coast Marathon which I plan to enter in this pay cycle. There is a matter of booking accommodation for a couple of upcoming trips, one of which I will outline shortly. All this in itself looms as a packed week, yet this seems normal compared to what is coming on the weekend.
On Saturday my football commitments will take me to Tannum Sands, about a half hour to the south of Gladstone and about 2 hours south of Rockhampton where I am based (all by road and assuming there are no roadworks). After playing what may be 2 games of football on the Saturday (depending on how many players show up, always a lottery for this trip more so than Gladstone), it will probably be straight to bed at 10PM for a 4AM wake up call which to be honest is something I’m used to on a Sunday given the number of times I’m required to work from 6AM on a Sunday morning. But instead of sliding into a work uniform it’s off to the other side of town to compete in the Rocky River Run, where I am completing their half marathon event from 6:15AM which in reality measures about 350 metres shorter than the distance, not that anyone complains. With all of the requirements including bib pick up, warm up and baggage drop amongst others, I will need to complete the run well before 8:15AM, for I am required to be on a flight to Brisbane not more than an hour later en route to the Gold Coast to watch even more footy. Therefore I’ll most likely have to pack any gear (supporters apparel, a change of casual clothing, mobile phone charger and a towel) on the Saturday morning, ensuring that I’ll need to keep this baggage small enough to use as carry on baggage. I will also need to check in for my flight before I start the run on Sunday morning via my mobile phone, for traffic around the venue will mean I probably won’t have enough time to check in conventionally at the airport in time for departure.
Sounds like a hectic Saturday and Sunday doesn’t it? Well compare that to the schedule that is likely to happen on City2South weekend in Brisbane a few weeks later (15 June). With no mailing out of bibs for this event unlike last year I will need to fly down to Brisbane on the Friday to collect, although fortunately a day of leave has been booked for this purpose. It will be likely that I will be staying in Brisbane overnight unless a return flight on the Friday is cheaper (it generally is NOT), meaning that I will have to book a room for 3 nights instead of the 2 that I anticipated. Then on the Saturday morning, I will have to take a return flight to Rockhampton, organise transport to Yeppoon (a half hour’s drive to the East) to fulfill football commitments, then race back to the airport for the (already booked) flight back to Brisbane for a few hours kip before the event at 7AM on the Sunday morning. Nothing like getting those frequent flyer miles up now isn’t there!
Fortunately this is about as rushed as it will get. There are no football commitments for the majority of the remaining events for the year, and I’ve informed the footy club about my unavailability for City2Surf weekend in August with a mid afternoon departure and evening arrival into Sydney. At least I should be relaxed about everything except if something goes wrong which I didn’t anticipate. But I suppose we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
By the way, for those interested I now also have an Instagram account, so follow me at http://instagram.com/mhjeffrey027, where unlike most other equivalent accounts, you will see pictures that aren’t selfies with randoms either off either arm or providing the photobomb of the century, or for that matter pictures of semi-healthy dinners I wouldn’t touch if my life depended on it.
Don’t be fooled by the title, I absolutely detest that stupid ‘Shot Me Down’ song by a so called talented artist. How a song whose title artist sings not one bar of the lyrics could be popular be so widely liked by the population is a blight on the youth of this nation. But this is a running blog, not a musical critics sounding post so I had better return to the matter at hand.
Last Sunday was the Canberra Marathon, the first event over the marathon distance in Australia for 2014 and part of the Australian Running Festival incorporating a whole weekend of events from 5km to 50km. More on the 50km guys at the moment, but its admirable that so many events could cater for the populace on the one weekend, and the fact that they were able to put the shorter events a day before the longer distances is a big winner. Staggering the start of the marathon/ultra marathon events and the half marathon was also a bonus, meaning that there was no need to negotiate the traffic. If anything it may have meant that marathon competitors like myself may be the traffic for the poor souls torturing themselves to go the extra 8km.
Before the event I had the feeling that this event may not go as I had hoped, possibly from the below par training runs in the week before. In hindsight I probably had taken too long to recover from the Twilight Run which was 3 weeks before Canberra. Yet as I landed in the nation’s capital at 5PM on the Friday there were no such thoughts. A trip to the footy on the Saturday Afternoon (and another win for the beloved Bulldogs, if you want to read my match report then http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/round-4-gws-v-western-bulldogs-its-against-he-law-to-frown-in-our-capital-city/ is the place to go to) and a shopping trip for supplies after the game should have rounded out the preparation nicely. Sadly I found it hard to fall asleep, made even harder by the old man wanting to engage me on Facebook. But I eventually found time for some shut eye and woke up as scheduled at 3:30AM.
Fortunately I was able to find the recovery zone in the morning after some trepidation and a loop of one of the many Government buildings. Then came the usual pre-race build up consisting of fluid intake, gear drop, dynamic warm up and heading to the start zone about 30 minutes before the start. A few sharp bursts in the car park of Old Parliament House (where the start line was located) later and before I knew it the time to go had arrived. It did feel a little weird when on a loop of the current Parliament House the pack had to avoid a trio of casual runners heading in the opposite direction, not sure how they managed to wander onto the course but I’m sure they got out of the run what they wanted.
