And what a journey it has been!
Running this year's Melb marathon was going to be my personal commemoration run.. my 1 year 2 months here in Melbourne has been a huge personal milestone & doing the Melbourne marathon was gonna be my way of patting myself on the back :)
So I didn't take long to decide when the left ITB was still not 100% the evening before when we went for a short run.. I was still gonna go for it - I was just gonna have to run (or crawl) through severe pain at worst. I knew it was ill-advised but hell.. I was planning to walk to the finish if I had to. The event was not gonna be just another run for me!
So 2 simple targets:
So 2 simple targets:
1) Just aim to finish if injury flares up
2) Sub 4:30 if injury doesn't flare up
Preparation
Not the most complete, and with the overhanging injury sustained since pre-SCC and made worse during SCC it was difficult. It wasn't depressing or anything, I knew I would still turn up but it'd be nice if I wasn't walking most of the 42.2km. Anyway, I did zero runs in the final taper week, and only the short 3k the evening before (where I felt the ITB still tight) - I rather the left leg get enough recovery. And made sure I didn't forget to pack the Nurofen the night before.. so in the end preparation wasn't about hitting target times anymore, it was preparation to run through pain!!
Race Day
We arrived early being first-timers, didn't know whether we'd get lost or anything. We lingered around the stadium & got round to the starting area after dropping our change bag. We didn't meet anyone we knew so we just lingered around with everyone else waiting to start. It was great weather, wasn't chilly or windy. Not much of an atmosphere without music or anything, just the emcees yakking away loudly. During a short warmup run, the ITB felt tender & without worrying about it too much I just tightened the ITB strap. As we counted down to 7am, I jammed the headphone into the ears, kissed my wife twice... and we were OFF..
0-30k
First 2-3k I wasn't moving well, the wifey had zoomed off & I was just sticking to a comfortable pace around 5:50. Gradually the old engine was warming up & I was pushing into the 5:30 zone.. held it up as best I could. And well, I didn't do too badly coz I lasted till around 30k!
Well, I wasn't going to be able to sustain it past 30k because the ITB was starting to remind me of its presence, and the rest of the muscle groups were all jumping into the bandwagon of pain. I was keeping pace with 2 senior ladies - who were running with small cadence but at an unrelenting pace. They could sustain their form so well it was clear their legs had plenty more mileage. I had to tap out. Theirs would've been the pace I would stick to & the running style I would've executed with.
Still I was happy I managed to sustain a 5:30 pace for 30k .. to me that's a PB in its own right.. :)
30-35k
The run had finally started.
I was of course hoping it would only start at 35k, but doing a 5:30 pace for 30k I have arrived early at the gates of pain. Every part of my leg was screaming for me to stop & rest. I wasn't moving right due to the injury, and it agitated the rest of the legs as I tried to adjust. My wife later told me I was running weird when she caught up with me at 32k thereabouts. I was indeed... I had to walk on several accounts during the 30-35k stretch and everytime I stopped it was quite a psychological beating as well..
I had to conjure the ultimate mental fortitude.
35-42k
The longest 3k took place between 35 to 38k, as expected. The rain had started to pour, whilst invigorating, it didn't help the poor legs one bit. I wasn't cramping which meant I was keeping the salt levels decent, but it was just a mix of sheer lethargy & pain.. the soggy shoes were now squishy & blisters were forming - and being overtaken by more & more people it was just sapping. Mentally, physically.. I was just spent.
No amount of angry motivational music from Eminem of Tupac was helping either.. my mind was already zoning out. The music wasn't registering anymore, they were just noise. Still - I wasn't hating the moment or anything.. I disliked the suffering of course, but thinking back - I loved the setting of it all.. the rain, the mental & physical anguish.. and my chance to once again, step up to the game.
I was down to my last power gel which I have been saving for 38k. When I finally hit 38k, in it went... and out came a mini 2nd wind..
39 & 40k arrived very quickly (thanks to the gel no doubt).. towards 41k was a gradual incline where I surprised myself that I could stay running.. though at this point it was all in the 6:00 region. The sight of MCG brought some tears no doubt (hidden by the raindrops) & I slowly opened up my stride as we approached the stadium..
As my crowning glory I overtook a senior runner whom I was 'racing' with in that final 300m in the stadium, and tried to maintain as much form as I could crossing the finishing line.
The wife & Jon had arrived 2mins earlier & it was so nice to see them there, all of us fresh from the onslaught with emotions still running high. We hobbled together, took photos & just feeling extremely proud of each other.. it was truly a great moment.
Post-Run
Notable memories include hobbling with the rest of Melbourne towards the changing area, while the crowd was expectedly 'city-style-aloof' you could sense eyes were darting around & small grins were forming coz everyone could see everyone else hobbling from one corner to another in the changing area. And you knew a great dialogue would be struck up if anyone initiated a congratulatory conversation :)
What else. Ah yes, the coffee from Coffee Club was good.. long wait though!
It was great to also have met up with Karen & Andrew & Sue O'Brien.. always an inspiration these folks.
Lessons Learnt
1) Music does help, volume should've been set bit louder towards the end when mind is blanking out.
2) Possibly those slow-release-gum/tabs would've helped in the 30-38k region.
3) Running with a bottle of electrolytes does help.. didn't feel any sign of cramps throughout
Final Thoughts
Extremely proud of myself. ahem. and the wife. Not just of the run of course, but the entire journey we've been through coming to Melbourne.. that's what the run was for anyway. For all that we've put ourselves & our families through, that's what that little piece of medal represents.
