Running Cramic: SMH Half Marathon

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.