There’s no way to sugar-coat this one - an appalling 2:12:27.
It’s almost a week on from the race and I’m still trying to work out what happened. After having such a comfortable run in Melbourne just two weeks prior and cruising home in 2:13:32, it’s a real disappointment to have struggled so much for a time in Auckland that was only a minute better.
I said at the start of this quest that - “Doubtless too, there'll be a few gaps, perhaps some despondency, hopefully some steady progress, and - with a fair amount of effort and luck - some ecstasy!” At the moment, I think I can safely say that we’re pretty well anchored in the ‘despondent’ phase of this exercise. My imminent Camino pilgrimage comes at a good time.
It’s strange, because up until the Auckland race actually started, things were going well.
I managed not to miss my flight from Sydney, which arrived in Auckland as scheduled on Friday afternoon. I spent a very quiet Saturday afternoon in my downtown hotel after collecting my bib at the race expo. The forecast for Sunday was fine with a low of 9 and a maximum of 16. Just about perfect running weather.
I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked that Saturday night but woke up with my alarm at 4:00am (2:00am Sydney time) in anticipation of the 6:50am start. I then walked the short distance from the hotel to the wharf to catch the 5:20am ferry across the harbour - which was still in darkness - to Devonport.
Along with many other early arrivals, I found a seat in the ferry terminal at Devonport wharf and waited there for around an hour until heading for the nearby start line. I was feeling fine and quickly spotted the yellow balloons of the 2 hour pacer. I took up position close to him and locked in behind when the gun fired.
Then, a few hundred metres after the start, the course went up a steady incline and I suddenly felt something very wrong with my breathing. It started to become seriously laboured and I had no choice but to pull over to the side, slow to a walk and watch helplessly as the pacing group cracked on.
Somehow I was completely exhausted after only a couple of minutes running. It was something I’d never experienced before and was at a loss about how to handle it. After a minute or so, I felt as if I’d partially recovered and started running again. But it wasn't too long before I had to stop and walk again.
I was thinking that, maybe, I could wait to latch onto a slower pacing group but then remembered that the 2 hour bus was the last of them. At that moment, I felt a little as if I was stuck in the ocean and watching the only hope of rescue sailing into the distance. But the thought of just giving up never entered my head so I just had to do what I could to recover and finish the race in the least ugly time possible.
I started running again and decided to fall in behind people who seemed to be going at my pace. This worked for a while but once again I had to stop for a short time when going up another incline. I’d forgotten how hilly this race was with several tough ascents in the Devonport neighbourhood and along the course, culminating in the long exposed climb across the deck of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Much of the race also had no distance markers. I knew the Bridge was at around 16 kilometres but I had no real landmarks before then. The first one I saw was at 10 kilometres and when it came into view, my heart sank. By that stage, I really thought we'd done 13 or 14 kilometres, at least. To not even be halfway was a real mental blow. At least I seemed to have shaken off the breathing problems that had plagued me in the early part of the race but I was feeling nowhere near as strong as I was at this point in the Melbourne run just two short weeks back.
It was shortly after the halfway point that the course started on the freeway with fewer buildings and just the long, slow, grind of the tarmac. This part was also much more exposed to the strong winds that were now blowing off Auckland Harbour. Sadly, they never quite seemed to blow from directly behind us.
The run up to the apex of the Harbour Bridge was the steepest climb of the course but I found it quite straightforward, especially compared to the much easier hills in the first few kilometres. Once over the bridge, it was a gentle trot through some industrial and commercial areas back into the city where the long finishing chute ran alongside Victoria Park. I was running much better at this point and passing plenty of runners and walkers who seemed to be having a tougher day than me.
At the finish, I was pleased to accomplish at least one goal I’d set before the race - charging down the finishing straight and almost collapsing over the line with nothing left in the tank. After such a long struggle, I was surprised to see the clock on the finish line showing a (gun) time just over 2:13. I’d been expecting at least a 2:20. But to even come close to beating my Melbourne time with that sort of effort was a bit of a shock.
Officially, my net time was 2:12:27 - just over a minute faster than Melbourne. My first 5K took 32:54, the second took 30:34, the third 31:22, and the fourth, 31:02. The final 1.1K took 6:32. In terms of placings, after the first agonising 5K, I was 3,769th. By the end, I’d recovered somewhat to pull it back to 2,984th (of 5,669 finishers).
Overall, it was a tough day on a tough course. I should have done much better, and I did have some excuses (a significantly interrupted training program through injury; no hill sessions in that truncated program; not enough long runs). But this one’s going to take a while to come back from.
And on that fairly sombre note, that’s all from me for now.
As I mentioned a few posts back, I’m on a plane to Europe in a couple of days to walk the Camino Frances again (from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain), followed by the Camino Portuguese (from Porto to Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre), followed by a winter wander around Europe and England. All up, the Camino pilgrimages should be around 1,200 kilometres in 50 days.
I’m really looking forward to the trip, but doubtless when I’m there, I’ll also be looking forward to getting back to the remnants of an Australian summer in early February to try and thaw out. And to kicking-off training for the next stop on this quest - the Canberra half marathon in April 2017.
A reminder that the BQ-Quest schedule (past, present and future) now looks something like this:
1. Sydney half - May 2015 (time 2:00:26)
2. Gold Coast half - July 2015 (missed with hamstring injury)
3. Melbourne half - October 2015 (time 2:18:04, with calf injury)
4. New York half - March 2016 (time 2:01:46)
5. Gold Coast half - July 2016 (time 1:57:46)
5A. Melbourne half - October 2016 (training run - time 2:13:32)
6. Auckland half - October 2016 (time 2:12:27)
7. Canberra half - April 2017
8. Gold Coast half - July 2017
9. Great North Run (England) - September 2017 (assuming I get an entry via the ballot process)
10. Hobart half - January 2018
11. Gold Coast Marathon - July 2018
12. Melbourne Marathon - November 2018
13. Gold Coast Marathon (1st BQ attempt) - July 2019
So I wish you all a happy Christmas, a wonderful and meaningful New Year, and Buen Camino!
See you in 2017.
Saturday, 5 November 2016
Thursday, 27 October 2016
Auckland Half Marathon - Preview
Two sleeps to the big race and all is in readiness.
