SMH Half Marathon - "Celebration Time"

Way back in 2014, the SMH half marathon was my first ever race...and it was a stinker. Can't really remember my training (not logging runs, no GPS watch), but know it did not involve any quality sessions (thought these were daft) and was carried out in cotton t-shirts (think of the chafeage). In my even earlier days I used to at least use a heart rate monitor, and then aim to keep my heart rate above 160 beats per minute. For every run. This led to a very gradual improvement in pace...and injuries. Before 2014 SMH I simply ran consistently slowly for three or four times a week for less than 10km at a time. Or something like that.

Fast forward to the 2016 SMH half marathon, my seventh half marathon. I now have all the technical kit, two pairs of running shoes and a racing pair, amazing anti-chafe tape from work, run 50-60km per week (every inch of which tracked and diligently uploaded to Strava) of which two sessions are quality and one is a long run (ahem, all true except the long run). And the race is still a stinker.

After running 92:02 in Canberra (a tough course) and getting a new 10km personal best at the Olympic Park the week before, I had confidence to go for sub-90. Nay! I had confidence to go for closer to 88 minutes (plus a rort from Timmy Lindop to get to within 5 minutes of his time, estimated to be somewhere near 83 minutes).

But there is no question that the SMH is a tough course, with a significant number of significant hills coming in the last two thirds of the race. The course has been changed from 2014, where a final 500m out and back past the finish line (that was soul destroying) has become two extra hills earlier in the course (more soul destroying). Double-edged swords and all that.

Strategy-wise I was in two minds. Run with the 90-minute pacer and hopefully have something for a kick over the final few kilometres (the daunting Mrs Mac's Chair), or run solo with a kick early down the hill from Hyde Park to Circular Quay and then hold even pace till the end. On hearing that the 90-minute pacer would be bringing speakers and taking selfies my mind was made. Solo it was.

Warmed up with Victoria on a cold, clear and crisp morning, before lining up just ahead of the 90 minute pacers. Gun sounded and we were off. Kicked down the hill, running the first kilometre in under 4 minutes, before getting caught out by the first new hill of the course and then heading onto the flat Hickson Road. Probably ran a bit too quickly here, running a couple of kilometres close to 4 minute pace before an impending sense of doom started to settle as each hill in Pyrmont felt tougher and tougher. Soon the runners around me started gapping me whilst others joined me...and then also started gapping me.

As we left Pyrmont I finally heard the dreaded sound of garish pop music and I can attest that there is little more demoralising than having the 90 minute pacer creep up on you with "Celebration Time" by Kool and the Gang blaring out. I knew my race was over.

The rest of the run became about finishing and simply putting one step in front of the other became a feat of extraordinary human endurance. Thankfully my Garmin chose this point to fail (second time in two half marathons?!), which meant I was spared seeing my kilometre splits, but progress was slow.

I finished in 01:35:05 and was passed by 369 people in the second half. My average splits went from 04:12 to 04:48 (first half vs second half).

Mixed feelings about that, or rather, unhappy versus very unhappy. It's nice to be running faster than Blacktown M7 half (the next half I raced after Canberra last year) on a tougher course but, for the differences in training I made as described above, I had hoped to be a bit faster than 11:20 minutes compared to my 2014 race. I think the strategy had a lot to do with it and perhaps the 10km PB had taken more out of me than I realised. And perhaps it was just one of the days, as in truth I didn't feel that good during the warm up.

Victoria ran a very nice 01:41:27 which, whilst her first non-PB of the year, is still very respectable and beat the boy Goals whose 01:43:48 can only be put down to his bandy knees. The ladies, Rowley and Cooke, held each others' hands and supported themselves to sub 1hr50. Lovely stuff, but I do note Rowley crossing four seconds ahead of her partner like the scoundrel she is. Kristen Piper, whilst only running the second two thirds as part of the relay, looked like she'd been shot as she crossed the line, but ended up coming ninth in the team event.

Celebratory drinks at the Opera Bar

Goals looking surprisingly happy despite being chicked

From the pointier end of proceedings, Timmy Lindop outdid his usual rorting by enlisting the help of his only personal pacer, the super fast Tom Highnam. If it wasn't for how shit I ran, making his advantage essentially academic, I'd have certainly called for the bet to be void. He ran a 01:23:21 which he was pleased with. Jeet continued his impressive start to the year with a 01:18:14.

