Spent the week before the marathon do almost no running and work on a lower calf problem. It was no where near recovered on race day and I knew that by Friday morning. I was fit enough to run under 3.15 except for the calf.
Decided to informally help out in the pacing of the 3.30 group. It didn't work out as well as I planned. I was in front of them at the start and had to slow down and wait for them to catch up - which happened at about 3k. At that stage the calf was no problem but a severe sharp pain at 5k made me slow to a hobble with the 3.30 group disappearing into the distance. Had a very difficult next 5k where thoughts of pulling out and then walking the rest entered my head. While this was happening the discomfort in the calf significantly reduced and I just continued running waiting for the next sharp pain.
By 10k I felt okay - pushed a 22.20 5k and caught the 3.30 group who ran through 15k in 72.02 about 2 minutes 30 up on pace. I then went to the front of the group and maintained about 5 minutes ks to the end to finish about one minute 40 faster than pace.
Ran thought the halves in 1.42.30 and 1.45.48- okay as I was trying to slow the group down in the second half.
Slowest Canberra in 7 runs but happy to have run steady and perhaps have run the injury out of the calf.
The rest of 2006 - well 9 more marathons planned but may not be able to get to the start in each. There is a weekend in July that has a marathon on the Saturday and then on the Sunday - would love to challenge the body and mind to running both of those. As well as the marathons there are 3 official ultra's in the calendar with a remote possibility of a 4th.
5 comments:
Another good solid marathon Ray. You have been a real inspiration to me to just keep doing the work. Even though I have dropped the intensity in training over the last year, I have learnt from you that you have to do the mileage to maintain the required level of fitness.
I was glad to finally meet you on the weekend Ray. Enjoyed our chats.
You did well to salvage a sub 3.30 and also help the official pacer.
What a year coming up! Good luck.
It is hard to believe you can run out an injury in a marathon isn't it. That is until it happens to you.
I remember in training for my first Marathon I had a niggle in an achilles that I was trying to overcome with rest and reduced intensity runs. But I needed to do my last scheduled long run, so I just ignored it, ran through the pain and did the 32k. After that I never felt it again.
In my preparation for Canberra over the last three months, I have had an annoying tenderness in my right platella tendon. I never feel it while running but when I cool down it was usually present and sometimes quite painful. I was worried the marathon would cause it to blow up. But the outcome has been that it has been no trouble to me at all. Not even a twinge. Maybe the other soreness in my quads and legs was masking it but I don't think so.
Hope you get over your injuries, because it looks to me from your training to be a fast marathon lurking in those legs.
You continue to inspire me Eagle. I'm very much looking forward to our lap of the Bay - which, I'm very pleased to say, hopefully will be in the not too distant future!
I was so pleased to have a fairly lengthy chat with you Ray, after the marathon, but I had no idea you'd had such a rough patch at the 5km mark...could think of nothing else but that I'd finally run the correct marathon course!!
Hope to see you again soon; maybe the SMH Half? Take care of your calf...not the mooing kind either!
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