With three hours left before my flight from Sydney to Auckland (leaving at the much friendlier time of 9:40am), there is absolutely no risk of my next post being about yet another disastrous sleep-in. All being well, the flight gets into Auckland at 2:45pm New Zealand time, with the race starting at 6:50am on Sunday (4:50am Sydney time).
The past couple of weeks training after the Melbourne run were OK. I completed every session except one - the final 2 hour 20 minute long run last weekend, where I bailed out an hour short. I’m not sure what the problem was. Mostly it was motivational - I just didn’t feel like going on - and some of it was technical. I forgot to bring an extra gel along, and there were some chafing issues up top which are getting a bit irritating. Still, the second last week saw my second highest mileage of this 137-week quest so far - 61.13 kilometres, just short of the 65.56 kilometres I ran in the countdown to New York back in March.
The final taper week was navigated successfully. Even the sprint session last Monday, which I almost didn’t attempt. It was that equivalent session in June 2015 that saw me tear my hamstring just before the Gold Coast half marathon and ever since, I’ve been deeply suspicious of it (the session, not the hamstring, although that’s still a little tight). I actually decided to skip the session for that reason in the days before this year’s Gold Coast half. But this time, despite my trepidations, it went without incident. My final run yesterday - a 30 minute tempo effort - was also problem free.
My goal for Auckland, which will be something of a stretch, is a sub-1:55. The organisers have arranged pacers for both the 1:50 and 2:00 times, so I’ve decided to just lob in behind the 2 hour pacing group and look to break away in the last 5 kilometres or so, depending how I feel. With my recent back injury, my training for this one hasn’t been as solid or consistent as I would have liked in order to have a realistic shot at a sub-1:50 time. But the Melbourne run felt so strong, I like the idea of cruising along for the first part of the race and trying to pick up the pace over the final part. And, of course, collapsing exhausted over the finish line with nothing left in the tank. It was also quite motivational passing all those runners at the back-end of Melbourne, so hopefully the same thing can happen here and I can come away with a good mid-1:50 time.
This is actually my second Auckland half marathon. The first was back in October 2005 when I ran it in 1:58:09 - in between my first (Sydney, September 2005) and second (Honolulu, December 2005) marathons. It wasn’t a particularly memorable event. I do have memories of getting the ferry over to the very pretty Davenport for the race start in the dawn hours, the run over the Auckland Harbour Bridge towards the end, and the finish in a park. But not much else.
After the race, I’ll be staying in New Zealand for a few days. Over the years, I’ve spent quite some time in the country's South Island but not so much in the North. So I’ve hired a car to drive around it for a few days to see what I can see (including a trek along the famed Tongariro Alpine Crossing - regarded as one of the best one day walks in the world) before returning home. Consequently, I’m going to have to keep you all in suspense about the outcome for a week or so.
Wish me luck!
With three hours left before my flight from Sydney to Auckland (leaving at the much friendlier time of 9:40am), there is absolutely no risk of my next post being about yet another disastrous sleep-in. All being well, the flight gets into Auckland at 2:45pm New Zealand time, with the race starting at 6:50am on Sunday (4:50am Sydney time).
The past couple of weeks training after the Melbourne run were OK. I completed every session except one - the final 2 hour 20 minute long run last weekend, where I bailed out an hour short. I’m not sure what the problem was. Mostly it was motivational - I just didn’t feel like going on - and some of it was technical. I forgot to bring an extra gel along, and there were some chafing issues up top which are getting a bit irritating. Still, the second last week saw my second highest mileage of this 137-week quest so far - 61.13 kilometres, just short of the 65.56 kilometres I ran in the countdown to New York back in March.
The final taper week was navigated successfully. Even the sprint session last Monday, which I almost didn’t attempt. It was that equivalent session in June 2015 that saw me tear my hamstring just before the Gold Coast half marathon and ever since, I’ve been deeply suspicious of it (the session, not the hamstring, although that’s still a little tight). I actually decided to skip the session for that reason in the days before this year’s Gold Coast half. But this time, despite my trepidations, it went without incident. My final run yesterday - a 30 minute tempo effort - was also problem free.
My goal for Auckland, which will be something of a stretch, is a sub-1:55. The organisers have arranged pacers for both the 1:50 and 2:00 times, so I’ve decided to just lob in behind the 2 hour pacing group and look to break away in the last 5 kilometres or so, depending how I feel. With my recent back injury, my training for this one hasn’t been as solid or consistent as I would have liked in order to have a realistic shot at a sub-1:50 time. But the Melbourne run felt so strong, I like the idea of cruising along for the first part of the race and trying to pick up the pace over the final part. And, of course, collapsing exhausted over the finish line with nothing left in the tank. It was also quite motivational passing all those runners at the back-end of Melbourne, so hopefully the same thing can happen here and I can come away with a good mid-1:50 time.
This is actually my second Auckland half marathon. The first was back in October 2005 when I ran it in 1:58:09 - in between my first (Sydney, September 2005) and second (Honolulu, December 2005) marathons. It wasn’t a particularly memorable event. I do have memories of getting the ferry over to the very pretty Davenport for the race start in the dawn hours, the run over the Auckland Harbour Bridge towards the end, and the finish in a park. But not much else.
After the race, I’ll be staying in New Zealand for a few days. Over the years, I’ve spent quite some time in the country's South Island but not so much in the North. So I’ve hired a car to drive around it for a few days to see what I can see (including a trek along the famed Tongariro Alpine Crossing - regarded as one of the best one day walks in the world) before returning home. Consequently, I’m going to have to keep you all in suspense about the outcome for a week or so.
Wish me luck!
Friday, 21 October 2016
‘Race’ Report: Melbourne Half Marathon - Sunday 16 October 2016
It was another wonderful event on the wonderful Melbourne half marathon course. As you might remember, I was only intending for it to be a training run, with the goal Auckland half marathon race coming up in a couple of weeks. I finished in a time of 2:13:32, and as it happened, I’ve probably never felt in better shape running a half marathon.
That said, sharp-eyed readers will remember me writing, very sincerely, only a few days back that “my plan is simply to lock onto the 2 hour 20 minute pacers and follow them to the end. No heroics. No surges. No final lap sprint around the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground. It’s all about staying disciplined and focussed and just seeing out the distance”.
