2012 has been another really satisfying year with my running and I have continued to build on some solid performances in 2011 with P.Bs at every distance culminating in a fresh 5km P.B last Saturday. However, my 'A' race of the year is always Melbourne Marathon, and without doubt I would judge my year by my performance on this day.
This would be marathon number six. I have lowered my P.B in every attempt, except Boston and the expectation was that I would give a P.B another good shot in this race. My build-up for this one was not ideal, in particular due to a nasty virus that I caught about five weeks out which really knocked me about and forced me to lay low when I really wanted to be putting in my biggest couple of weeks. Furthermore, I had being feeling a little low and lacking in running mojo for the past few months, which I put down to a heavy load over the last two years. However, on the flip-side, I had run a solid 2:52:01 in Rotorua earlier in the year on a demanding hilly course in less than perfect conditions, so after a solid cross country season, including a half marathon P.B, there was every chance that given good conditions I would still be a real chance of a marathon P.B.
The marathon distance always deserves respect, and even after five previous ones, I was still as nervous as ever and the nagging doubts had begun to creep in during the final week. Have I done enough miles? Is my goal time realistic? Will I blow up? What is that little niggle in my hip? Is the weather going to be too hot? How much pasta and rice should I eat? On the morning what if I can't go before I go? Will I meet my expectations?
The scene was set then. October 14, 2012. 7am, sunny, 8 degrees, not a breath of wind. In short, perfect running conditions. Incredibly, over 6000 others from around Australia and the world had turned up for MM number 35, so the atmosphere on the start line was electric. My plan, as usual, was to be conservative early on trying to sit on my goal pace of 3:57 for the first half of the race.
The gun went and we were off. 42.2 km that would test the courage of all 6000+ entrants. I found it pretty easy to settle into a good rhythm and was maintaining a very comfortable 3:55 pace down the first stretch on St Kilda Rd. One of the things I love about the marathon is the general camaraderie between the runners. Because it is such a long race, during the first half (at least) you should be able to maintain a conversation with others around you (well at least a few snatched sentences between breaths). I had struck up a conversation with a lady named Claire from Queensland and another bloke (Adam I think), who were both aiming for similar times to me. We shared a few thoughts about the race, the weather and how we were feeling. Melbourne was really looking spectacular, and the view towards the city while running around Albert Park, despite knowing it well, looked like something from a postcard fantasy.
Writing of fantasies, I was running very comfortably and feeling good. You can never know for sure until later on the race but I was already starting to get the feeling that this was going to be a good day. Perhaps the best thing about the Melbourne course, is all the switchbacks that allow you to gauge your progress against other runners and give a shout out to your friends in front of or behind you. On the switchback near the pit lane of the Melbourne Grand Prix, I could see that Kirstin, Rob, Alan, Tim and Andrea were all in good form so it was shaping up to be a special day for the Crosbie Crew. By this stage I had dropped my earlier friends whom I struck up a conversation with and found myself a little isolated. This was okay, I was running my own race and I was still keeping consistency.
Going down Fitzroy Street for the first time, I saw my wife Asia, who had also gotten up early to support me, take photos and just be a general on the day superstar. Thanks love, I couldn't have done it so easily without you by my side! I also saw a large contingent of South Melbourne Athletic Club veterans who gave a huge cheer of encouragement as I rounded the corner to tackle the out and back stretch up Beach Road.
At the turnaround at Port Melbourne, I saw clubmate Corey Lawson for the first time. I knew Corey had aspirations about running sub 2:50 and he has been slightly ahead of me all year in the road races and cross country, so to see him about 100m behind had me slightly concerned at first and I was wondering if perhaps I had gone out too hard. No sooner had these thoughts entered my head and I could hear his loud footfall off my shoulder and all of a sudden we were running together. That was how it stayed more or less until about the 26 km mark where we were heading back towards home. Corey was obviously feeling good and had pulled away from me, developing a lead of about 200m at one point. I decided not to go with him and concentrated on maintaining my rhythm and started to prepare myself mentally for the final 10 km.
If you have experienced the wall in a marathon, and most marathoners will at some stage, then you know that it can happen fast and hard, turning the final kms of your race into a battle for survival and a maximal test of courage. I was still feeling pretty good at 30 km, so I was fairly sure that I was going to make it home and keep the wall at bay. At 32 km, I could see that I was gaining slowly on Corey and at this point I knew I would catch him. Compared to previous years, running the stretch down St Kilda Road and not having to battle with hordes of iPod wearing half marathoners was a breeze. I steeled myself for the slight uphill section through the back of the Melbourne botanical gardens and managed to almost hold my pace.
By now it was really starting to hurt, as expected, so I summoned my last burst of energy for the final section through Federation Square and down to the MCG. It is an incredible feeling entering this great stadium knowing that friends and family are in the crowd and that you are going to smash through another P.B. I probably got a bit carried away with my celebrations during the lap of the stadium with plenty of hooting and hollering to go with the fist pumps. I had done it again, coming through the line in 2:47:49, lowering my P.B by over four minutes and putting to rest all the pre-race demons! It was one of the best running days of my life without doubt.
I didn't achieve a negative split. There was no half-way timing mat, but based on my watch I reckon I went through halfway in about 1:23:30, which meant that I came home in about 1:24:20 which gives me as near as damn an even split, so I'm pretty happy with that.
Some final thoughts on the race itself:
The Good
- The course. On a good weather day, this course is simply spectacular, and fast. The organisers seem to have listened to the previous problems with merging into the half marathoners and the dedicated lane up St Kilda Road for the marathoners was brilliant. I hope that this is the course that is settled on for a few years now as it is close to perfect.
- 7am start time. This is the same as previous years but when the sun is out as it was yesterday, you are thankful to be finishing before 10am and beating the heat of the day.
- The support. I would love to see even bigger crowds out there but I think this race is starting to build momentum and it was good to see plenty of Melbournians out there. Those that were out there were also extremely encouraging, loud and helpful.
- Aid stations. No complaints here. Well staffed, well stocked, well organised and plenty of them.
- The MCG. To enter the MCG for the race finish is just amazing and the real thrill of a lifetime.
The 'Needs Improvement'
- Timing mats. It is great to have four timing mats at 10 km intervals but for a marathon of this size and quality I would really like to see a mat every 5km and one at halfway. To not even have a marker, let alone a mat at the halfway mark was a bit poor.
- Show bag. Terrible, again. Maybe this has to do with the sponsors but a bag full of advertisements, a can of tuna and beans and a can of Powerade is along way from the sort of quality bags I have seen at other international and local races.
- Pre race speaking. With all respect to Steve Moneghetti, the last thing we want to hear about before setting off on our marathon journey is how you could probably trot round in a personal worst performance of 2:30. We need motivation and inspiration. Bring back Deeks.
The needs improvement are really just minor gripes, and only detract slightly from what is a super race - 8.5 / 10.
Thanks must go to my lovely wife who has put up with yet another time consuming, social life interfering marathon build-up. As usual, a marathoner is not the most fun person to be around during the pre marathon taper - with all that pent up energy and nerves you tend to snap at those close to you. Asia you have been super supportive yet again and I'm thankful to have such a special person as my wife. I love you.
Thanks also go to my coach Tim Crosbie, who continues to do amazing things with the Crosbie Crew training group. To my friends in the Crosbie Crew and South Melbourne AC, WOW! What a day! So many amazing runs and to be out there with you while you also achieved your own running nirvana was super special. I look forward to many more great runs with a super bunch of people.
Time to savour the achievement, put on a few kilos and then think about the next thing.
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