Gold Coast Marathon

Three weeks after my DNF at the Gold Coast 100km event, I was back on the big metal bird and flying up to the Gold Coast again to take part in the marathon.

Its a well supported event, and a great place for people from the southern states of Australia to go to over our winter to get a little bit of warmth. As a guide, Melbourne (2 hours by plane south of the Gold Coast) has been hovering around 11 degrees C lately, while Gold Coast is closer to 20. And sunny!!

But before the marathon there was the little matter of my girlfriend Jill's first 10km run. She was excited, nervous and unhappy that the run started so early in the morning!!

Despite that, she was still a happy little vegemite in the starting area!



To ease congestion, the 10km event was split into two, a sub 60 min group and an over 60 min group. It was self seeded and we put Jill into the first group.

There was a big mob at the start line!!



And then they were off. The elites raced past and dont they just look fantastic as they run. One of the first 3 leaders ended up winning the 10km event in a race record 28.45. Any guesses which one it was?? Shelley? Troop? Or orange singlet man??



For those who guessed Shelley... congratulations... you are a winner. He was still leaping along right near the finish line.



But not long later, Jill came into view. Her first 10km completed and she was a happy girl. If she hadn't stopped to talk to all the aid station kids and visit half the loo's on the course, she would have been quicker... but its about the experience and the finishers medal... and she got both!!





MARATHON
Then it was onto the marathon.

I wasn't feeling overly confident about this event, but at least I had done two weeks of training to get my body used to running again after Comrades and the unfinished 100km run.

My recent run / walk pacing training was much slower than pre Comrades, with a 20km training run done the week before in 2hrs25. So a sub 5 hour marathon looked doubtful if I followed that racing strategy...

But as I stood on the start line with 3 friends who had all done Comrades five weeks ago... I didnt really have any race strategy. I was kind of hoping to do around 4.30, but hadn't really thought about how that would happen.

As we lined up for the start, those pacing strategies were the furthest thing on my mind! I was just here for the experience and to see what would happen! Oh, and to get out of Melbourne's cold weather!!

The start was a long narrow chute just on one side of the road but, amazingly, we were actually running before we got to the start line!!



I started with the 4 hour pacing group - knowing I wouldn't be able to stay with them - and about 2km down the road, pulled off to the right of the course for my first walk break. My HR was already at about 85% of maximum.... too high this early.

I started my run / walk strategy, but could only run about 400m before my HR hit its usual "walking threshold" and then I would walk for 100m to bring it down again. I didnt fancy doing that for another 40km.... so I said "bugger it". When the 4.30 pacing group came past I just pulled in behind them and trundled along... not even looking at my HR.

By 7km I was feeling much better and by 9km I had pulled ahead of the 4.30 pacing group. This was looking promising... I was feeling comfortable, had no calf, hip or quad soreness ... and was rolling along at about 6 mins per km.

The view down the course as am almost at the 10km timing mat, and the leaders are starting to come back the other way.



The leaders were flying along and had a massive lead.



On a nice sunny day, it really is a nice course. This is about 12km in.



Approaching the 14km marker.



At 25km in I was still running reasonably well.... ok I know the photo shows there isn't a great stride happening here... but I was making my way through the field!



By 35km, I was beginning to slow. My hips were starting to really hurt and my running plan (as it turned out) of running 5km and then stopping for a Gu... was in trouble. I needed a few walks between 30-35km to take the pain out of my hips.

But my splits up to 35km were remarkably event:

5km 32.30 ave HR 148
10km 30.52 ave HR 157
15km 30.13 ave HR 158
20km 29.57 ave HR 159
25km 29.16 ave HR 162
30km 30.21 ave HR 165
35km 31.59 ave HR 164

And then just after 35km the hips just got too painful. It was just like the 100km run all over again. I could barely lift my legs, the hips had a sharp pain in the joints on both sides and even walking was painful.

Running was just not an option... especially as I didnt want to do any damage to myself, so once I hit the 37km mark... it was just a slow walk home.

But the scenery was entertaining... is this what you REALLY want to do just after being married!!?? (they had "just married" signs on their backs!)



After the 37km mark I got passed by a lot of people.... all those that I had passed from 10km to 35km it seemed....



The pelicans were a nice distraction



And finally the 40km sign came up. I was walking at about 12 mins per km (ok we should really call it hobbling rather than walking), and after a nice consistent set of 5km splits... the 35-40km split took 52.51. But the Ave HR was down to 133 for that 5km...



There were lots of bands placed around the course to keep the groove happening!!