So how did I end up finishing over 6 minutes - almost a kilometre - in front of them? Well, I’m glad you asked. But before I explain, I need to briefly fill you in on the lead-up to the run - which almost didn’t happen for me.
I mentioned in a throwaway comment in the last blog entry that - “I’m a bit nervous now, actually, although it probably has more to do with making sure I get to the airport early enough in time for tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) 7:00am flight to Melbourne than anything else.”
Well, as it turns out, I did miss that flight. For some reason, my iPad ran out of battery power during the night, and so the iPad alarm clock that I had carefully set the night before didn’t go off. When I did wake up, I was shocked to see sunlight out the window. A quick check of the clock on my phone showed it was just after 6:30am. After a silent expletive, I started running through some options about how to get to Melbourne and the consequences of not going. Then the phone rang. It was the airline’s boarding people chasing up late passengers. When I told them I’d slept in and wasn’t going to make it, they sounded quite happy to hear it. I assumed (or hoped) it had more to do with them not having to wait for someone who was at that moment running frantically from the airport carpark than taking some pleasure in my simple misfortune.
I don’t have a habit of missing planes - this was my first. So I didn’t have a plan B. I quickly dismissed the driving option - I simply wasn’t going to make it by the 3:00pm cut-off time to collect my race bib. The ‘abort’ option was also discounted. I'd end up losing both my airfares, one night of my accommodation, my race entry fee and, significantly, miss a medal. The only realistic option was to find another flight. Which I eventually did, although I still don’t want to think about the price I had to pay for it - even if it did include a free in-flight snack and cup of tea.
I eventually made it to the race bib collection point with plenty of time to spare and, after a short wander around some inner city streets afterwards, retired early to my Melbourne CBD hotel.
After a solid night’s sleep, I woke in plenty of time to get ready for the run. The forecast, which was accurate, was for a windy and mild (c.19 degrees) morning and I arrived at the start area about 40 minutes before the 8:00am gun. As with the Gold Coast, my strategy was to join the corral close to the front so I couldn’t possibly miss the 2 hour 20 minute pacers with their balloons and signs going past. And as with the Gold Coast, it worked beautifully.
There were two pacers - an older gentleman (who carried a flag and sign and who seemed to love a chat, even if it meant he had to slow a little and then increase the pace when the conversation was over), and a younger women who carried the balloon and who kept pretty much to herself while running very steadily. I started out locked on to the older guy, but his slightly erratic running style caused me to follow the other pacer. I stayed with her, and the little group which had formed around her, until shortly after the drink station at the 12-13 kilometre point. I moved ahead slightly then to run in some clearer space, but still maintaining the 2 hour 20 minute pace - or so I thought.
After a while, I started turning around to see if I could see the pacers, but without success. I thought for a moment they must have passed me somehow, but I knew I would have seen them if they had. I was also running very slowly thinking they would have to catch up soon enough when I could lock back on. As it happened, I was starting to feel stronger and stronger and the slow pace was getting a little uncomfortable, so I made the decision at about 14 kilometres just to run easily and not bother any longer with the pacing.
By this time, the course was heading back into the city on a long, tree-lined boulevard and as I ran, I noticed I was passing lots of runners who seemed to be struggling in the windy conditions. I felt particularly strong over the last five kilometres, especially over the steeper foot bridges, which I remember being a real problem last year.
I finally cruised into the famed MCG, with the lap of the ground just an incredible experience. I was trying to imagine what it must feel like for the sportspeople who run onto this ground when there’s an 80,000-plus crowd, when I found myself coming into the final straight. For some reason, I decided to sprint the last 100 metres, passing several more runners, and then crossed the finish line feeling remarkably fresh. I remember last year I was absolutely exhausted and need to spend quite some time sitting in the grandstands to recover. This year, I crossed the line, easily ascended the stairs to collect my medal (after I realised I wasn’t going to be able to hang around to thank my pacers for their diligence), and then walked back to the hotel.
Officially, I finished the race in 6,018th place from 9,420 finishers. The word at the start was that there were around 11,500 starters so obviously the race took its toll on quite a few people. The St John’s ambulance people tending to various fallen runners at several spots in the final few kilometres was testament to that.
The pacing results showed that my first 5 kilometres was run at a speed of 9.53km/h, the second at 9.23km/h, the next 8 kilometres at 9.67km/h (this is where I moved ahead of the pacers) and the final 3.1 kilometres at a speed of 9.35km/h (when I was cruising to the finish).
Overall, I was very happy with the race and especially the way I felt so strong throughout. But it was only a training run, and I was a bit disappointed in myself for not showing the discipline to stick with the pacers come what may.
Next up - Auckland. A preview of that one is coming soon.
That said, sharp-eyed readers will remember me writing, very sincerely, only a few days back that “my plan is simply to lock onto the 2 hour 20 minute pacers and follow them to the end. No heroics. No surges. No final lap sprint around the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground. It’s all about staying disciplined and focussed and just seeing out the distance”.
So how did I end up finishing over 6 minutes - almost a kilometre - in front of them? Well, I’m glad you asked. But before I explain, I need to briefly fill you in on the lead-up to the run - which almost didn’t happen for me.
I mentioned in a throwaway comment in the last blog entry that - “I’m a bit nervous now, actually, although it probably has more to do with making sure I get to the airport early enough in time for tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) 7:00am flight to Melbourne than anything else.”
Well, as it turns out, I did miss that flight. For some reason, my iPad ran out of battery power during the night, and so the iPad alarm clock that I had carefully set the night before didn’t go off. When I did wake up, I was shocked to see sunlight out the window. A quick check of the clock on my phone showed it was just after 6:30am. After a silent expletive, I started running through some options about how to get to Melbourne and the consequences of not going. Then the phone rang. It was the airline’s boarding people chasing up late passengers. When I told them I’d slept in and wasn’t going to make it, they sounded quite happy to hear it. I assumed (or hoped) it had more to do with them not having to wait for someone who was at that moment running frantically from the airport carpark than taking some pleasure in my simple misfortune.
