My Gold Coast History;
2007 10km 18th (1st) 33;14
2008 Half 27th (1st) 72;26
2010 10km 41st (1st) 34;32
2011 10km 26th (1st) 33;24
2014 10km 25th (1st) 32;58
2015 Half 38th (1st) 73;19
2017 Half 36th (1st) 73;13
So to the Gold Coast Marathon festival weekend, the biggest weekend on the calendar in Queensland and perhaps Australia. IAAF Gold Label event. Fantastically organised and the event that most runners train the previous six months for.
I had a different approach to this year trying to supplement HIT for endurance training. Coming up to the day I had some niggles, something akin to a cracked rib was adding to my back pain, some pain to the ligaments on the top of both feet, some pain to the front right quad, pain in the hammies, but all manageable and runable. At 55 years it always hurts.
Race night required an early night for a 3;00am alarm (!). I hit the road at 3;30am and arrived at 5;00am. Fortunate enough to still be able to wangle an elite entry so I head to the elite athlete center, the Southport Aquatic Center (Home for the Swimming at the Commonwealth Games next year). The place is full of talent. I had a chat with the legend Monnas (75;08) who is suffering similar issues to me from the top of foot pain and high hammies. He says he gets it from sitting on planes and driving too much. I ask him about his lack of intent on going for Masters records? he was rightly proud to claim to be the oldest guy to run sub 30 10km at Launnie but he just wasn't interested in Masters, considering he is a 4 time Olympian!
I did about a hundred laps around the warm up pool for a warm up (2km) and headed to the start line. Decided that the freezing temperatures merited gloves as I suffer particularly when it drops below 10 O C and it was about 9 o C. A very quick hello to Peter (81;28) and Andrew (79;26) and line up one row from the front behind Josh Harris (64;55). The gun brings the normal rush of adrenaline and we are flying. I recognise the pace is really on, Matty McDonald (70;22) pulls alongside and advises caution. I pull back the throttle but still go through the first K in 3;15 feeling easy.
Sarah Hall (70;31) the first female is running strong and my plan of following the lead ladies goes by the way as I let her go and get stranded into a remote section of the field. I spend sometime following Neal Pearson (72;30) and clicking off 3;24 K's. At 8km we take a short detour dogleg to add in required distance but it gives you a chance to see who is following as we run back on ourselves.
I see a big group including a bunch of top woman and another bunch that contained my M55 competitor Bruce Graham (74;23). We again head north following the coast up to the 11km turnaround. I got caught by the top ladies group and enjoyed the easiest section of the run amidst the group. However the turnaround caused that group to fragment and gap me and I am again in no man's land running pretty isolated. I ran for some time with Hamish MacDonald (72;50) before he pulled inexorably away.
Only two runners came past after halfway.
Joseph Turner who ran 34;19 first 10km followed by 34;50 for the next 10km to nail a 72;47.
The other youngster to pass me was Ryan McAlister (72;59) who ran a 34;48 first 10km with a 34;31 negative split. A full minute behind me at 10km, 14 seconds in front at the finish.
I felt my hammies tightening on the way back as I tried to hang on. My garmin was showing my 3;35 K splits but I lifted as we closed into the finish. Huge support out there - lots of Road Runners calls (Brisbane RRC) and my bib number 'Garmin Lama' got a few shouts. As we entered the finishing chute I heard the announcer's call Cassie Fien (73;18) so I lifted again to beat her for the first time in a while.
I said to myself beforehand to be happy if I ran 72/73, so I have got to say I am happy but I do think with better pace judgement I would have run sub 73.
Running 33;50 (official split or 33;48 on my Garmin) for 10km was too quick considering how I finished.
My goal of trying to match Ronnie Peter's 72;19 M55 Australian record fell short.
Ronnie told me his pacing for that run was;
17:03;17:09 (10k in 34:12); 17:14 ( 15k in 51:27); 20:56 to finish. Mine was;
16;38; 17;10 (10k in 33;48); 17;28 (15k in 51;16); 21;58 to finish [17;47 for 4th the 5k + 4;10 to finish]
Hats off to Ronnie, he is the Master.
Have look at the course on this flyby satellite view https://www.relive.cc/view/1063007732
2007 10km 18th (1st) 33;14
2008 Half 27th (1st) 72;26
2010 10km 41st (1st) 34;32
2011 10km 26th (1st) 33;24
2014 10km 25th (1st) 32;58
2015 Half 38th (1st) 73;19
2017 Half 36th (1st) 73;13
So to the Gold Coast Marathon festival weekend, the biggest weekend on the calendar in Queensland and perhaps Australia. IAAF Gold Label event. Fantastically organised and the event that most runners train the previous six months for.
