(Mona from last year's Noosa HM)Ran a pretty good race but the endurance factor let me down again. No issues with my calf, felt a bit strange but it didn't impede me at all thankfully.
Started out a little more conservatively, 4.05 1st k. As runners started to thin out I got my groove & ran with a group of 4 others. Running about 3.50s pretty comfortably. Conditions: overcast, a bit of wind swirling around, no rain. Ran past the 10 k turn-around (ok the 5k mark) for 600m or so along the river. Good to see the runners in front of me (often you're not sure who's in front & by how much).
Passed 10 k in 39.15 & started to lag behind the others in my group. Coming into the start/ finish area was good - had coach Pat giving me a good plug (helped that I was wearing PCRG clobber) & all the 10k runners lining up for their run were generous with their applause. Pat said we were on line for an 82 finish but I was aware that I was unlikely to maintain that pace.
About 13 ks I'd dropped off the pack & ran on my own for the rest. This was a problem because almost imperceptibly you start to slow - you don't have that group to keep you going. Running into the wind seemed more difficult & psychologically heading out for another lap was challenging. I tend to break these HMs into thirds (7 ks doesn't seem like much) & the 2nd lap is 10 ks, not 11.1 like the first one.
I noted that my 1k splits were lengthening, I think 15k was 59.40 & the next ks were all on 4 min pace - 64, 68, 72. Of course, the HM k markers were 100m short of the actual distance, so the 9k marker for the 10k race meant I had that longed-for last k. Went thru in 81 so needed a blistering 3 min k to get me under 84 - no way. The crowd on the bridge & near the finish were good, I had some great support & picked up the pace - just wish I'd had that earlier. Came home wheezing like a steam train, 20 secs outside my GC time. As per usual with these events, the distance was questioned - Keith S bristling with Garmins on each arm claimed it was 300m long. Oh well, I've had 2 short races, it was about time for the long one.
Recognised the race winner coming my way as I walked the long 2ks back to the campground. Sandile Lembetha, from South Africa, a 2.18 marathoner who pulled a hamstring at this year's GC marathon. I congratulated him & he told me he had a pretty slow 2nd lap but just managed to hold off Mona by 5 secs after having a huge gap (over 1 minute) at halfway. Winning time: 69 mins. His phone went off & he excused himself - probably the race organisers wondering where he was for the prize ceremony. These elite athletes - so small & light, no body fat.
Ok, I need to start running 5 days a week & increasing my mileage past the 40-50ks I'm currently doing... Next HM, Melbourne.
2 comments:
Congrats Mike, that's still a great time even if you did slow a bit.
Not sure why, but the km markers are always dodgey at that race. Seems such a simple thing to get right.
Keep up the hard yakka at PCRG.
See you in Melbourne!
I've said it before and will say it again. Its going to be scary when you start doing 70-80k's a week. Don't rush it though and let your bady adapt gradually.
M
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