I don’t have a habit of missing planes - this was my first. So I didn’t have a plan B. I quickly dismissed the driving option - I simply wasn’t going to make it by the 3:00pm cut-off time to collect my race bib. The ‘abort’ option was also discounted. I'd end up losing both my airfares, one night of my accommodation, my race entry fee and, significantly, miss a medal. The only realistic option was to find another flight. Which I eventually did, although I still don’t want to think about the price I had to pay for it - even if it did include a free in-flight snack and cup of tea.
I eventually made it to the race bib collection point with plenty of time to spare and, after a short wander around some inner city streets afterwards, retired early to my Melbourne CBD hotel.
After a solid night’s sleep, I woke in plenty of time to get ready for the run. The forecast, which was accurate, was for a windy and mild (c.19 degrees) morning and I arrived at the start area about 40 minutes before the 8:00am gun. As with the Gold Coast, my strategy was to join the corral close to the front so I couldn’t possibly miss the 2 hour 20 minute pacers with their balloons and signs going past. And as with the Gold Coast, it worked beautifully.
There were two pacers - an older gentleman (who carried a flag and sign and who seemed to love a chat, even if it meant he had to slow a little and then increase the pace when the conversation was over), and a younger women who carried the balloon and who kept pretty much to herself while running very steadily. I started out locked on to the older guy, but his slightly erratic running style caused me to follow the other pacer. I stayed with her, and the little group which had formed around her, until shortly after the drink station at the 12-13 kilometre point. I moved ahead slightly then to run in some clearer space, but still maintaining the 2 hour 20 minute pace - or so I thought.
After a while, I started turning around to see if I could see the pacers, but without success. I thought for a moment they must have passed me somehow, but I knew I would have seen them if they had. I was also running very slowly thinking they would have to catch up soon enough when I could lock back on. As it happened, I was starting to feel stronger and stronger and the slow pace was getting a little uncomfortable, so I made the decision at about 14 kilometres just to run easily and not bother any longer with the pacing.
By this time, the course was heading back into the city on a long, tree-lined boulevard and as I ran, I noticed I was passing lots of runners who seemed to be struggling in the windy conditions. I felt particularly strong over the last five kilometres, especially over the steeper foot bridges, which I remember being a real problem last year.
I finally cruised into the famed MCG, with the lap of the ground just an incredible experience. I was trying to imagine what it must feel like for the sportspeople who run onto this ground when there’s an 80,000-plus crowd, when I found myself coming into the final straight. For some reason, I decided to sprint the last 100 metres, passing several more runners, and then crossed the finish line feeling remarkably fresh. I remember last year I was absolutely exhausted and need to spend quite some time sitting in the grandstands to recover. This year, I crossed the line, easily ascended the stairs to collect my medal (after I realised I wasn’t going to be able to hang around to thank my pacers for their diligence), and then walked back to the hotel.
Officially, I finished the race in 6,018th place from 9,420 finishers. The word at the start was that there were around 11,500 starters so obviously the race took its toll on quite a few people. The St John’s ambulance people tending to various fallen runners at several spots in the final few kilometres was testament to that.
The pacing results showed that my first 5 kilometres was run at a speed of 9.53km/h, the second at 9.23km/h, the next 8 kilometres at 9.67km/h (this is where I moved ahead of the pacers) and the final 3.1 kilometres at a speed of 9.35km/h (when I was cruising to the finish).
Overall, I was very happy with the race and especially the way I felt so strong throughout. But it was only a training run, and I was a bit disappointed in myself for not showing the discipline to stick with the pacers come what may.
Next up - Auckland. A preview of that one is coming soon.
Thursday, 13 October 2016
Melbourne Half Marathon - Preview
Two sleeps until the Melbourne half and it’s good to be getting back into a racing environment.
After that embarrassing City-to-Surf sleep-in back in August and missing the Harbour Bridge 3.8K (on 18 September) during my back injury hiatus, I haven’t raced since the Gold Coast half on 3 July. And while, technically, this isn’t going to be a ‘race’ for me, it still looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has feathers like a duck - and I’m still going to be nervous come race morning. I’m a bit nervous now, actually, although it probably has more to do with making sure I get to the airport early enough in time for tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) 7:00am flight to Melbourne than anything else.
I’ve had three solid weeks of running since returning from my back problem, with weekly kilometre totals of 37.13K, 30.84K and 36.02K. This part of the schedule corresponds to weeks 8-10 of Higdon’s 12-week advanced half marathon program, and if all goes to plan, I should be clocking up close to 70 kilometres in the coming week before the final week’s taper leading into the Auckland goal race on Sunday 30 October.
The only training glitch was last Saturday with my scheduled 2 hour 10 minute run. It started out well enough, but as I came up to the first hour, I was bombarded with some quite negative thoughts and quickly lost motivation to see out the run. So I stopped at exactly one hour, with 9.4 kilometres on the clock, jumped on the stair machine for 20 minutes as some sort of punishment and as a vain attempt to salve my conscience, and went home. It was the first time I’d given up like that since a week of missed sessions due to fatigue and motivation problems just over a year ago. It was as disappointing as it was inexplicable, but I guess these things happen from time to time, and you just plough on.
By contrast, the last couple of days looked like being particularly tough - especially today’s 8.1 kilometre run at ‘race pace’ (which, for me, equates to 8 x 1K's at a progressively increasing speed of 10.8km/h to 11.5km/h, with a final 100 metres at 11.6km/h - all at a gradient of 0.7%). But I absolutely smashed it. It was one of those sensational runs you get every now and again where you just don’t get tired and feel like you could go forever. I'm thinking that maybe my brain must have been offering me some sort of compensation for forcing me to pull the plug on that run less than a week before.
Anyway, the Melbourne race kicks off at 8:00am on Sunday 16 October, and assuming I make my flight, my plan is simply to lock onto the 2 hour 20 minute pacers and follow them to the end. No heroics. No surges. No final lap sprint around the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground. It’s all about staying disciplined and focussed and just seeing out the distance.
The Sunday weather forecast at the moment is cloudy with a minimum of 17 degrees, a maximum of 22 and a 90% chance of rain, although mostly in the afternoon and evening. I would have preferred a cooler start, and the cloud means it’s probably going to be a little more humid than I’d like, but Melbourne really is notorious for the changeability of its weather, so anything is possible.
