Welcome Home Marathon on Sunday

Not much news about this as it is very low key to celebrate a special achievement.

Welcome Home Marathon

On the basis it is about the scenery and the journey time is not relevant.

Barossa Marathon: 3.40.51

Where did that come from with all the negatives thoughts over the last few weeks.

 

In an effort to get the mind together I did not run on Friday but did have a lap of the Bay on Saturday morning. I am not sure why that would do anything positive mentally and really not a good idea physically but it was done and I felt a little more positive.

 

I did some sightseeing in the afternoon and arrived in town after dark. It was a quiet night in reading. I felt calm on Sunday morning and thought I would start out at 3.45 finishing time or 5.19 per k pace. I was not sure if my fitness was at that level but I knew if I was to run that time I would have to watch my pacing constantly and not run any quicker than 5.10 and no slower than 5.25.

 

I was watching it more often that usual and was running found I kept creeping up to the 5.05 - 5.10 range and then would have to ease back. All of this kept me at about 5.13 pace at halfway. The aim was then to be mentally strong and believe I could maintain about 5.15 pace to the end and hope the overall pace did not slip slower than the hoped for 5.19.

 

As the k's in the second have ground by I was maintaining the 5.15 pace and the further I went I know there would have to be a massive blow out to drift slower than 5.19. Past 30k and the pace was being maintained but if I did not look it was easing back to 5.30 and it took a big mental and physical effort to push it back up again. Any way held on with the final pace 5.14.

 

There were 242 finishers and over all 91st. However this is the first marathon that also publishes age adjusted times and placing. On that basis I ran 2.53 and was 16th over. If only that was the real result. Still pleasing to have the run put in that perspective.

 

Now a week to recover, train and taper for another marathon next weekend. This is a special one and a one off for Marathonman and his home coming. Around Sydney, with mates and will be slow to take in the sights.

Pre BAROSSA marathon

Wednesday before the marathon and I am just not ready physically or mentally. In fact instead of being excited about running another marathon and my first. In South Australia I am just not interested    and just not interested in running.

I am not sure if I am losing my interest in running marathons generally or just have other things happening in my life at the moment that are distracting me. On some days I just don't have then energy to train and run and the issue is that does not concern me too much. In the past that would have concerned me but not at the moment.

I am not sure what is going on. I guess I will have to get my head together for Sunday and see what happens more longer term.  I expect to be slower that 4 hours.

Sri Chinmoy Royal National Park Marathon : 4.08.50

I have not run in the Royal National Park before and never been on Lady Carrington Drive which was the course. The Royal National Park is on the southern boundary about 1 hours drive from central Sydney. I thoroughly enjoyed the run and the perfect running conditions . Cool but not unpleasant at the start and then it gradually got warmer but never where it was a factor.

It was a wide fire trail that had many small rises and falls, many twists and turns, some easy running on soft earth and more difficult with small loose rocks some very muddy sections that required skirting other wise you would get a shoeful of black ooze,. Overall all of that it kept you interested and alert. Just one trip and fall for me which is not too bad for me. 

 YES I DO RUN TRAILS - SOMETIMES 

This was a low focus marathon where time was not important but I just wanted to enjoy and off road marathon. Sometimes I run with an iPod but today I just wanted to enjoy my thoughts and the peace oft he bush . I always run with a Garmin and stated off with it but soon after the start I turned it off so that I would run how I felt

So overall a very pleasant morning run in the bush in perfect running conditions. 

I should be out with an easy run tomorrow and with 3 weeks until the next marathon I will have a week or so of some nice training between the recover and taper.