The initial plan was to keep pace with the pace runners representing 4 hours, but that plan went out the window about 6km into the event. Instead I linked up with someone who had completed the event a couple of previous occasions, and using his pace as a guide we ended up passing the 3:45 pace runners (who according to their schedule were actually a minute ahead) before heading onto the motorway. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and although going too fast was a genuine fear, to discover after the event I had covered the 2nd sector of 10km in a tick over 51 minutes seemed ridiculously fast by my standards. Little wonder that I started to flag slightly past the 25km mark.
Then came the moment that will probably live with me for near eternity, at least in running terms. Passing the 31km marker the next area of road involved an uphill left hand turn at what normally is an intersection with active traffic lights. I will also remember that one of the course volunteers like myself is a Western Bulldogs member (free plug, visit http://membership.westernbulldogs.com.au/ to sign up today, you won’t be sorry) which seemed to raise the spirits a little. After rounding the corner the rise slowly continued until the 31.5km mark. It was at that point where disaster struck. Normally when I feel a cramp it generally affects the troublesome calf muscles (which touch wood have not been injured for close to 18 months now). This time it was BOTH hamstrings that cramped simultaneously, literally stopping me in my tracks. Fortunately for me there was a little assistance from some friendly locals to at least provide me with mobility (the right hamstring was a little more stubborn than the left) and I was soon enough back on the course.
From that moment on it was a struggle to get to the line. Any thought of getting a personal best time, let alone breaking the 4 hour marker that was an initial aim was long forgotten. Several times I had to slow to a walk as the legs didn’t feel as though jogging was a good idea, although the efforts came firstly at the split point for the 50km runners to start their final loop, many of whom were in as bad a condition as I was, and then as the finish area came in sight. Strangely the finish clock wasn’t positioned at the finish gantry, but rather about 750 metres from the finish which at least saw me increase my pace to a waddle. It was a rare moment of crossing the line without a few others surrounding me, but all I felt was a relief. In fact I even gave the young lass handing out the finishers medals a kiss on the cheek, noticed by a bloke doing the same thing whom when asking me if he could get a kiss himself I cheekily suggested I’d use the tongue (I didn’t kiss him).
So there are some lessons that I feel are worth taking into the Gold Coast Marathon in July, feel free to add to this list below…..
– Perhaps I should have carried an extra Gatorade bottle with me. I have had one with me at all times on the course for both Melbourne and Canberra and they haven’t proven to be enough, especially with lollies in the other which have been largely untouched.
– Sleep earlier on the Saturday, although the late footy finish (didn’t get back from Manuka Oval to the Motel until 8:30) may not have helped.
– Use the drink stations, while it was always the intention to skip the first drink station, I actually skipped the second a few kilometres down the road. Plus I waited for the stations with sports drink (they used Dextro brand drink, they sponsor the elite triathlon world series) rather than at least taking on board water if only to cool the body.
– Improve the training in the weeks before the event. Certainly taper off and run less in the weeks before the event, but I felt the last 3 weeks preparation seemed inadequate.
– Band Aids to be worn over the nipples, this was the inside of the singlet after the event….
So where too from here? The plan is to start training as early as Easter Sunday where a stroll around the Tan Track may be on the agenda. After that will come a few decent runs before ramping up the training for both the local Rocky River Run at the end of May, and the City2South a few weeks later which will comprise the rehearsal events for the Gold Coast Marathon which coincides with some boring blogger turning 30. Entries for those events will be lodged in the next pay cycle, transportation and accommodation will be finalised shortly after that.
No it’s not a headline that will strike fear into anyone, nor is it intended to be misleading. It’s simply the creative juices flowing to incorporate Bruce Springsteen into my blog somehow. Yet whilst I certainly wasn’t going to perform like The Boss last Sunday, it felt like being a part of the support act with the major part of the show a few weeks later in Canberra (with NO encore, otherwise would have entered the Ultra marathon rather than just the normal marathon, if you call 42km normal).
This was no ordinary preparation for a race, even if I was treating it as a dress rehearsal. I doubt there are many events in Australia that cater for such long distances in late afternoons, for many of the Australian events that I know of start as early as possible to minimise disruption for the locals around the course. Combine this with football commitments in Bundaberg (which I will describe at a later date at http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/) and any thought of normality went out the window. The timeline of events prior to the race was as follows.
10:30 PM (Saturday 22 March): Feed at McDonalds in Bundaberg, short walk to Bus terminal in Targo Street. Wait until just prior to midnight to board as bus is about 15 minutes late due to (I assume) road works. Fall asleep not long after connecting USB chargers for phone and iPod.