I’ll pick up my race bib at the race expo when I arrive there tomorrow and take it easy at my CBD hotel for the rest of the day. I was in Melbourne a few weeks ago to watch some football matches so I had enough of a wander around town back then to satisfy my curiosity. This time, it’s just business, so it will be a very quiet day and an early night.
I’ll let you know how I fared.
After that embarrassing City-to-Surf sleep-in back in August and missing the Harbour Bridge 3.8K (on 18 September) during my back injury hiatus, I haven’t raced since the Gold Coast half on 3 July. And while, technically, this isn’t going to be a ‘race’ for me, it still looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has feathers like a duck - and I’m still going to be nervous come race morning. I’m a bit nervous now, actually, although it probably has more to do with making sure I get to the airport early enough in time for tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) 7:00am flight to Melbourne than anything else.
I’ve had three solid weeks of running since returning from my back problem, with weekly kilometre totals of 37.13K, 30.84K and 36.02K. This part of the schedule corresponds to weeks 8-10 of Higdon’s 12-week advanced half marathon program, and if all goes to plan, I should be clocking up close to 70 kilometres in the coming week before the final week’s taper leading into the Auckland goal race on Sunday 30 October.
The only training glitch was last Saturday with my scheduled 2 hour 10 minute run. It started out well enough, but as I came up to the first hour, I was bombarded with some quite negative thoughts and quickly lost motivation to see out the run. So I stopped at exactly one hour, with 9.4 kilometres on the clock, jumped on the stair machine for 20 minutes as some sort of punishment and as a vain attempt to salve my conscience, and went home. It was the first time I’d given up like that since a week of missed sessions due to fatigue and motivation problems just over a year ago. It was as disappointing as it was inexplicable, but I guess these things happen from time to time, and you just plough on.
By contrast, the last couple of days looked like being particularly tough - especially today’s 8.1 kilometre run at ‘race pace’ (which, for me, equates to 8 x 1K's at a progressively increasing speed of 10.8km/h to 11.5km/h, with a final 100 metres at 11.6km/h - all at a gradient of 0.7%). But I absolutely smashed it. It was one of those sensational runs you get every now and again where you just don’t get tired and feel like you could go forever. I'm thinking that maybe my brain must have been offering me some sort of compensation for forcing me to pull the plug on that run less than a week before.
Anyway, the Melbourne race kicks off at 8:00am on Sunday 16 October, and assuming I make my flight, my plan is simply to lock onto the 2 hour 20 minute pacers and follow them to the end. No heroics. No surges. No final lap sprint around the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground. It’s all about staying disciplined and focussed and just seeing out the distance.
The Sunday weather forecast at the moment is cloudy with a minimum of 17 degrees, a maximum of 22 and a 90% chance of rain, although mostly in the afternoon and evening. I would have preferred a cooler start, and the cloud means it’s probably going to be a little more humid than I’d like, but Melbourne really is notorious for the changeability of its weather, so anything is possible.
I’ll pick up my race bib at the race expo when I arrive there tomorrow and take it easy at my CBD hotel for the rest of the day. I was in Melbourne a few weeks ago to watch some football matches so I had enough of a wander around town back then to satisfy my curiosity. This time, it’s just business, so it will be a very quiet day and an early night.
I’ll let you know how I fared.
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Recovery
We’re now just about a week and a half out from my Melbourne half-marathon training run (Sunday 16 October) and three and a half weeks from my Auckland half-marathon goal race (Sunday 30 October) and things are slowly returning to normal.
As I flagged a couple of posts back, this particular preparation has been significantly hampered by a lower back injury that had me off the treadmill for close to four weeks. But after some judicious stretching (prescribed by the physio) and a rest from running, it's great to be getting back into it.
That’s not to say there weren’t some positives from the break. The injury forced me onto the bike for several hour-long sessions. And while that, the occasional spin class and the stair machine, were all excellent challenges, there’s nothing like clocking up the miles on the treadmill.
Even so, I have decided to continue with some regular time on the stair machine (the Lifefitness ‘Stairmaster’) at the end of most of my training runs now. It’s a deceptively very tough piece of equipment. I progressively crank up the effort level from its easiest setting every two minutes until it reaches level 10, and then see how long it takes until complete exhaustion forces me to stop. So far, the most I’ve been able to manage is 22 minutes, but I make sure it’s never less than 20 minutes.
My first actual run back was an easy 5 kilometres on 26 September (my first run since 31 August). I reached for my back at points during that run but there was certainly no pain. Nor has there been on any of the subsequent - mostly daily - runs.
My first scheduled long run was a two hour effort on 29 September, which also went well. While I was sore and very fatigued for a couple of hours afterwards, and while there were some points during the run where I thought about cutting it short, I was pleased I stuck with it right through to the end.
I have another long run (2 hours, 10 minutes) this coming weekend followed a week later by the Melbourne race, where the plan again is to shadow the 2 hour, 20 minute pacers for the duration. Last year, it was simply to avoid exacerbating a left calf muscle injury. This time, it's just a steady training run over a very pretty running course in a wonderful city.
Finally, after 738 kilometres, I’ve retired the running shoes that took me around both the New York and Gold Coast half marathon races earlier this year. In their place, I’ve now been fitted with a pair of 'Nike Air Zoom Odyssey 2' shoes by my long-time shoe expert at The Running Hub in Sydney’s Potts Point (whose judgement I trust implicitly). He tells me these are the newest version of the Nike’s that I’d been running in and confirmed their suitability after filming me on their in-store treadmill.
And so far, so good.
As I flagged a couple of posts back, this particular preparation has been significantly hampered by a lower back injury that had me off the treadmill for close to four weeks. But after some judicious stretching (prescribed by the physio) and a rest from running, it's great to be getting back into it.
That’s not to say there weren’t some positives from the break. The injury forced me onto the bike for several hour-long sessions. And while that, the occasional spin class and the stair machine, were all excellent challenges, there’s nothing like clocking up the miles on the treadmill.
Even so, I have decided to continue with some regular time on the stair machine (the Lifefitness ‘Stairmaster’) at the end of most of my training runs now. It’s a deceptively very tough piece of equipment. I progressively crank up the effort level from its easiest setting every two minutes until it reaches level 10, and then see how long it takes until complete exhaustion forces me to stop. So far, the most I’ve been able to manage is 22 minutes, but I make sure it’s never less than 20 minutes.
