Running Cramic: Canberra Half Marathon

It's not the most popular race of the season

First race of the year that would be comparable to those ran last year i.e. same race on the same course at the same time of year. A good yardstick to see where I'm at compared with 2015.

Hadn't initially planned to race here, but a few friends going down and, more importantly, drinks afterwards, persuaded us to make the trip. Goal? I'd be happy with anything better than last year (01:40:32) and not almost shitting myself from kilometre six onwards. Ended up setting an even more optimistic target, due to Dick Turpin's rorting, of running with the 90 minute pacers. I was expecting a blow up, but hoped I'd have done enough by then to finish under last year's time. Even if I was crawling.

Drove down on the Saturday with Timmy Lindop (aka Dirk Turpin), Taffy James, and Vic. Much more comfortable than last year's "First Class" train ride...the Murray's Coach. Expo was a non-starter, with only a sock stall open, but pre-race dinner had a good turnout even if there were a few complaints regarding the food. Well, if you're going to order a sausage pizza?

Taff James and Timmy Lindop, joined at the hip for the weekend

Pretty pleased with the taper. Chester White's peccorino spaghetti on the Friday was the highlight of a number of pasta meals, plenty of Saturday hydration (not the alcoholic stuff for once), and only 30km of running in the week leading up to the race (mostly quality).

Chester Whites: best pasta in Sydney

Perfect conditions on Sunday morning, much like last year, and enjoyed a brief warm-up with Timmy and Paul Birch. Timmy's knowledge of public toilets proved invaluable once again when he led us to his own private facilities just outside Old Parliament House.

Lined up next to the 90 minute pacers and we were off. Hilly start, up around Parliament House and I didn't force the pace, just allowing the pacers to gap me a little with the intention of catching up on the downhill. Managed just that and then stuck with them through kilometres 3 - 8. Last year I had a dramatic loss of power around 6km, but no such woes this year. The route was reversed around New South Wales Crescent, with a sharp rise kicking things off. Again, the pacers gapped me a short distance, but this time I decided not to make it up afterwards as my splits were still within target and I felt they might be going a bit quick.

Splits and gap were maintained over the bridge and around the 12km hairpin, but it was here I started dropping into the 4:20's. It's a long, undulating, and boring part of the course and I realised I was in trouble. Again decided not to force it, and risk a big blow up, and just persevered with 4:20's.

The new pace was fairly tough, but never really felt in danger of a blowup. I was still able to spot and shout a hello to the guys ahead of me, but my greetings were not returned (Jeet, Tim, and Birchy). I think they were working harder than me, for their far better times, and that's probably something I need to work on.

After 16km comes the turnaround and a couple of kms before returning, over the river, to the government/museum quarter of town. Missed a couple of kilometre flags (17 and 18) AND my Garmin malfunctioned, unbeknownst to me, and stopped recording distance. This perfect storm led me to believe I had a lot further to go than I actually did and I almost threw my toys out of the pram and into Molonglo River.

Flag 19 saved any hissy fits and I tried (and failed) to power around the final loop, hill, and out and back past the finish line. Felt a lot stronger than last year at this point.

Chip time matched my watch time of 92:02 leaving me very pleased. Eight and a half minutes faster than at the same race last year and actually my second fastest half marathon ever. At this stage of the season, and at my current weight, I feel very optimistic about the runs to come.

Happy racers

Victoria ran her third consecutive personal best of the year and achieved her first sub-100 half marathon. A fantastic achievement. Two minutes faster than Blackmore's and even faster than her predicted time from McMillan. Faster than me last year so I see no reason why she can't go sub-90 this year or, at the very least, get into the low nineties.

Timmy ran sub-85, completing his rorting of me, but lost out to Paul Birch who ran a comfortable sub-90. James Matthews, impersonating Lazarus, ran a cracking 3:10 marathon earning a Comrades qualifier. He could barely finish 10km the weekend before. And Elite Jeet ran his socks off to PB in 78:57.

A cracking bacon and egg roll (with no less than eight layers of bacon!) before driving back to Sydney for a night in the Dove and Olive. All gets a bit hazy, but tales include being kicked out of the unkickable-outable Low Bar, still no chicken dinner for Tim, falling down the stairs in the Columbian on Oxford Street, and waking up to find Taffy James asleep on our living room floor.

Really good weekend. Few more pictures below.