Melbourne Marathon: 3.24.28 !!!!

It seems the more I run marathons the quicker I get BUT there is limit to most things and I think I have reached it. I am not sure I could go any quicker except maybe with a proper taper. But really I am very happy to have run this time and then 2 in 2 weeks under 3.25 is very much a bonus. AND about 20 seconds faster than last week.

I said in the race preview 3.22 but as I said I did not think that was going to happen but I was prepared to give this on a full out effort and see where I finished or more precisely the time I would run.  I was not aware there would be pacers at 10 minutes spaced times so I was surprised to be standing near a balloon with 3.20 on it at the start.

Despite the number of runners at the start it was orderly and most seemed to have placed themselves well as there were not many slow runners to weave around. Within a k and turning into the wide tree lined St Kilda road I was running at pace in space.

I was not running with anyone and so just settled into my pace that was hovering around 4.50 minute k's and that felt very comfortable reflected by easy breathing. Things just seemed to cruise along like that until about 27/28k when I felt I needed to increase the concentration and effort to maintain the pace. The Garmin then died for reasons unknown and from then on I had no idea of the pace I was running and just did it by feel.

I thought the 3.30 pacers might come by at any time but I did feel I was maintaining a good pace. I was passing runners easily but that is not guide as they could just be slowing more quickly than me. The weather was becoming warmer but I was not bothered by it. At 35k I was becoming fatigued but still felt I was maintaining good form and pace. Put me head down to suffer the next 5k to the 40k marker.

With a great deal of relief it came where I was expecting it and then just pinned the ears back and focused on a strong finish. Soon I was over the finish line and couldn't see any clock so I had no idea of my time but knew I had not been caught by the 3.30 pacers. I didn't know my time until I checked the results on line much later. 

Some Stats

The timing mats were at 10k & 18k and I have no idea where halfway was on the course. Best Garmin guess is 1.42.28/1.40.00 splits for an overall average pace of about 4.50. Bonus was age group win by about 25 minutes. I thought it was a soft time to win in. 

At the end of 10k I was overall in 1340th place and finished in 828th place. Significant is the strong finish by being 1186th at 30k and improved 358 places in the last 12k compared with the modest improvement just 154 places over the first 30k. 

I clearly have too much time on my hands but as it is the biggest marathon in Australia I looked at some figures. It appears for both genders there were just 76 runners over 65 or 1.18% of the field. My 828th finish put me in the top 12.89%. 

That was my 24th marathon of the year and the last flat road one. 6 have been under 3.30 and 2 under 3.25. This has been a year so far where I have run more marathons than ever before and my times in the quicker ones have been quicker than I have been in 4/5 years. 

Carcoar Marathon and beyond

Carcoar Marathon in a few weeks and last year I ran 3.42. It would be nice to finish the year off by running this one quicker than last year. I then I have about 5 weeks to do some serious training and otherwise generally get ready for the 240k monster that I Coast to Kozzi. I will need more than luck to finish this one for the second time and my guess is to be the oldest finisher. 2 crew organised and still looking for another. Both woman and both my GH buddies - how wonderful to have them with me on the epic journey that is C2K.