M7 Marathon: pre race thoughts

This will be marathon 185 and the 15th of the year. It doesn't seem like 15 they have gone so quickly. I have another 10 planned to make 25 for the year and my biggest ever. My most in a year was 18 in 2013. Nice when you have a long streak of injury free training and running.

Last year this marathon was my quickest for the year with 3.33.04 and I have been running slightly better recently than I did at this time last year. As a comparison last year I ran:

•  GC in 3.41 and this year 3.26 (15 minutes)
•  Macleay 3.38 and this year 3.31 (7 minutes)
• Hunter Valley 3.45 and this year 3.35 (10 minutes)

I am not usually concerned about numbers, times etc but I just thought today I would. It seems by the comparisons I am running consistently quicker and hope that will repeat on Sunday. I usually have a good idea of my fitness level and despite this being the 4th marathon in 4 weeks the issue is not fitness but whether fatigue will be a factor in the last 12 ks. That might be a factor if I am too quick up to 30k. So already I am getting my head space into be very patient and being on about 3.26/3.28 pace at half way, hold that until 30k and then see what is in reserve to hopefully at worst maintain my pace to the end.

There is nothing I can do in the next few days to change the outcome. I am where I am at and it will all come down to pacing on the day. 

The end time has nothing to do with luck. It will all be about me running my own race, being focused on that and ignoring what is going on around me and what others are doing. I should do that in all the races but lest be honest sometimes we just run and are very much influenced by what is happening around us in a race. That can be a good thing or bad. At the Gold Coast once the race settled down you are often surrounded by other running at your pace although they come and go but you are very much shoulder to shoulder for a long time.

M7 starts off like that but quickly you can be alone or with a group the breaks up at a water stop and never reforms. I know I am a bit of a rhythm runner and this course despite some rolling hills is okay for me. 

The following weekend a double in Brisbane like last year. Only wish is that they are both under 4 hours. Anyway that is something think about when this one is over.