Fresh from the '97 Six Foot Track Ultra and putting in some of my fastest training runs ever, I was keen to have a crack at the Sydney Half Marathon.
After talking my mates Paul and Steve into joining me, I immediately embarked on an experimental 8 week taper training program where I didn't run for the entire time and tried to keep all physical activity to a minimum.
It was a bold move in the history of sport science, I was set to re-write the training manuals. What a pity, I must have mis-timed my pre-race depletion diet and put in a shocker of a performance. I'm sure that was it!
So my preparation wasn't great, but it was only a half marathon after all....right? No problemo, I'll just go out for a doddle, no pressure, should still pull a sub 2 hour.
Trouble was when the gun went off so did my brain... Im not sure where, but it certainly wasn't interjecting in protest from wherever it was hiding, cause I took off at a frenetic pace.
I stuck with Paul for the first 3km's or so (Paul was on a 1:30 pace), till I realised that the freight train I could hear was actually my breathing.
Hunter Street for the first time and I was shot already, jeez I'm a num nuts! Only 17kms to go....
Struggling to the finish line for the first time, I seriously considered pulling the pin, but the sound of Steve Moneghetti's size 11's flapping along the road behind me shamed me into doing the second lap. (Only just beat Mona's over the finish line... all the cheering was kinda nice... pity it was for him)
The rest of the race is a blur, I honestly don't remember much, someone giving me encouragement on the hill behind St Mary's Cathedral (old course), running along side a lady who told me she was 67 - now there is an ego boost! Fair dinks though, good on her I say, besides I passed her on Kent Street again! (at least that's the published version).
The run up to the finish line was dead set painful. The announcer was trying to lift us to get in under 2 hours, I had the time, but not the legs. They just wouldn't go. Of course if I had have been running in a straight line it might have helped!
Through the gates and whoa!!! My head is going straight but my legs are determined to go sideways. A helping hand from an official to the railing and I have a little rest. Focussing on the card I see I have done a 2:00:16. Worse than I probably would have done if I had of gone out slow.
Never have I felt so wasted after a run, the quads were threatening to cramp and I felt like a bag of not so nice things.
Trying to get up the stairs back up to Lower Fort Street was extremely frustrating. Everytime I went to take a step, I'd cramp and have to stop till it settled before moving on and repeating the process.
Poor ole Stevo faired no better with his calf blowing up on him. With grit and determination he made it home though. By comparison I probably had it easy. Paul had run a goodun, in 1:30 something.
Still, all in all, it was a good day out with the boys and what the hey if I never made the science journals with a revolutionary new training regime. It was fun and that after all is the main thing!
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