Melbourne Maraslog

So I signed up and endured the Melbourne marathon again this year. I have done this race a few times before and this was my 3rd marathon here. I pulled out last year with an injury to my hip that took about 3 months to heal, so I was pretty keen to post a good time. My buddy Pete had also signed up and promised to whip my ass...

Race day approached, and my ultra training had paid off, but my motivation had waned a bit. While I was fit, I wasn't feeling fast. A sloppy half marathon in Richmond on Yarra boulevard, when it was hot and windy saw me blow up early, so I knew my fitness wasn't top shelf.

Race day came, and with it the crowds. Lots of runners now that this was raced at the MCG (start and finish). Mick, karen and I started at the back of the pack and were a bit late (long loo lines, sigh). I started well, and ran on 3h25m pace for the first 24km. It was certainly hot, and the wind was gaining strength. As I turned to return to the CBD, I felt the wind. Oh boy. While I sat on nice 4:45 pace until then, I soon saw my heartrate climb as I headed back into the wind. Gusts climbed to 50km/h saw me hurt, and at 28km I saw my pace waver. A 5:05 meant I was tiring, so I pushed hard again to see if I could hold pace and BANG! Ouch. That hurt. I hit the wall.

Running with a very tired body is something I am used to by now. Jeez, I seem to do it all the time. There are some memorable moments when I am so bloody tired during an endurance event that I am literally out on my feet - winning the Victorian Rogaining Championship comes to mind when I feel asleep while running (walking?) along a road at 4 in the morning and waking up in the ditch. Bailing off of Mt Aspiring after 24hrs and no food, sleep, or water comes back to me as well; though I was hardly running and wanting it to just be over. And one Trailwalker event (2005?) when it was about 35oC and I ended up lying in a ditch (again!) wanting to die OR VOMIT OR BOTH. Yikes that was an ugly day...

No, it was nothing like that. I was still running 5.30-6.00min/km pace, drinking all that I could, into a headwind that meant nobody was smiling, and trying to smile. I realised that it would only go on for another hour - ha, that's nothing. I can do this. Then I passed a guy beside the road.

He looked in a bit of distress. It was his eyes. The kind of eyes that had indicated that he had gone. Not gone on a holiday, just gone. Nothing there. Eyes glazed and nobody home. Wow, call an ambulance fast. The spectators were trying to help, but only an intravenous drip could help that...or maybe a few.

Then there was another one. Woman this time, side of the road and in distress. Ambo with a light in her eyes ... wow.

This went on for quite a while. I saw more. Guy in a space blanket. A buddy who I saw on 3:10 pace hobbling with horrible cramps (later carried away on a stretcher). A sub3hr friend who was ambulanced away at 40km. Yikes.

And finally I finished. Wow, increase speed as I approached the MCG, turn left into the tunnel, run onto the ground, pick up speed. Smile, don't look at the watch.

And then I am done - yikes its hot. Wandering underground at the MCG finish, there were bodies everywhere. I lay on the cold concrete for 10mins before even thinking of moving, and another 5mins before I moved. I was trashed.

In the end, 3:42, which is pretty poor compared to my expected 3:30 but given the heat and wind, and that everyone suffered horribly in this race, I feel I did ok.

Bring on Kepler Challenge.