7 marathons 6 weeks or 8 in 8 weeks

Starting with the Gold Coast marathon on the 7th July and finishing with the Mudgee marathon on the 25 August I will run 8 marathons in eights weeks OR starting from the Hunter Winery marathon on the 21st July it will be 7 marathons in 6 weeks.

The weekend of the 3 & 4 August is a double in Brisbane with marathons on Saturday and Sunday. 

How excited by the challenge of week following week of marathons. With a week off and then it is the Glasshouse 100 miler. A nice base building period for GH. 

At the moment I am injury/niggle free but well underdone on endurance although maybe not with the 3.38 at Macleay. However I am think that might be the high water mark of my times for this year. I will be happy to be comfortably under 4 hours in all of them except the double weekend might be a bit slower in each.

Long term is to be in a position to run 3.45 or better at Sydney. 

Glow Worm Tunnel Trail Marathon : 6.54.26

Well I achieved my main aim of getting just under 7 hours - tick. 

Asa bonus I was not last 140th out of 153 finishers. The last few were out there for almost 2 hours longer than I was. Almost 9 hours is a long long day.

The first half is by far the toughest and I moved through it much better than last year. My power walking was much better and leg strength was also much better. It was very steep in sections the slowest 1k was 25 minutes of climbing up almost on all fours using tree roots and rocks and whatever you could use to pull your self up but going down is no quicker and it took about the same time on the way back.

Compared to the first half the second half is nice rolling small hills. Generally rising until about half way were you go through an old abandoned railway tunnel that is now taken over by glow worms.

The weather was perfect although very cold to start. The scenery was spectactular and very changeable. It might be difficult to say that I enjoyed it but it did not bat me like last year. Just the SMC half this Sunday. It will be slow as I have not fully recovered from this one. Then a weekend off then the Gold Coast marathon and then the marathons come almost weekly after that through July and August. 

Before the start with the sun catching the valley side

Looking down towards the start and yes we ran ? from the valley below

From the same spot looking in the other direction 

Easy on Thursday

Lots of fog around Sydney and the Bay this morning. Ventured out this morning after taking an extra days recovery more than usual. It was never meant to be more than just run at a comfortable pace to get things moving again. All felt okay.

Glow Worm marathon was a horror for me taking over 7 hours but I did take time to enjoy the wonderful scenery. I will still look again but this time while moving a little faster. Also this year they have reversed to order of the 2 loops. It 2 loops of about 21k with the start and finish in the middle. Last year the second loop was the toughest and this year that comers first and the second loop that is reasonably flat comes second. I think I am more mentally comfortable with that.

Hard to predict a time but I hope to be closer to 6 hours this year rather than 7.

I am back !!! Macleay River Marathon: 3.38.25

Well I am not sure where that result has come from. 

Hospital a few weeks ago, recovery and not much running all pointed towards a much slower run. But what training I was doing was good but it was not long and not daily. At best every second day and no longer than 14k and that has been the way for about a month. Despite all that if felt okay and confident I could run strong but not sure how quick.

I what was probably a brain snap on the morning before the start looked at what i needed to average to run under 3.40. I have no idea why I should have or could have thought thought that was time to crunch. Any way I did and 5.12 pace is required.

That seemed okay at it was about the pace of my 14k training sessions. Problem is I needed to put 3 of those loops together. I stayed overnight in Kempsey so I had 40 minutes to decide on the final race plan. I decided I could manage that pace on a flat course for 14k and as I really had nothing to prove I would just see what would happen. 

I did need to keep easing back as 4.50 seemed to be the pace I was settling into if I didn't keep a regular  watch of the Garmin. 

It is an out and back course exactly. Reached halfway on 1.48.37 which is about 5.07 pace and I was holding the pace longer than I was expecting. Turned for home and knew it was going to hurt, it was getting warmer so the slow down was expected. I was slowing down, glance at the Garmin and then pick the pace back up. At each 5k split I was doing calculations and it was clear I was still holding a pace that would get me home under 3.40 provided I did not slip below 5.15 pace and that become the benchmark not to fall below.

Well as they say the rest is now history. Second lap 1.49.48 with just a 71 second fade. Could get much more even considering the 800m climb between 41 & 42k. Recovery before the trail Glow Worm Marathon in the Blue Mountains next Sunday. Trails and I do not mix - if I finish just under 7 hours I will be pleased. This one is about finishing and enjoying the wonderful scenery.