My first actual run back was an easy 5 kilometres on 26 September (my first run since 31 August). I reached for my back at points during that run but there was certainly no pain. Nor has there been on any of the subsequent - mostly daily - runs.
My first scheduled long run was a two hour effort on 29 September, which also went well. While I was sore and very fatigued for a couple of hours afterwards, and while there were some points during the run where I thought about cutting it short, I was pleased I stuck with it right through to the end.
I have another long run (2 hours, 10 minutes) this coming weekend followed a week later by the Melbourne race, where the plan again is to shadow the 2 hour, 20 minute pacers for the duration. Last year, it was simply to avoid exacerbating a left calf muscle injury. This time, it's just a steady training run over a very pretty running course in a wonderful city.
Finally, after 738 kilometres, I’ve retired the running shoes that took me around both the New York and Gold Coast half marathon races earlier this year. In their place, I’ve now been fitted with a pair of 'Nike Air Zoom Odyssey 2' shoes by my long-time shoe expert at The Running Hub in Sydney’s Potts Point (whose judgement I trust implicitly). He tells me these are the newest version of the Nike’s that I’d been running in and confirmed their suitability after filming me on their in-store treadmill.
And so far, so good.
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Playlist
It occurred to me that in all the posts I’ve written on this blog, I’ve not yet mentioned my closest running companion. I take him on every run to keep me company, spur me along, and invariably provide the motivation I need to get me over the line when much of the rest of me is gently suggesting to (or even screaming at) me to stop and go have a lie down somewhere.
It is, of course, my MP3.
Up until recently, it was an Apple iPod Nano. But as part of a revamp of my music playlist since I returned from my time on the Camino, I’ve now bought a Sony MP3 and stocked it with a much wider range of tunes. Several have been with me since my marathon days a decade ago. Many others have been there over the past 100 or so weeks as I’ve been punching out the last few half marathons. And a few more are recent additions.
So, for the sake of completeness, following is the full list of my current running songs. I might add one or two, and maybe take some away, over the next little while as I get more used to the combinations, but essentially, this is it (in alphabetical order of artist).
Abba - Gimme Gimme Gimme A new addition. It’s got a great driving beat and I really like the tune.
ACDC - Jailbreak + Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock'n'Roll Another two new additions to my running playlist. I defy anyone to start listening to these songs and not immediately bust out the air guitar!
Adele - Rolling in the Deep A great pounding beat ideal for running.
Bee Gees - Staying Alive Love the beat on this one too. The song itself is also my favourite Bee Gees tune.
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling This was the first of a few songs that I picked from a couple of lists after googling ‘best running songs’. It’s not bad.
Bob Seger - Hollywood Nights I’ve had the studio version of this song for a while, but now replaced it with the much better live version with the crowd going off their heads.
Bryan Adams - Run to You I’ve wanted this one on my playlist for a long time and I’ve now finally got around to putting it on there. A brilliant lead-in riff headlines a really punchy tune. The running connection also helps.
Chris de Burgh - Don't Pay the Ferryman This has been a staple for a while now and while it’s not an absolutely outstanding song, I know that when it comes on, it won’t let me down.
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing + Telegraph Road Both of these are off the live “Alchemy” album, with each over 10 minutes long. I’ve had the much shorter version of “Sultans of Swing” on my list for years, but the 11 minute live version here is an absolute classic. I spent quite a bit of time air-guitaring to it on the Camino. “Telegraph Road” is a little slower in parts and slightly less catchy, but the final few minutes are also excellent.
Don McLean - American Pie A song I’ve loved for years and thought I should add it to my playlist. I’m confident it will survive the transition.
Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight I really like this song and have thought for a while that I should put it on my running list. And finally here it is!
ELO - Tightrope Probably my favourite ELO tune. It builds brilliantly as it goes along and deserves its place here for the first time.
Elton John - Teacher I Need You + Tiny Dancer This is the long version of “Tiny Dancer”, and also builds really well to the chorus, while “Teacher I Need You” is an under-rated rocking tune I really like that is worthy of its place here.
Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop + Tusk Oldies but goodies. They have that magic combination of the motivational and a great pounding beat.
Foreigner - Feels Like the First Time + Urgent Love these two Foreigner classics, with “Urgent” a staple for a while and “Feels Like the First Time” another song that builds to a wonderful crescendo.
G Wayne Thomas - Open Up Your Heart A much under-played Australian song evidently written in just 20 minutes in the early 70’s. The guy is a genius, with lines like - “There's no formula for happiness that's guaranteed to work; And no lover's ever been in love, and not been hurt; No dreamer has ever dreamed, and seen it all come true”. Give it a listen - it’s sensational.
Gary Barlow - Forever Autumn A beautiful rendition of an amazing song.
George Harrison - My Sweet Lord A wonderful tune and good to jog along to.
Gerry Rafferty - Get it Right Next Time + Baker Street In my marathon days a decade ago (and in the days before the shuffle function), “Baker Street” was always my lead-off training song and I knew I’d get a kilometre or more done before that song had finished. Good to see it back here now. “Get it Right” is my other favourite Gerry Rafferty song and an easy addition.
Glee - Don't Stop Believing + Jessie’s Girl I prefer the Glee versions of these songs over the originals. Both are wonderful workout tunes.
Goanna - Solid Rock A long-time running song with a strong, driving best. A must have.
Heather Small - Proud An inherently inspirational song making a return to my playlist now. It should never have left it.
Hunters and Collectors - Holy Grail This makes a return to the playlist after a while away. A good tune.
John Denver - Annie’s Song + Country Roads Two excellent tunes with both new to my MP3. I’m not sure they’ll last the distance on the running list, but the quality of each should keep them there.
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now A great song but new to the running program. I’m sure it will survive.
Londonbeat - I’ve Been Thinking About You This song first appeared in my consciousness when I heard it as a music video at my gym a few months ago. It made an immediate impression and I just had to have it.
Owl City - Fireflies Not sure if this is going to make the grade as a running song, but I like it a lot. We’ll see how it goes.