Drinks were had afterwards at, first, the Opera Bar and then the Royal Oak in Double Bay. Apparently it would traditionally have been at The Sheaf, but Timmy doesn't agree with their kicking out policy. Meant he could stay out at least until 8pm.

Neil Pearson smashing the SMH despite coming off the back of a win in the Boston/Big Sur

Jeet's fine form continues...in drinking

Beautifully matched trousers to table by Chris Truscott



Losing $40 to Mr Lindop, but it could be worse....

...he could have tried to kiss me

NSW Athletics, Sydney:10

A minute forty was the start Timmy gave me for this race. Brokered by Jeet, a fair man no doubt, but accepted a little too quickly by Tim for my liking. Seeing as my personal best time for 10k is 39:57 (ran last July) and he was going to be unhappy if he didn't go under 38:00, you can see why I was concerned. My best time this year was 41:12 (admittedly on a tough course) and I was having to run this race between night-shifts (which I reckon can add 5-10s per km to pace). Anyway, hands were shook and, once the alcohol fog had lifted, I knew there was no backing out of it.

The expo. Try not to get lost.

The Sydney:10 is meant to be a quick course, possibly even the quickest in Australia, and conditions were next to ideal. Cool, clear, and perfectly calm. There was a lingering smoke, from back-burning to prevent forest fires, which I mistook for morning haze, but it didn't seem to effect me.

Met Victoria, Tim, James, and Jacqueline in the athletic centre, where the race would finish, for a quick warm up and then out to a pretty busy starting coral. I found myself close to the 40 minute pacers and got ready for the off. Strategy was to try and stick with the pacers and, if I had anything left into the last two kilometres, kick on and try and get a decent personal best. I knew this strategy was unlikely to win me the bet, as there would be only so much time to make up over two kilometres, but the goal really was just to get back under forty minutes.

Gun fires! Just to tell us the start will be in five minutes. No false starts reported. Actual gun fires! We're away. Frustrated to find quite a few significantly slower runners in front of us that blocked me off a couple of times. I don't believe there were many newbie racers here and I don't understand the mentality of people seeding themselves so far up the start when they're going to run so much slower. Particularly when it's a chip timed affair. First corner, a sharp left turn, also causes congestion and I'm surprised to go through kilometre one in 3:45, just behind the two pacers.

The pacers separate here, one running to gun and one running to chip, and I push on to run with the gun pacer. If I can just stick with him I'll probably come in comfortably (10 seconds) under forty. Second kilometre passes in 3:55. Feeling strong, but concerned we've gone out a little quickly and a break could happen at any time. At North Head I didn't even feel it coming.

Little panic at the third kilometre marker. Looked at my overall time passing it and horrified to see 12:15. After the first two kilometres I should have been 20 seconds up, so 12:15 must have meant a third kilometre of 4:35. Broken already? As well as the pacers? The watch still reckoned 4:00 pace, so I'm not sure what happened. Distance long between the markers perhaps?

From here on ran well. The course is pretty quick, but not entirely flat, and is comprised of three momentum-sapping out-and-backs. Even so the pace stayed on target and I ran shoulder-to-shoulder with the pacer.

Passed kilometre eight just before the second run up Olympic Boulevard, had a little panic that I was so close and yet so far, gave myself a talking to, and started pushing on. Managed a 3:55 and then a 3:46 over the final kilometre, into the stadium and around the track to finish in 39:32. A pretty big PB that I was very pleased with.

Quickly made my way to spectate the runners still on course, entering the athletic centre, to cheer on Victoria. Came in looking very strong, finishing with a 4:14 and crossing the line in 45:10. Another PB! She's ran a PB in each of her four races this year, which is really helping to fund my New York kitty.

And what of Tim Lindop? 37:12, beating me by 2:20. Even running a personal best of 25 seconds saw me only get to within 40 seconds. The rogue.

Cracking run by Jeet, who did a PB going under 35 minutes. Like Victoria, he seems to be getting a personal best in every race he runs.

Whilst the team headed for coffee and breakfast I made my way back to the train and hospital to rest before the early-starting night-shift. Did find time to enjoy a breakfast for champions though......

Butter chicken