Marathon at Bateman's Bay

This is a new marathon, first time it has been held and off course I could not resist the temptation and so I have entered and supporting it. The event supports Ovarian Cancer that is a very worthy cause.

Bateman's Bay is an easy 4 hour drive south of Sydney on the south coast of NSW. I have travelled south often but not usually as far as this so it will be interesting to travel through a part of NSW that I do not travel often. 

Not a step of running since I crossed the finish line in Melbourne Marathon last week. I am okay with that as it could be considered a nice taper. I have no idea about the course, hills, flat or a combination. Whatever the combination it is still 42.2k. I have no expectation about a time but under 5 hours would be fine. 

Melbourne Marathon 4.44

Perfect weather. Organisation as far as I was concerned was okay.

This was never going to go near a repeat from last year when I ran 3.24. I was just hoping I would not have the issues I had at Sydney and the resultant embarrassing time. I am okay to run a steady half but fatigue sets in soon after that. I may be running the half a but too slow but at the moment I am prepared to run the first half at a 4.30 finish and see what happens in the second half. 

I ran the half in about 2.17. A slight fade in the second half for a 4.44 finish. Whilst I reflect on what I was running last year I am disappointed with the time but when I consider this year I have to be pleased I am running and under 5 hours is okay - just okay. Last year if it was over 4 hours it was disappointing.

How expectations have changed over 12 months.

One next weekend so that will be an interesting morning down at Bateman's Bay. 

Melbourne Marathon on Sunday- lets just get it done and move on

With my health not good and then the death of my father last weekend and his funeral on Tuesday this marathon has not even been a thought until I checked my flight booking etc this morning.

On 2 short runs since the last marathon 2 weeks ago. 

Mind and body are definitely not on and in the Melbourne marathon on Sunday but I will be at the start line and expect some hours later to enter the MCG and over the finish line. 13th Melbourne Marathon and 213th marathon. I should know how to manage myself between the start and finish to just get a finish for this one.

Nothing heroic for me on Sunday. Last years 3.23 is just that last years time. A lot has happened in the year and I am just pleased to be at the start line with the expectation to finish. Time: just under 5 hours would be nice.  A few more to run this year before some time off to regroup my mind and body for what I hope will be a much healthier and quicker 2016. 

Western Sydney marathon # 212 and 4.40.36

Another Western Sydney Marathon completed I'm Saturday morning. About 18 degrees for the 7.00 am start and 28 degrees when I finished.  It was warm but for me (perhaps at my pace) it was okay. Attention had to be paid to hydration and water on the hat but as I say manageable. 

My energy levels fluctuate significantly these days and the onset of fatigue during a marathon cannot be predicted. 

So I now start a marathon thinking of the worst case and then just run on how I feel and take what comes. Nice surprise for this one was a 4.40 and an pleasant 45 minutes faster than Sydney 2 weeks ago. The improvement has nothing to do with fitness just the ebb and flow of the body with hormone treatment that is now permanent thing in my life.

I only ran 3 times since Sydney and each of those was just 7k or so. I used the same plan as for the Sydney marathon and that is try to get to half way in 2.15 and look forward to the challenge and adventure of the second half. Not my usual pacing style but that might be the way it is for the time being.

Anyway I held on in the second half much better than Sydney. I did consciously slow down on the 4th of the 6th laps and maintained that slower pace fairly well. A couple of weeks and then Melbourne and the following week a new one on the far south coast of NSW at Batemans Bay.