Decided to run the half this year - in previous years I've only done the 12k or the full marathon.
My expectations weren't too high - last weekend doing the Parkrun 5k race I slipped and fell on a wet wooden jetty/decking in east Perth and in the process managed to sustain a minor hamstring tear. I took it easy all week but even on Friday it was pretty sore stretching out or going up hills.
I took some anti-inflam (Mobic), wore compression shorts and used some tigerbalm pre race to help reduce the risk of problems.
I'd entered late so didn't get a preferred start, but in the tradition of the C2S this didn't matter. We'd all been waiting in the convention centre until we were released for the 800m jog to the startline, and the preferred runners were let out about 5 seconds before the masses, so I was amongst them anyway. Then as we get to the startline, hundreds of people had obviously ignored the start assembly and just jumped the barriers to be at the line with the preferred runners. Anyway, i started about 5 rows back so no issues in the end.
I took it fairly conservatively in the start up the hill, and at about 3k found myself at the back of a pack of 8 which was prob about 20th-28th position. I had a chat to the guy next to me, who mentioned i was the leading runner wearing the event t-shirt (I thought i was the only one who noticed these details). My hammy was fine and I decided my aim for the race would be to pass the other 7 in the pack.
I made it past 3 through kings park, then settled down to a conservative pace through the middle third of the race. garmin showed 18:23/19:41 the 5k and 10k splits. I passed 2 more up the floreat hill with 6k to go, and with 4k to go noted I was 200m behind the next guy. This shortened to 150m turning onto Oceanic for the last big hill, and had got to 30m by the top of the hill. He then sprinted down the hill and extended the gap a little, but I think underestimated the final straight which is nearly 500m. I pushed on hard and took him, leaving only one of the guys I hadn't managed to catch.
I finished in 1:20:57, 5k splits18:23/19:41/19:00/19:42 and ran the last km in 3:25.
The hammy twinged a few times but to be honest, never bothered me. I took no calories and only a couple of sips of water.
Once again, this race makes me think I should race like this more often. I ran within myself for the first 28k, but probably only would have run a minute and a half faster if i'd run all out. So for a slightly slower times and maybe one or two positions lost, I feel fine afterwards (can walk to the car!), don't spend all afternoon feeling sick and on the toilet, and in terms of racing get to spend the second half of the race passing people! If i can control my competetive urges I think I'll race this way most of the time and maybe race all-out once or twice a year only.
Good to see Stobes (and Boudville?) out there, congrats to brother-in-law Luke for a 5min HM PB, and well done to TB for another Marathon finish - I'd wondered if I'd pass you near the end but I see you would have finished several minutes before me.
My expectations weren't too high - last weekend doing the Parkrun 5k race I slipped and fell on a wet wooden jetty/decking in east Perth and in the process managed to sustain a minor hamstring tear. I took it easy all week but even on Friday it was pretty sore stretching out or going up hills.
I took some anti-inflam (Mobic), wore compression shorts and used some tigerbalm pre race to help reduce the risk of problems.
I'd entered late so didn't get a preferred start, but in the tradition of the C2S this didn't matter. We'd all been waiting in the convention centre until we were released for the 800m jog to the startline, and the preferred runners were let out about 5 seconds before the masses, so I was amongst them anyway. Then as we get to the startline, hundreds of people had obviously ignored the start assembly and just jumped the barriers to be at the line with the preferred runners. Anyway, i started about 5 rows back so no issues in the end.
I took it fairly conservatively in the start up the hill, and at about 3k found myself at the back of a pack of 8 which was prob about 20th-28th position. I had a chat to the guy next to me, who mentioned i was the leading runner wearing the event t-shirt (I thought i was the only one who noticed these details). My hammy was fine and I decided my aim for the race would be to pass the other 7 in the pack.
I made it past 3 through kings park, then settled down to a conservative pace through the middle third of the race. garmin showed 18:23/19:41 the 5k and 10k splits. I passed 2 more up the floreat hill with 6k to go, and with 4k to go noted I was 200m behind the next guy. This shortened to 150m turning onto Oceanic for the last big hill, and had got to 30m by the top of the hill. He then sprinted down the hill and extended the gap a little, but I think underestimated the final straight which is nearly 500m. I pushed on hard and took him, leaving only one of the guys I hadn't managed to catch.
I finished in 1:20:57, 5k splits18:23/19:41/19:00/19:42 and ran the last km in 3:25.
The hammy twinged a few times but to be honest, never bothered me. I took no calories and only a couple of sips of water.
Once again, this race makes me think I should race like this more often. I ran within myself for the first 28k, but probably only would have run a minute and a half faster if i'd run all out. So for a slightly slower times and maybe one or two positions lost, I feel fine afterwards (can walk to the car!), don't spend all afternoon feeling sick and on the toilet, and in terms of racing get to spend the second half of the race passing people! If i can control my competetive urges I think I'll race this way most of the time and maybe race all-out once or twice a year only.
Good to see Stobes (and Boudville?) out there, congrats to brother-in-law Luke for a 5min HM PB, and well done to TB for another Marathon finish - I'd wondered if I'd pass you near the end but I see you would have finished several minutes before me.
