I should be pleased with the time but I am disappointed. The expectation was to be quicker by maybe 15/20 minutes but clearly that did not happen.
It was 1 degree at the start 7.00 am with no wind - so perfect conditions. But it did rise to 20 degrees plus by the time I finished.
The course is 2 1/2 laps outside the zoo mainly on a walking path next to the Macquarie River. I ran firm but well within myself to halfway in 2.08. So a 4.15 was not likely so I reset to a 4.20 - 4.25 finish but as I ran past 30k that was possible but could not slow down. I felt that I was fatiguing and so just held on as best I could.
I have been concentrating on shorter faster training and have totally neglected runs that are steady firm pace longer than 18k. No doubt that is the cause of the slow down over the last 12k or so. Also the hormone treatment has caused a slight but noticeable increase of 2/3k and carrying that extra no doubt contributes to the slow down.
My next marathon is at Sydney in a couple of weeks so so longer runs are on the session agenda.
I won my age group but the again I was the only 70+. What was interesting was overall I finished 55th out of 86 starters. In gender 41/58 when at 10k I was 48th, at about hallway 45th and at the finish 41st - so some other males had a worse second half than me. On that basis I should be pleased that I held my own over the race with a slight improvement. I will take whatever positives I can.
Some pics from the first lap. Same bridge from either side. I am not sure what the red growth is on one side.
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