Passenger - Let Her Go Another newbie and a simply beautiful tune that I only recently rediscovered on the Camino. A fond memory of someone that I used to know.
REM - Losing My Religion + Man in the Moon I quite like REM and these two songs are probably their best. I’ve had them in my car for a long time but now they’ve graduated to my running MP3.
The Corries - Go Lassie Go Not an immediately obvious running song choice, I grant you. But it builds throughout and deserves its place.
The Script - Hall of Fame Another google running song. Really inspiring stuff when the going gets a little tough.
Train - Drops of Jupiter A favourite song for a while now and it easily retains its place on the new songlist.
Van Halen - Jump Another taken from Google’s list of ‘best running songs’. It’s OK I guess, but it’s on probation for now.
And last but not least ,,,
Yes - It Can Happen + Love Will Find a Way + Rhythm of Love I was at University years ago with a guy who was a massive Yes fan. Back then, I couldn’t really see the attraction. Now I absolutely do. They produced some incredible songs in the mid-80s and these three are probably their best. “It Can Happen” has been a staple running song of mine for a while now and probably also ranks as my favourite all-time song. It’s my go-to tune when I’m at the back end of a hard training session or about to launch into a sprint finish in a time trial. The other two are equally brilliant songs and I’ve only just added them to my playlist. I don’t know why I waited for so long. They should have been on it years ago.
It is, of course, my MP3.
Up until recently, it was an Apple iPod Nano. But as part of a revamp of my music playlist since I returned from my time on the Camino, I’ve now bought a Sony MP3 and stocked it with a much wider range of tunes. Several have been with me since my marathon days a decade ago. Many others have been there over the past 100 or so weeks as I’ve been punching out the last few half marathons. And a few more are recent additions.
So, for the sake of completeness, following is the full list of my current running songs. I might add one or two, and maybe take some away, over the next little while as I get more used to the combinations, but essentially, this is it (in alphabetical order of artist).
Abba - Gimme Gimme Gimme A new addition. It’s got a great driving beat and I really like the tune.
ACDC - Jailbreak + Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock'n'Roll Another two new additions to my running playlist. I defy anyone to start listening to these songs and not immediately bust out the air guitar!
Adele - Rolling in the Deep A great pounding beat ideal for running.
Bee Gees - Staying Alive Love the beat on this one too. The song itself is also my favourite Bee Gees tune.
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling This was the first of a few songs that I picked from a couple of lists after googling ‘best running songs’. It’s not bad.
Bob Seger - Hollywood Nights I’ve had the studio version of this song for a while, but now replaced it with the much better live version with the crowd going off their heads.
Bryan Adams - Run to You I’ve wanted this one on my playlist for a long time and I’ve now finally got around to putting it on there. A brilliant lead-in riff headlines a really punchy tune. The running connection also helps.
Chris de Burgh - Don't Pay the Ferryman This has been a staple for a while now and while it’s not an absolutely outstanding song, I know that when it comes on, it won’t let me down.
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing + Telegraph Road Both of these are off the live “Alchemy” album, with each over 10 minutes long. I’ve had the much shorter version of “Sultans of Swing” on my list for years, but the 11 minute live version here is an absolute classic. I spent quite a bit of time air-guitaring to it on the Camino. “Telegraph Road” is a little slower in parts and slightly less catchy, but the final few minutes are also excellent.
Don McLean - American Pie A song I’ve loved for years and thought I should add it to my playlist. I’m confident it will survive the transition.
Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight I really like this song and have thought for a while that I should put it on my running list. And finally here it is!
ELO - Tightrope Probably my favourite ELO tune. It builds brilliantly as it goes along and deserves its place here for the first time.
Elton John - Teacher I Need You + Tiny Dancer This is the long version of “Tiny Dancer”, and also builds really well to the chorus, while “Teacher I Need You” is an under-rated rocking tune I really like that is worthy of its place here.
Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop + Tusk Oldies but goodies. They have that magic combination of the motivational and a great pounding beat.
Foreigner - Feels Like the First Time + Urgent Love these two Foreigner classics, with “Urgent” a staple for a while and “Feels Like the First Time” another song that builds to a wonderful crescendo.
G Wayne Thomas - Open Up Your Heart A much under-played Australian song evidently written in just 20 minutes in the early 70’s. The guy is a genius, with lines like - “There's no formula for happiness that's guaranteed to work; And no lover's ever been in love, and not been hurt; No dreamer has ever dreamed, and seen it all come true”. Give it a listen - it’s sensational.
Gary Barlow - Forever Autumn A beautiful rendition of an amazing song.
George Harrison - My Sweet Lord A wonderful tune and good to jog along to.
Gerry Rafferty - Get it Right Next Time + Baker Street In my marathon days a decade ago (and in the days before the shuffle function), “Baker Street” was always my lead-off training song and I knew I’d get a kilometre or more done before that song had finished. Good to see it back here now. “Get it Right” is my other favourite Gerry Rafferty song and an easy addition.
Glee - Don't Stop Believing + Jessie’s Girl I prefer the Glee versions of these songs over the originals. Both are wonderful workout tunes.
Goanna - Solid Rock A long-time running song with a strong, driving best. A must have.
Heather Small - Proud An inherently inspirational song making a return to my playlist now. It should never have left it.
Hunters and Collectors - Holy Grail This makes a return to the playlist after a while away. A good tune.
John Denver - Annie’s Song + Country Roads Two excellent tunes with both new to my MP3. I’m not sure they’ll last the distance on the running list, but the quality of each should keep them there.
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now A great song but new to the running program. I’m sure it will survive.
Londonbeat - I’ve Been Thinking About You This song first appeared in my consciousness when I heard it as a music video at my gym a few months ago. It made an immediate impression and I just had to have it.
Owl City - Fireflies Not sure if this is going to make the grade as a running song, but I like it a lot. We’ll see how it goes.
Passenger - Let Her Go Another newbie and a simply beautiful tune that I only recently rediscovered on the Camino. A fond memory of someone that I used to know.
REM - Losing My Religion + Man in the Moon I quite like REM and these two songs are probably their best. I’ve had them in my car for a long time but now they’ve graduated to my running MP3.
The Corries - Go Lassie Go Not an immediately obvious running song choice, I grant you. But it builds throughout and deserves its place.
