Canberra Half Marathon
Well, that was always going to happen. Just re-read my last post (and had multiple reminders of the messages I'd sent Timmy...from Timmy) and if that wasn't a perfect example of jinxing oneself I don't know what is.
Didn't feel great in the week before the race, but nothing specific, and otherwise felt I ticked most of the taper boxes. Woke up on the day feeling a little ordinary, but put that down to James Matthews fiddling with the air con the whole night (not to mention an hour of looking at his half naked arse whilst he stretched).
Warm-up was a little quick. Initially ran with Timmy, Erika, and Enda, before Enda and I did an extra 1km (as we both wanted to do 2km). Problem is that Enda's warm-up pace is quick (<4:30) and we got back just in time for the start.
Didn't go out fast, with my first kilometre being 4:26, albeit uphill. Sped up on the downhill and first few flat kilometres but, again, nothing ridiculous (4:14, 4:07, 4:10, 4:11) considering I was after an 88:00. That was the last time I would see my watch register a split even on for 90-minute pace and I was feeling it.
Saw Timmy and Enda (outrageously Tim's own personal pacer) just at the 12km turn around and Enda shouted that I was looking good. At that moment I actually had a second wind, was still ahead of the 90-minute bus, and was hopeful I might be able to hold on.
Tim reckons you could hear the blow-up in Sydney. Literally a few hundred metres after seeing them and I was goneski and felt like I was going backwards. Finished with an almost ten minute positive split and six minutes slower than last year. Pretty relieved just to get under 1hr40.
What happened? No idea. Maybe psychological, maybe physiological. Warm up was too fast and I have compromised long runs doing that before and I didn't eat/drink what I would usually do beforehand. Maybe just one of those days.
Cracking evening afterwards though, back at the Forresters, with Tim, Taffy, Birch and Jac. Definitely one of my favourite weekends of the running year. Missed Victoria very much though.
Post-race Training
Obviously took a big hit to the confidence, but tried to keep the head up and carry on doing what I was doing. Sessions continued to go well. A good example was the 4 x 2km session that I really struggled with just before Canberra. Gave it another crack and finished all 4 (previously could only do 3), quicker, and with only the prescribed recovery. Hoping that Canberra was just one of those off days.
Sydney:10
Kept a low profile on the run up to this race. Again, like Canberra, I'm in better shape than last year and was aiming for a PB, but wanted the "likeness" to Canberra to end there. My previous PB was on this course last year.
Got rorted by Timmy L. Accepted the wager as couldn't be bothered negotiating with him for weeks and was feeling a little bad for the six minute rort I had him with for Canberra...even though I couldn't cover it on the day. Also he'd agreed to give me a lift from the race. Bet was 80 seconds and, seeing as he'd run somewhere in the 37:xx's (despite his protestations otherwise) meant I'd have to go well under 39:00.
Strategy was the same as last year. Go with the 40-minute pacer and, if feeling good, push on over the last 2-3 kilometres. This realistically meant I wouldn't be going under 39:00, which I felt I might be capable of, but I felt I just needed a good solid race for confidence after essentially a year of poor performances.
Perfect conditions albeit no taper as such and had to get two trains and two rail replacement buses to the start. Plenty of familiar faces and chatted with Timmy, Leech, James, Birchy, Neil P, and Chris Truscott before the gun fired and we were away.
Fast first kilometre, and then a couple just over 4 minutes before essentially just running 3:55s thereafter. Felt good throughout and started pushing on just before the 7km marker. Nothing too quick, but felt good reigning in and passing many runners in front of me. Felt a bit nauseated with 500m to go, but sub-40 was never in doubt and I pushed hard on the track to finish in 39:19.
Great to PB, but also oddly enough felt a bit disappointed as I knew I wasn't right on the edge. Think I might only be happy with a time if I feel I've given absolutely everything and a glorious failure is more rewarding than a steady PB. Just that make me a masochist?
Lots of shite talked over two hours of coffee with Birchy, Timmy, and Taffy (most of which was spent waiting for Taffy).
No comments:
Post a Comment