Canberra 50k 2008

My planned training run at Canberra turned out to be a good experience for me.

I woke at 4:55 am just five minutes before my alarm time. I had a small can of creamed rice and a cup of coffee and then showered. Another cup of coffee at 6:00. A peek out the window, showed it was a little cloudy. In what seemed no time I was ready to head to the start line, just five minutes walk from where I was staying. I stepped out the door and was meet with the glorious site of a perfect 180 degree arch of a rainbow. Isn't that supposed to mean the end of the rain? By the time I was lining up it had started to spit. At this point I was fully committed to my goal of doing the 50k.

I started slowly with a first K of 5:39 but settled down to a 5:25 pace after that. Just as my pace quickened, so did the rain. As we went past the first aid station a guy on a microphone was announcing to all "Thank you runners for bringing the rain". Generally on a run you tend to warm up, but the rain and what seemed as a drop in temperature was making me regret not wearing my gloves. My hands were starting to get very cold. By the time, I had come down the hill from Parliament House, my feet were starting to slosh around in the water inside my shoes. Thankfully, the Toasties where a source of warmth with their side line antics at this stage (and again at later stages). Well done amigos.



Worse by the time, I approached cow corner (10k), I had an inkling that a blister may have been developing under the ball of my left foot. I stopped and pulled my socks up, hoping that was all the problem was. Seems it did the trick as nothing further developed. Over the next half hour the rain ease and conditions became more pleasant. It started to dry out and my pace also increased a bit. Passed the Half Marathon Mark in 1:52:48 (5:21 @ HR 136). Things where going to plan at this stage. I try to stay under 135 HR for as long as I can on long training run.

I continued on and was a bit surprised to see my HR going up to around 145 until I realised that for some unknown reason I had started to speed up. Managed a few 5:06ks but was generally doing around 5:15. The Ks clicked by and I was really enjoying myself. The 32k mark came and went and I started to think the sooner or later the legs were going to get tired and I would have to start grinding it out. 35k and still feeling good. I am passing a lot of people now. 40k, can't believe the legs are feeling so good. A few people are now passing me as they power on to a good marathon finish but I resist the urge to go with them as there is still 10k to go. The atmosphere going up the finishing shute for the Marathon is very uplifting. I cross the mat in 3:43:27. A second Half of 1:50:39 (5:15 @ HR 152) a nice negative split.







Just under 8k to go and I am staggered at how comfortable I feel. Up to this point, I had been holding back but I just thought I'd run on feel from here on in. This part of the course on the cycle path is very scenic with the lake on one side and the lovely autumn leaves of the trees on the other. Managed my fastest K of the race for the 45th in 4:59. In next to no time I was back running up the finishing shute soaking up that atmosphere for a second time. I felt like I could go round again. The last 7.8k in 39:47 (5:06 @ HR 162) and a debut time for 50k of 4:23:14.



I honestly don't know where today's run came from. My last two training long runs (36k) over the previous two weeks have been done at a slower pace than this and feeling very leg weary at the end. The only differences I can see where it is somewhat cooler, somewhat flatter and I ran after having breakfast and fuelled up during the run (seven gels in all).

One happy camper and my most Ks in a week ever 110.1k .

There was another aspect of the run which revolves around the music I had on my player. This is the third time I have worn my music player in a marathon. Each time I have loaded it up with songs from my Best of the Year compilations. This time it was 2002 Vol 1& 2 and 2003 Vol 1 & 2. So in the early parts of the race I was listening to the 2002 stuff. Now this bought back some fairly intense emotions in me.
In early 2002, I had not run for many years. I was very unfit. In April, I had a skin cancer removed from near my ankle and had a skin graft. Under doctor's orders I had to lie in bed with my foot up for three weeks. Knowing this before hand, I bought a batch of CDs to listen to. I used the occasion as a bit of an opportunity to catch up with a bit of main stream music that had passed me by. Some of those Cds such as The Bends by Radiohead, The Stone Roses, Essence by Lucinda Williams, became firm favourites of 2002 and it was pleasing to see how far I had come since those low days.
After that experience, I made a commitment to at least get fit. I bought a digital music player and commenced walking at lunch time. I did that for about six months before starting to slowly start running again. So those first albums, I placed on that player also remain dear to me and it was uplifting to hear them again especially given at this point in the race it was wet and cold. They include One Giant Leap, Sam Magwana Sings Dino Vangu and Stevie Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale.

Maybe it was the music that lifted me so high today.