I had a different approach to this year trying to supplement HIT for endurance training. Coming up to the day I had some niggles, something akin to a cracked rib was adding to my back pain, some pain to the ligaments on the top of both feet, some pain to the front right quad, pain in the hammies, but all manageable and runable. At 55 years it always hurts.
Race night required an early night for a 3;00am alarm (!). I hit the road at 3;30am and arrived at 5;00am. Fortunate enough to still be able to wangle an elite entry so I head to the elite athlete center, the Southport Aquatic Center (Home for the Swimming at the Commonwealth Games next year). The place is full of talent. I had a chat with the legend Monnas (75;08) who is suffering similar issues to me from the top of foot pain and high hammies. He says he gets it from sitting on planes and driving too much. I ask him about his lack of intent on going for Masters records? he was rightly proud to claim to be the oldest guy to run sub 30 10km at Launnie but he just wasn't interested in Masters, considering he is a 4 time Olympian!
I did about a hundred laps around the warm up pool for a warm up (2km) and headed to the start line. Decided that the freezing temperatures merited gloves as I suffer particularly when it drops below 10 O C and it was about 9 o C. A very quick hello to Peter (81;28) and Andrew (79;26) and line up one row from the front behind Josh Harris (64;55). The gun brings the normal rush of adrenaline and we are flying. I recognise the pace is really on, Matty McDonald (70;22) pulls alongside and advises caution. I pull back the throttle but still go through the first K in 3;15 feeling easy.
Sarah Hall (70;31) the first female is running strong and my plan of following the lead ladies goes by the way as I let her go and get stranded into a remote section of the field. I spend sometime following Neal Pearson (72;30) and clicking off 3;24 K's. At 8km we take a short detour dogleg to add in required distance but it gives you a chance to see who is following as we run back on ourselves.
I see a big group including a bunch of top woman and another bunch that contained my M55 competitor Bruce Graham (74;23). We again head north following the coast up to the 11km turnaround. I got caught by the top ladies group and enjoyed the easiest section of the run amidst the group. However the turnaround caused that group to fragment and gap me and I am again in no man's land running pretty isolated. I ran for some time with Hamish MacDonald (72;50) before he pulled inexorably away.
Only two runners came past after halfway.
Joseph Turner who ran 34;19 first 10km followed by 34;50 for the next 10km to nail a 72;47.
The other youngster to pass me was Ryan McAlister (72;59) who ran a 34;48 first 10km with a 34;31 negative split. A full minute behind me at 10km, 14 seconds in front at the finish.
I felt my hammies tightening on the way back as I tried to hang on. My garmin was showing my 3;35 K splits but I lifted as we closed into the finish. Huge support out there - lots of Road Runners calls (Brisbane RRC) and my bib number 'Garmin Lama' got a few shouts. As we entered the finishing chute I heard the announcer's call Cassie Fien (73;18) so I lifted again to beat her for the first time in a while.
I said to myself beforehand to be happy if I ran 72/73, so I have got to say I am happy but I do think with better pace judgement I would have run sub 73.
Running 33;50 (official split or 33;48 on my Garmin) for 10km was too quick considering how I finished.
My goal of trying to match Ronnie Peter's 72;19 M55 Australian record fell short.
Ronnie told me his pacing for that run was;
17:03;17:09 (10k in 34:12); 17:14 ( 15k in 51:27); 20:56 to finish. Mine was;
16;38; 17;10 (10k in 33;48); 17;28 (15k in 51;16); 21;58 to finish [17;47 for 4th the 5k + 4;10 to finish]
Hats off to Ronnie, he is the Master.
Have look at the course on this flyby satellite view https://www.relive.cc/view/1063007732
3 comments:
Thank you, i really enjoyed reading your report. I particularly like the way you give times for other runners around you and weave them into your story. Also, the analysis of your race - how you might improve.
You're in another world up front, but there are echoes in this for us back-of-the-pack runners.
cheers,
Alan Peacock
Hi David - Ronnie is the best - and even pace is always the best way to achieve your best, but never easy to judge - great run by u and bruce - hope to get up there for the 10k next year - will be 59 by then. Mike Beisty
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