It was a pretty balmy day for late May. I finished my final warm up, a jog between the pylons under the harbour bridge and stretch up against the sandstone wall at the end of Lower Fort Street.
The trick was now to make my way somewhere into the middle of the 3,500 or so runners waiting to start so the collective body heat would keep me warm for the next 20 minutes. I ended up amongst some go faster army types with enough glucose bars and isotonic drinks hanging off them to survive WWIII. Um this is only a half marathon isn't it? Yep, the banner over the start line says so. Phew!
The typical shuffling start to an event and we are away. I have an almost overwhelming urge to start singing boooom chugalugaluga, boom chugalugaluga, boom chugalugaluga boom, like they do at the graduation parade in Stripes. Fortunately with visions of having a glucose bar inserted sideways into a certain fundamental orifice I pull my head in and keep shuffling. Who said I'm not getting older and wiser?
By the time we were around on Hickson Road and coming under the Bridge for the first time it was possible to run with only the occassional side step. It was here I started to realise I seemed to have a shadow. Hmmm be nice to have a friend for the next couple of hours. Round past the big Hotel and onto George Street. Now I seemed to be the shadow. Just as I'm trying to think up something to say that won't seem like I'm trying to hit on her, she speaks! The words elude me now, but it wasn't long before we did the formal handshake and introduction.
Gabrielle!!!! As if my breathing didn't have enough problems! 3,500 runners and I make friends with one of the 2% with a 3 syllable monica! Fortunately as I stutter and gasp she tells me that a simple Gabby will suffice. Phew again!
Gabby as it turns out has never run further than 10kms in her life and she is not even sure if the half marathon is 21km or 22km. I marvel at the naivete, truly I do, I wish I could be like that, just run cause this is the next run on the calender, instead of planning every last footstep. Gabby runs with a club, mostly does cross country and would like to do under 2 hours for the half.
Ok. I can help, I have a stop watch and I just happen to have memorised the split times for a 1:59:34 half marathon! The inquisition begins as Gabby ascertains my bona fide's, yep I've done a few long runs in my time, nope I havn't prepared much for this race, yep I've run the Sydney half before. Do I know what I'm doing? Nope! I was kind of hoping you did :-)
When I first sent in the entry form for the half, I had a 1:45 in my sights, but the normal calf trouble meant a minimalist approach of 1 x 5km and 3 x 10km runs in the 2 weeks prior to the race as my total race preparation (I hadn't run for months prior). So anywhere in the 1:50's and I'd be happy. Shoot, a finish would do me!
Mentoring for Gabby had 3 positive affects on me;
1. I mentally accepted a 1:59.
2. I became disciplined on my split times and overcame the temptation to go out too hard.
3. I had someone to talk to and the time went faster.
We did the first 5kms in 28 mins, bang on schedule. 10km in 54mins, great, staying within the aerobic threshold we now had a couple of minutes up our sleeves. Coming past the finish line for the first time the announcer gave us the good oil that the 2 Kenyan's were out in front and should be making an appearance any moment.
No matter what your mental approach, Hunter Street the second time round is a drag. Once should be enough in any race! 15kms in just under 1:24, a bit slower, but still in the black as far as the splits are concerned, and the last bit is much easier than the first bit....... right? Snapping along, the 18km mark goes by in just under 1:42. We've got 18 minutes to run 3.1kms - piece o cake! Turn into Kent Street and I'm starting to think about when to "go".
Half way along Kent Street and zap! There goes my right calf. Keep going Gabby. Damn, damn and double damn as I slow to a limping walk..... ok Holzy, get your act together son, get the pace up again..... and running, yeah! Kapow! There goes the left, man what is going on here, so close yet so far away! Stop, light stretch on a No Standing Sign and walk (limp) off again. Well thats torn it! There goes the sub 2. At least I can walk home. Oh good, it's starting to rain!!!
Is that the 19km mark? Hmmmmm....... lets see 1:48 ....... (it's amazing how slow the mental processes work by this stage)..... um...... um...... yeah..... ahhh...... yep I got 12 minutes to do 2.1kms....... er 12/2 is um.... er....... ummm 6, yeah thats it 6, I wonder what it is if ya include the .1?.......Oh forget it!!!!!! 6 minutes per km for 2 kms, I can do that, lets try a shuffle.
To my profound gratification my legs put aside their protest and get me going at what I assume is somewhere around the 6 min per km pace I need. I wind down to Sussex Street and groan at the out an back bit of the course you have to do towards Darling Harbour, psychologically it's a bummer. One good thing, there is Gabby going back the other way, she is almost to the 20km mark. A quick wave and shout of encouragement and it's head down time.
20kms in 1:54 and a smidge. Damn, I'm behind schedule and there is still the .1 to consider! At that point one brave punter goes flying by me and promptly slows to a dawdle. Don't stop now I say, you have a sub 2 in sight! As if stung by a bee, he ups and off, I tuck into the slip stream and hang on for the ride. By this time my running action resembles Cliff Young on a bad day trying to imitate a Dennis Lillies run up. I must look like a startled emu.
A couple of hundred meters to go and quick look at the watch. The anouncer is encouraging us all to get in under the 2 hours. Give it some. Yes!!!! 1:59:18. Did it! Got to be happy with that, considering.
Apart from the pain in my calfs, I feel great, the rest of the body is feeling good and so are the internal bits. Life is good, I enjoyed that, and certainly pulled up a whole lot better than I did in ‘97.
Postscript
I reckon unless she was foxin all the way, Gabby couldn't have beaten me home by more than 2-3 minutes but she was nowhere to be seen at the finish. I put it down to her heading straight for her clubby mates and I got on with the important business of sinking a few Gatorades. Bye n bye I kept a lifting eye out for Gabby, but no dice. Oh well, I thought, I'll just look up her result in the paper on Tuesday.
Funny thing was though, when I checked the results there was no Gabrielle! Somehow she went AWOL in the last km. All in all bit of a mystery?
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