Glenbrook Marathon: 5.41

All I wanted was a testing course and to run well with no taper AND to get under 6 hours if the weather and course allowed that. All the boxes were ticked.

 

I ran 14k hard on Saturday morning averaging 4.50 per k with some hills. Not your ideal morning run the day before a marathon but as I have said the next few marathons will all be run without a taper. I ran the whole way with my buddy who is also running the 4 x 4 with no taper as the lead up to GNW.

 

The course was varied from single technical, narrow winding with plenty of rises and falls and dirt roads with long inclines and declines. Varied and testing. The weather was warm but really not a significant factor. We ran steady the whole way with very little walking except were that was a wise choice.

 

It really was just a prefect run for what is required at the moment. We finished feeling very comfortable and already mentally focusing on the flat road marathon next Saturday. Pacing my buddy to as close to 4 hours as we can go. It might work it might not. It does not matter in the scheme of things if we don't. We will however have completed another marathon on the road to the start line of GNW.

 

 

Sydney Marathon: 3.36.40 and Sunday Glenbrook marathon

Sydney Marathon although not the fastest it was very satisfying. 

It was one of those runs that felt so easy and went by seemingly without any effort. Clearly there was an effort but over the last 12k there was no fatigue, no tiredness and no wanting it to end. I felt like I could have gone on for ever. That not going to happen but it was just the greatest feeling to be running those last 12k and feel much less strain that usual.

The splits were 110/107 and the fastest two 5k splits were from 30 - 40 with the last 5k being the quickest being just over 24 minutes. At the 30k mark I was about 950th and finished in about 615th. It was just 2 weeks after the GH 100 miler and I felt no real after effects. 

I have been injury free all year apart from 2 hospital visits and 2 operations but I was able to recover from those quickly and in particular after the second which was the minor of the two. I have been able to train harder and more consistently that in previous years and i believe my fitness level is greater that it has been for some years. Hence I have had 3 marathons in the 3.30's this year and previously they were rare and I really thought was at best now a 3.45 marathoner.

I have also been positively influenced by another runner and I that is an unexpected bonus.

This week I was back running on Tuesday and it was easy around the Bay. After that training has been resumed at a high intensity and I just hope I do not break. The focus has not been on greater distance but incorporating more hill sessions and stairs. Strength to withstand the continual climbs and descents at GNW.

GNW is my main focus at the moment but off course I have marathons on the next 3 weekends. Each will be run through - that is no taper and a recovery of 2 days. I will be running them fatigued and two are on trails that should add to the fatigue. Sunday is the Glenbrook Marathon and I do not know the course but expect it will be testing. I am running it with my buddy and a finish under 6 hours will be fine. The plan is to run on Saturday morning for a usual training session and suffer on Sunday.

Post GH and pre Sydney Marathon

Saturday afternoon before the marathon is quiet. Just getting my mind ready for another marathon and importantly another Sydney marathon. It is my home town marathon so no traveling and because I live close to the start line that is easy as well.

I am reflecting that it seems much longer that 2 weeks ago that at this time I was almost at the halfway of the 100 miler. It seems much longer ago. Perhaps because I recovered physically much more quickly that I expected and resumed some hard training over the last week. Much harder than I could have reasonably expected. I had to make an effort to take Thursday and today off so that I would have a good chance of staying with the 3.45 bus tomorrow.

My reason for not really taking a taper was the intense focus I now have of putting in some solid training for GNW 100 miler. After GH there was serious thought to dropping back down to the 100k and saving myself for C2K. But after some thought and some discussion it is the miler at GNW.

I have 7 weeks and that is plenty of time to add to the base I have and do some specific sessions for all the climbs and descents. So stairs, hills sessions that are intense, squats with weights and whatever else I can do to train in a way that I think might help.

One aspect of of just plain training by running and running and more running then I will run this week Sydney marathon then in the following weeks:

1. Glenbrook marathon:
2. Lap of the Lake marathon at Penrith: and
3. Fitzroy Falls marathon 

So 4 in 4 weeks and with little or not taper/recovery between them. That should set up a good base and improve on where I am at the moment and then give me 2/3 weeks before the event have a recovery from the marathons and then do a week of shorter higher intensity work and a good taper. 

Prediction for tomorrow. I will not be quicker than 3.45 because if the bus still passengers then I will stay with it if it has no passengers then I will run as I feel and maybe sneak in a minute or to under 3.45.

Glasshouse 100 miler: 28.37

A finish and on reflection I felt I was always in control of what needed to be done to finish. However there are times, particularly early on where the thought of another 24 hours of running does play havoc with your mind and it all seems to much and the thought of stopping does arise. However you let it pass and focus on the next step and then the next and the time and distance seem to pass in a kind of blurry.

 

Before you know it the shadows are growing longer, there is a coolness to the air and sunset is fast approaching. You then prepare for 12 or so hours where you world is no greater then the spread of your headlamp. An illuminated ball of light is your entire world unless you take the time to stop, turn off your lights and gaze at the star filled sky. Did that in a wonderful moment of reconnecting with the bigger world that was looking down on me during the night.

 

The moon was the smallest of crescent's that it did not add light to the night.

 

Equipment, the body, hydration and food all worked well with no issues. I ran with a 100 mile virgin who is strong and just moved relentlessly forward. We stayed together from start to finish and it was a pleasure to have company that helped the time go by.

 

The weather was warm during the day but nothing out of of the normal for GH this time of the year and manageable.

 

That is my 5th 100 mile finish at GH. A DNF in my first the 4 in a row, missing last year to keep the Sydney Marathon streak going. It is said it is an 'easy' 100 miler. There is NO easy 100 miler but if this one is approached the right way and then run wisely it can be done but expect a lot of pain both mentally and physically but it can be done.

 

I think 69 started and 24 DNF'd. So about 35% of the starters did not finish. The course and weather are not that tough. 6 finishers behind me and off course oldest starter and finisher by 3 years.

 

I am looking forward to a few days of complete rest before some very easy running in the lead up to the Sydney marathon.