A bit of a prologue - I'd had a bit of trouble getting a 'priority start' for this race. I entered 3 weeks in advance online and thought I'd got a priority start, but a check email received mixed results - 2 people replied, one saying I was and one that I had missed out. Going to the expo on Friday I picked up my number and found I was just in the general start. I proceeded to the help desk where I told the girl I was supposed to have a priority, so she took out a yellow sticker and wrote - 'approved for priority' on it and slapped it on my bib. In the end I didn't need to prove a time at all.
On to this morning. Arrived early and did about 3k easy with 5x100m strides. It wasn't clear to me where the priority starters were to assemble, so I went o the front of the 'a' section. There were several other priority guys around me and I saw B'Man and Sugar nearby, so I felt safe. A voice came over the speakers saying in a few minutes the priority runners would be called to the start. A few minutes went by and the same voice sadi 'all A group runners to the start'. I exchanged confused looks with the other priority runners around me and tried to dash in with the 5000 other runners. Coming on to St Georges Tce I madly dodged/pushed through people and had got to perhaps 15 rows from the front before the gun went off. In the rush I hadn't set my gps, and stupidly was wearing my new Garmin 610 - which I've only worn twice, and gave up trying to just start the stopwatch on the run.
The first 2k was spent passing people, and at 3k I came up to Biscuitman . I could see DB about 50-100m ahead - he stayed pretty much exactly that distance ahead of me for the whole race. Midrace I concentrated on not going too fast, and sat aroung Lauren Shelley - who was the first woman.
The 6k hill was a bit of a shock to the legs, but I passed several up it, although most repassed me back down the other side. As many have said, the turns through Perry Lakes and the grass section lost rhythm/momentum compared with the old course.
On tho the last set of hills and although I slowed a bit, I held my relative position over them, and felt I was sprinting down the other side, although not gaining on anyone.
I didn't have a final srint but wasn't passed through the finish line.
Unfortunately I didn't see the finishing clock and had no watch, so I'm not sure of my time. Lauren apparently did 44:22 and DB said he did 44:15, so I'm pretty confident I was under 45 - which was the goal.
Felt pretty good afterwards, and after watching family members finish their respective races I jogged the 6k home.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
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