As 2015 starts I have reflected on 2014 and
have these thoughts.
These started off with me
recovering from the removal of my prostate in November 2013 due to cancer. For
about 5/6 weeks after the operation I was focusing on exercises to get back for
bladder control which thankfully quickly returned to normal. It was not until
that was under control that I even thought about any running and that started
early in January.
I had not run at all for about
six weeks and it was a bit of a struggle at first but it didn't take long to be
running comfortably although the distance were short and the pace was slow. I
didn't have a lot of time as I had entered the Australia Day Marathon which is held near Brisbane on of course 26
January Australia Day. Training went well and despite the heat and extreme
humidity I finished in a pleasing 4.07.
Two weeks later I ran the
marathon at Caboolture. I find it a
very difficult marathon, as it is 84 laps around the historic village starting
at 6 PM on Saturday. I always struggle physically and mentally which was
reflected in a 4.30 finish.
I won't go into the detail of
each marathon I ran but will select the ones that were important or significant
to me.
When the year started I wasn't
sure how my running would go. I had daily radiotherapy for six weeks during
February and March and the concern was what would be the side effects. General
fatigue is a definite. While having the therapy I ran the Orange and Dolls Point
marathons with no issues. That all came to an end in the Newcastle Marathon on 6 April. The weather was pleasant for about
half the race could then heavy rain and wind started and continued all morning.
I was running fine until about 16k when I became extremely fatigued and just
could not run. My great friend Jane came along and said she would stay with me
until the finish line. It was then I walk stumble progression until we finally
finished last in 5.22.
I managed to regroup both
mentally and physically and the following week was relief to run the Canberra Marathon on in 3.55. Boy what
difference a week can make.
In the year I completed 25 marathons the most that I have ever
run in any year. The previous highest was 18 in the previous year. I had last
run under 3 .30 with a 3.25 at Canberra in April 2010. At the start of 2014 I
don't think I had given up the dream of ever running under 3.30 again I just
had not given it any thought as being a realistic goal. At one stage during the
period my one aim when starting a marathon was to not run over 4.00 hours.
After camera I seemed to have
gotten over the side effects of the radiotherapy and training proceeded with no
injuries or niggles. The weekly total running was usually in the range of 80 –
100k and all good quality sessions. No runs over about 20 km but none under 10
km. There were a few marathons after the Canberra marathon and before the Macleay
River Marathon. In fact the week before the McVeigh River Marathon on I ran the
Glow Worm Marathon on in the worst
time of the year of 7.11. I just cannot run trails and that time gave no
indication of what was to come the following Sunday.
The Macleay River Marathon is for some reason one of my favorites. It
is five hours drive north of Sydney but pleasant. The course is out and back
and flat, flat and flat except for the 1k downhill at the start and of course
the 1k uphill at about 40k is at the end. A 3.31 that was more than surprising
and tantalizingly close to a 3.30.
Two weeks later at the Gold Coast Marathon with a vague
thought at the start line that perhaps 3.30 was possible despite not having run
that time for over four years. The whole marathon went perfectly finishing in a
very very pleasing 3.26 with even
splits on a pancake flat course.
Could there be more? Surely not!
The following weekend there was a
low-key marathon at Dolls Point along
the shore of Botany Bay. It is so different to the week before as in this
marathon on there are not a lot of runners and for most of the time you're
running alone. Surprise! Surprise! A 3.28 finish four consecutive weekends
under 3.30. I couldn't make it three in a row, as the following weekend was a
3.35 on the tough Hunter Valley Winery
Marathon.
But … the following weekend was
the M7 Marathon at Blacktown. As
usual it was a cold start with the course being the bike path next to he M7
Motorway and it is a tough course that rolling inclines most of the way. Not
many flats. Nice …. 3.29.
From the Gold Coast Marathon on
at the start of July to the Dubbo
Marathon on at the start of September I ran 10 marathons in 11 consecutive
weekends. On one weekend with no marathon and on another weekend a scent that a
marathon running 4.25 and on the Sunday the Brisbane Marathon in 3.46.
The week after the double
marathon I was off to the Glasshouse
Mountains for 100 milers. I've had four consecutive between 2008 and 2011.
I didn't run in 2012 as it clashed with the Sydney Marathon and so my streak of
four ended. I was back in 2013 and in 2014 to start a streak again. I finished
in 27 hours 21 minutes that was just three minutes slower than my PB.
Following weekend I lined up for
the Sydney Marathon as a ‘Blue Line Legend’. Meaning I with a
few others has run all of the Sydney Marathon since 2001. I finished in 3.31 despite having 100 miles in my
legs from the weekend before to make it my 14th finish in a row for this
marathon.
After the Sydney Marathon the
marathon runs are held less frequently because of the warming weather and so I
have a few weeks off before running the Western
Sydney Marathon that is six laps around the International Rowing Centre at
Penrith. Laps. Boring? My view is a marathon is 42.2k no matter how the course
is set up it still the same distance.
I got into a good rhythm at the
start and despite the weather becoming warmer I was able to hold it and
finished in 3.24.49 !!!!
The following week was the Melbourne Marathon. At the start I
decided I would aim for sub 325 and tried finished the year of with two
consecutive marathons both under 3.25. This would be my 24th marathon on for
the year and I thought I could run under 324 if I ran smart. That meant running
as close to even split as I could but it is usual after 30k’s there was no
guarantee that I could hold onto the pace. I went through halfway exactly on a
3.24.xx finish and knew that I had just over 100 minutes of pain and suffering
if I was to achieve my goal. Most of the second half it is a blur and
thankfully I finished with the best time of the year 3.24.28 and age group win in the biggest marathon held in
Australia. It was one fantastic way to finish off the serious marathon running
for the year.
Around one more Carcoar but it was more of a cool down
than a serious run.
Summary
25 marathons started and
completed
Quickest : 3.24.28 (Melbourne)
Slowest: 7.11 03 (Glow Worm)
2 under 3.25
3 between 3.25 – 3.30
5 between 3.30 – 3.45
6 between 3.45 – 4.00
9 over 4 hours