3:30 AM (Sunday 23 March): Pie and drink at Matilda Roadhouse in Kybong, followed by massage in a coin operated massage chair. I figure every chance to recover after a long day of football should be taken. Re-board bus at 3:55 AM prior to a 4 AM departure. Fall asleep again almost immediately.
6:10 AM: Arrive at Roma Street transit centre, change shirt in toilet. Catch early Gold Coast train approximately 6:30 AM, fall asleep on train not long after departing South Bank station (2 stops after Roma Street southbound on the train network in Brisbane).
7:40 AM: Wake up just after I needed to wake up to alight (get off) train at Nerang Station, instead wait the extra few minutes to get off at Robina. Wait for, then catch connecting bus to get to Broadbeach.
8:30 AM: Walk on beach towards Surfers Paradise, find spot to wade in waves in area reasonably close to (but certainly not in the way of) surfers taking advantage of decent sized waves. Wade in knee, then waist deep water for best part of 35 minutes in water much more pleasant looking than the last recovery effort at Cottesloe Beach in Perth last May.
10:45 AM: Final feed at Cavill Mall, unfortunately their Subway doesn’t understand that a Chicken Bacon Ranch sub doesn’t use the Teriyaki chicken although there isn’t a great difference in the taste. Wander to nearby bus stop to take 2 buses to get to Nerang for connecting train.
12:19 PM: Catch train back to Brisbane, arrive Roma Street just before 1:30 PM, then check into Abbey Apartment room for the night.
Boy was I glad this came in the Twilight Run Race Pack.
It was at this time where I decided a quick bath (not a shower) was in order again to aid the recovery. I laid out my running gear, only to discover that I had forgotten to pack a running top. I had plenty of options for pants, plus a couple of pairs of socks and the running shoes that I hadn’t worn for almost a week (I didn’t want to wear out the tread whilst training, particularly when a couple of other pairs of shoes would be able to perform the training tasks). Fortunately the race pack included a run singlet so I was glad that I didn’t have to run in a shirt that I had worn since the early hours of the morning. Yet all the indecision meant that I had to hastily reorganise transportation plans, for originally the plan was to actually check in earlier and therefore depart for the University of Queensland earlier.
Thankfully there was a bus that left the city arriving on campus with plenty of time to find where I had needed to be. It was just as well too that another older pair of ladies were headed to the same event, but perhaps it would have been a better idea to follow them rather than to lead the way and try to navigate around foreign territory. Thankfully I found where I needed to be with plenty of time to spare, and it was just as well too for the line at race pack collection was well over 100 metres and growing. I’m sure it was a pain for the volunteers to head up and down the line looking for those entered in the 5km event who hadn’t collected their items as their time to shine drew ever closer.
Apart from that the pre-race from that moment proceeded without any major difficulties. It felt a little strange to complete my warm up on the running track given it had been close to 17 years since I had set foot on a proper athletics track as opposed to a grass equivalent that are seen throughout my local region. Then it was a quick trip to the port-a-loo, a wander into the start area after seeing the start of the kids race, and a wait amongst the other half marathon and 10km competitors for the 5PM start time.
The run itself was flat save for the rises approaching the Eleanor Schonell Bridge from either side of the Brisbane River. The course on the University side of the river was virtually identical to what I had experienced at the City2South last year, but instead of heading all the way on the bridge before turning left up Highgate Hill, it was a right hand turn downhill to head down the Brisbane Corso passing the football ground at Yeronga. The first lap was completed in daylight meaning that I didn’t have to activate the handy armband/light until I crossed the line to commence the second lap. There was also an extra short section added for the second lap only, probably to make sure the distance was accurate.
It was on the second lap where I thought there was going to be a problem. Having slowed down to see if another competitor was OK after a fall (likely caused by cramping and/or dehydration, the temperature at the start was close to 30 degrees), I decided for the first time that day to take an electrolyte drink at a drink station as opposed to water (2-3 sips and splash the remainder down the back for cooling purposes). I’m not sure what was in that drink, and I’m not sure I want to know. I almost felt as though throwing up was inevitable although I recovered the senses quick enough to recover until the finish, save for a few seconds of keeling over at 17km.
The first medal of the year, it won’t be the last.
Of course by this time the first finisher had almost finished his post race recovery. It’s not every day that you run the same course as some Ethiopian hot shot, and he’s probably not even in the top 5 in his country. Yet it was almost a relief that I only finished some 40 minutes slower than him considering he was more than half way back on the first lap by the time I had travelled 3km, I even remarked that I thought I had seen him 5 minutes ago at the start line which obviously couldn’t have been true (it was more like 20 minutes). In the end it was a nice run to prepare for Canberra which is now less than 3 weeks away, and save for a couple of runs this weekend (weather permitting, the weather locally has been appalling to put it bluntly) this would be the last substantial run I would make. The last 2 weeks of training will consist of mainly short sharp runs to find a balance between maintaining the endurance and keeping the sharpness.
MHJeffrey027 Running 