So will I / we do it again? Not anytime soon I think.. ask us again in few years time! Enough bitumen for now, we're going back to the trails :D
Preparation
Not the most complete, and with the overhanging injury sustained since pre-SCC and made worse during SCC it was difficult. It wasn't depressing or anything, I knew I would still turn up but it'd be nice if I wasn't walking most of the 42.2km. Anyway, I did zero runs in the final taper week, and only the short 3k the evening before (where I felt the ITB still tight) - I rather the left leg get enough recovery. And made sure I didn't forget to pack the Nurofen the night before.. so in the end preparation wasn't about hitting target times anymore, it was preparation to run through pain!!
Race Day
We arrived early being first-timers, didn't know whether we'd get lost or anything. We lingered around the stadium & got round to the starting area after dropping our change bag. We didn't meet anyone we knew so we just lingered around with everyone else waiting to start. It was great weather, wasn't chilly or windy. Not much of an atmosphere without music or anything, just the emcees yakking away loudly. During a short warmup run, the ITB felt tender & without worrying about it too much I just tightened the ITB strap. As we counted down to 7am, I jammed the headphone into the ears, kissed my wife twice... and we were OFF..
0-30k
First 2-3k I wasn't moving well, the wifey had zoomed off & I was just sticking to a comfortable pace around 5:50. Gradually the old engine was warming up & I was pushing into the 5:30 zone.. held it up as best I could. And well, I didn't do too badly coz I lasted till around 30k!
Well, I wasn't going to be able to sustain it past 30k because the ITB was starting to remind me of its presence, and the rest of the muscle groups were all jumping into the bandwagon of pain. I was keeping pace with 2 senior ladies - who were running with small cadence but at an unrelenting pace. They could sustain their form so well it was clear their legs had plenty more mileage. I had to tap out. Theirs would've been the pace I would stick to & the running style I would've executed with.
Still I was happy I managed to sustain a 5:30 pace for 30k .. to me that's a PB in its own right.. :)
30-35k
The run had finally started.
I was of course hoping it would only start at 35k, but doing a 5:30 pace for 30k I have arrived early at the gates of pain. Every part of my leg was screaming for me to stop & rest. I wasn't moving right due to the injury, and it agitated the rest of the legs as I tried to adjust. My wife later told me I was running weird when she caught up with me at 32k thereabouts. I was indeed... I had to walk on several accounts during the 30-35k stretch and everytime I stopped it was quite a psychological beating as well..
I had to conjure the ultimate mental fortitude.
35-42k
The longest 3k took place between 35 to 38k, as expected. The rain had started to pour, whilst invigorating, it didn't help the poor legs one bit. I wasn't cramping which meant I was keeping the salt levels decent, but it was just a mix of sheer lethargy & pain.. the soggy shoes were now squishy & blisters were forming - and being overtaken by more & more people it was just sapping. Mentally, physically.. I was just spent.
No amount of angry motivational music from Eminem of Tupac was helping either.. my mind was already zoning out. The music wasn't registering anymore, they were just noise. Still - I wasn't hating the moment or anything.. I disliked the suffering of course, but thinking back - I loved the setting of it all.. the rain, the mental & physical anguish.. and my chance to once again, step up to the game.
I was down to my last power gel which I have been saving for 38k. When I finally hit 38k, in it went... and out came a mini 2nd wind..
39 & 40k arrived very quickly (thanks to the gel no doubt).. towards 41k was a gradual incline where I surprised myself that I could stay running.. though at this point it was all in the 6:00 region. The sight of MCG brought some tears no doubt (hidden by the raindrops) & I slowly opened up my stride as we approached the stadium..
As my crowning glory I overtook a senior runner whom I was 'racing' with in that final 300m in the stadium, and tried to maintain as much form as I could crossing the finishing line.
The wife & Jon had arrived 2mins earlier & it was so nice to see them there, all of us fresh from the onslaught with emotions still running high. We hobbled together, took photos & just feeling extremely proud of each other.. it was truly a great moment.
Post-Run
Notable memories include hobbling with the rest of Melbourne towards the changing area, while the crowd was expectedly 'city-style-aloof' you could sense eyes were darting around & small grins were forming coz everyone could see everyone else hobbling from one corner to another in the changing area. And you knew a great dialogue would be struck up if anyone initiated a congratulatory conversation :)
What else. Ah yes, the coffee from Coffee Club was good.. long wait though!
It was great to also have met up with Karen & Andrew & Sue O'Brien.. always an inspiration these folks.
 |
| Courtesy of Andrew O'Brien |
Lessons Learnt
1) Music does help, volume should've been set bit louder towards the end when mind is blanking out.
2) Possibly those slow-release-gum/tabs would've helped in the 30-38k region.
3) Running with a bottle of electrolytes does help.. didn't feel any sign of cramps throughout
Final Thoughts
Extremely proud of myself. ahem. and the wife. Not just of the run of course, but the entire journey we've been through coming to Melbourne.. that's what the run was for anyway. For all that we've put ourselves & our families through, that's what that little piece of medal represents.
So will I / we do it again? Not anytime soon I think.. ask us again in few years time! Enough bitumen for now, we're going back to the trails :D
enough bitumen eh? :P
ReplyDeletetell me again when you wake up one morning and ask me, "Hmm, shall we hit the sub-4?" ... which I hope, will not happen any time soon! haha!