An almost double weekend coming up

Double weekend?

2 marathons on the weekend is usually what it means but not quite that this weekend but close. A marathon on Friday in Canberra and then one in Melbourne on Sunday.

Friday it is at Canberra about 3 hours drive south of Sydney. It is on a track for 105 laps. The marathon is part of an ultra weekend involving many races with different times and distances. The big Daddy being 48 hours on the track and the winner should complete over 1000 laps. Mind blowing time on the track and number of laps.

Me, the short 'sprint' option and I will feel like a fraud finishing in about 6 hours, travelling back to Sydney, having a shortish sleep, fly to Melbourne and by lunchtime those in the 48 hour event are still circulating and only half done. I expect I will be finishing the marathon on Sunday as they are finishing. That is also mind blowing as well.

The event is in support of Prostate Cancer and I feel I must support it.

Canberra Ultra event

Sunday at Brimbank Park just outside of Melbourne near the airport. Sounds like I would be running in an industrial zone. No a wonderful park that once you are in it there is little sign of the surrounding area. Plenty of green space, trees and a river.

It feels like there is no last section and that you are always going up or down. Some a very significant. Along the river section it is flatish with just some gentle short rises and falls but ....

Brimbank Park Marathon

Neither will be raced. Finishing comfortably is the only objective. About 6 hours for Friday and Brimbank Park probably closer to 7 hours. 

HOOK for Bravehearts ; 5.24.38

This marathon being held for the first time in support of a worthy cause was held about 90 minutes drive from Sydney just north of the Central Coast.

There was plenty of rain when I left Sydney and it rained off and off on the drive. Thankfully it eased by the time we started at 6.00am in darkness. The course was 8 laps of just over 5k per lap. I didn't mind that set up. The rain held off for most of the event with just some light drizzle for me on my last lap. 

Before the first lap was over it was light. I just took it steady hoping to run even splits. That was fine until halfway reached on about 2.38. That meant my brief thought of a sub 5 was not going to happen. I felt some fatigue arising and knew it was going to more of a struggle both mentally and physicality finish.

Head down and trying not to think about the physical and mental pain. 

I was not surprised by the slow down that was occurring. I just did not want to surrender to a walk. I managed that and was as usual so pleased to complete another. About 9 days to the next one that will be run with a great weekend of ultra running in Canberra at the running the track at the AIS. It is a pleasure and honour to be laped by some of the greatest ultra runners we have in Australia at the moment.

I feel like a fraud walking off the track at about 6 hours.

Another weekend another marathon - maybe

On Saturday I will be running a new and I expect small marathon for a very worthwhile charity.

HOOK for Bravehearts

I have bene very fatigued all well. I guess some weeks I just do not recover as well as I expect or want. So it was just one run this week of 10k and that was tiring. I am thinking the sensible thing would be not to run and that is a thought. I will see how I feel later tonight.

Mentally I do want to run. The body is not very willing.