Finally I hobbled back down the Gold Coast highway towards the finish line



Under the gantry



Down one more little straight



And FINALLY down to the finish line... to finish in a net time of 4.54.48.



And then it was done. It was a funny old day, awful for a while, wonderful for a while, and then painful for a while. :)

The hobble back to the car was particularly slow.

But now its all about recovery before I head off on holiday to Europe!! Hooray!!

Finally, I will leave with with a photo you dont often get to see, the view back down the finishing chute having just finished.

Gold Coast 100km run

On 13 June I lined up for the 100km ultra marathon on the Gold Coast. This was the first time I had attempted this distance and, having done the Comrades Marathon in South Africa only 2 weeks before, I wasn't sure the body was ready.

Why wasn't I sure? Well I hadn't yet had a decent nights sleep since I had come back from South Africa, which was only 5 days before the run. And of course I hadn't done any training since Comrades, which at 89km, is bound to leave a bit of fatigue in the body.

After being crowded in the 16,000 plus runners of Comrades, this was a completely different event. There were 28 starters in the 100km event... and I was given number 6. Yep, single digits...

Race kit collection was "very" low key. You went to a nearby shopping centre and found the right sports store, where someone wrote your number on bib. You didnt even get pins until race morning, let alone a t-shirt or drink bottle! This was very much a low key event.

With such a small field, there were no road closures. You ran along the public footpath and did your best (a) not to look silly running along with a number on your shirt (b) to avoid prams, people and dogs and (c) to make sure you knew where the course went.

The 100km course was made up of 4 loops of a 25km course, 12.5km and 12,5km back again. It was described as flat and fast, which I guess it mostly was, if you ignored the 83 steps you go up and the 5km mark... and of course coming down them again on the way back.

Still at 6am I was there lined up with everyone else, shivering a bit in the cold, but prepared to run (or at least run / walk) for the entire day. The event had a 12 hour cut off.

At 6am we lined up and we were counted down and then the organiser said "go" and with that, we were off.

I felt good for the first 1km, but by 2km I was in a bit of trouble. My quads were sorer than they should have been and my heart rate was too high and I was already at the back of the field. I had to keep going at a reasonable pace though, as I wasn't 100% sure of the route (the maps werent that great).

However, all I wanted to do was to finish, so I set about keeping a few people in sight so I wouldnt get lost, and getting through each 12.5km section inside 1hr 30, which would keep me on track for a 12 hour finish.

I made it through the first 12.5km in 1.17.21, well under time, but the average HR of 152, was 15 beats per min higher than where I wanted it to be. And my quads were hurting badly already.

At 25km and completing lap one, I discarded my run jacket (even though the wind was still cool) but got there in 2.35.. well under the 3 hour target mark, but the pain was increasing.

At 37.5km the pain was considerable but I was still mentally strong, even though I was now running at almost half ironman intensity, even though it was much slower than marathon pace. I was in significant pain and slowing a bit, finishing this section in 1.24.23... but I was still gaining time on the 12 hour cut off split.

Coming back to finish lap 2 and 50km, the pain was significant and I was having longer walk breaks and finished this section in 1.27.55, and the 50km in 5.27.24.

I asked the organiser at this time whether finishers medals would be provided for anyone who finished after 12 hours (thinking that it was highly likely I would slow down for the second half) and happily he said they would. He didnt give me a final cut off, but indicated that as long as you finish in a reasonable time, all would be good.

In a good space, I set off hobbling down the road again. The quads were so sore, I could barely lift my legs. The soles of my feet were rubbing along the ground with every step and my hips were extremely sore with sharp pain in the hip joint, something that I had never experienced before.

I was still mentally strong so I kept waddling on until at about 52km, I had to walk. It hurt to recommence running, with the pain in the hips, so I decided an extended walk would be the go. After all, the time constraints had been lessened.

However I was walking in pain and certainly not fast.

I got to the 55km point and those dreaded steps and tried to hoist myself up the hand rail to get up the first step. The pain in my hip as I tried to lift myself up was really bad, and with 82 more steps to go, and what was looking like 45km of painful walking to get to the finish line... I decided that the body had had enough.

So I slowly and painfully hobbled back to the aid station that was about 400m away, and got a lift back to the start and pulled out.

It was disappointing not to finish, but it was definitely the right thing to do. I was barely able to hobble (you couldnt really call it walking) and I am not even sure I could have done 45km like that.

So it was back to the hotel and soaking the legs in the ice cold swimming pool for a while and then just try and recover.

So my first 100km effort ended in disappointment and a DNF. But I will be back to try again!!