The Script - Hall of Fame Another google running song. Really inspiring stuff when the going gets a little tough.
Train - Drops of Jupiter A favourite song for a while now and it easily retains its place on the new songlist.
Van Halen - Jump Another taken from Google’s list of ‘best running songs’. It’s OK I guess, but it’s on probation for now.
And last but not least ,,,
Yes - It Can Happen + Love Will Find a Way + Rhythm of Love I was at University years ago with a guy who was a massive Yes fan. Back then, I couldn’t really see the attraction. Now I absolutely do. They produced some incredible songs in the mid-80s and these three are probably their best. “It Can Happen” has been a staple running song of mine for a while now and probably also ranks as my favourite all-time song. It’s my go-to tune when I’m at the back end of a hard training session or about to launch into a sprint finish in a time trial. The other two are equally brilliant songs and I’ve only just added them to my playlist. I don’t know why I waited for so long. They should have been on it years ago.
Friday, 9 September 2016
Speed-bumps and changed directions
For the benefit of those amongst you who are not keeping count, it’s been just on four weeks since I landed back in Sydney after finishing my Camino journey and about the same time since I resumed running in pursuit of this little quest of mine to qualify to run the Boston marathon.
And it’s certainly been an eventful few weeks.
I mentioned in my last post about a back twinge I’d just picked up and, happily, that disappeared as quickly as it came on. Week 3 of the 12-week training program for the Auckland half-marathon (my first full running week since returning) went very well and I managed to clock up 44.34 kilometres, with a strong 1 hour 45 minute long run to cap off the week.
But in the following week, the back pain returned from nowhere with a vengeance and after a few increasingly painful runs through gritted teeth, I conceded defeat and spent the next few sessions on a bike trying to maintain some fitness while hoping the injury would just go away.
A visit to the physio about a week later confirmed a problem at the L4-5 vertebrae which he thinks should be cured in a week or two with some focussed daily stretches and an abstinence from any running. Long-time readers of this blog will appreciate that it has actually been quite a while since I’ve suffered any injuries so I suppose this one really is overdue. And while it’s terribly annoying, it has given me the opportunity to do some serious bike riding (my average session is an hour at a constant heart rate of 70-80% of maximum) and also to participate in some spin classes at my gym for the first time - which I’ve really been enjoying.
So hopefully all this won’t set the Auckland program back too much. But we shall wait and see.
I’ve also decided to substitute my 2 hour 15 minute long training run scheduled for the end of week 10 with an entry in the Melbourne half-marathon on that day. I had such a good time running that race last year (carrying a left calf injury), I thought I’d do the same thing again this year and simply follow the 2 hour 20 minute pacers around the course as my reasonably easy long run for the week. Looking forward to it - so long as the back has healed by then.
More significantly, I’ve also just made the decision to abandon the next half-marathon I had scheduled after Auckland (i.e. Hobart, on 15 January 2017) and head back to Spain for a while. I have to confess that I’ve been bitten badly by the Camino bug so I’ve decided to fly to Europe a week or so after the Auckland race and walk the Camino Frances again (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago) followed immediately by the Camino Portuguese (Porto to Santiago). With Christmas Day in Santiago, it’s then off to Finisterre and Muxia on the western coast of Spain before arriving back in Santiago on New Year’s Eve. All-up, it should be about 1,200 kilometres of mid-Winter walking in around 50 days. And after some time in England, it will be back home and into training for Canberra in April 2017.
Although I love Hobart and Tasmania generally, it was probably the half marathon in my program that I was the least excited about, so it wasn’t too difficult a decision to scrub it - especially given the attraction of the alternative. And it’s still on the program for 2018.
So all that means that the BQ-Quest schedule (past, present and future) now looks something like this:
1. Sydney half - May 2015 (time 2:00:26)
2. Gold Coast half - July 2015 (missed with hamstring injury)
3. Melbourne half - October 2015 (time 2:18:04, with calf injury)
4. New York half - March 2016 (time 2:01:46)
5. Gold Coast half - July 2016 (time 1:57:46)
5A. Melbourne half - October 2016
6. Auckland half - October 2016
7. Canberra half - April 2017
8. Gold Coast half - July 2017
9. Great North Run (England) - September 2017
10. Hobart half - January 2018
11. Gold Coast Marathon - July 2018
12. Melbourne Marathon - November 2018
13. Gold Coast Marathon (1st BQ attempt) - July 2019
And it’s certainly been an eventful few weeks.
I mentioned in my last post about a back twinge I’d just picked up and, happily, that disappeared as quickly as it came on. Week 3 of the 12-week training program for the Auckland half-marathon (my first full running week since returning) went very well and I managed to clock up 44.34 kilometres, with a strong 1 hour 45 minute long run to cap off the week.
But in the following week, the back pain returned from nowhere with a vengeance and after a few increasingly painful runs through gritted teeth, I conceded defeat and spent the next few sessions on a bike trying to maintain some fitness while hoping the injury would just go away.
A visit to the physio about a week later confirmed a problem at the L4-5 vertebrae which he thinks should be cured in a week or two with some focussed daily stretches and an abstinence from any running. Long-time readers of this blog will appreciate that it has actually been quite a while since I’ve suffered any injuries so I suppose this one really is overdue. And while it’s terribly annoying, it has given me the opportunity to do some serious bike riding (my average session is an hour at a constant heart rate of 70-80% of maximum) and also to participate in some spin classes at my gym for the first time - which I’ve really been enjoying.
So hopefully all this won’t set the Auckland program back too much. But we shall wait and see.
I’ve also decided to substitute my 2 hour 15 minute long training run scheduled for the end of week 10 with an entry in the Melbourne half-marathon on that day. I had such a good time running that race last year (carrying a left calf injury), I thought I’d do the same thing again this year and simply follow the 2 hour 20 minute pacers around the course as my reasonably easy long run for the week. Looking forward to it - so long as the back has healed by then.
More significantly, I’ve also just made the decision to abandon the next half-marathon I had scheduled after Auckland (i.e. Hobart, on 15 January 2017) and head back to Spain for a while. I have to confess that I’ve been bitten badly by the Camino bug so I’ve decided to fly to Europe a week or so after the Auckland race and walk the Camino Frances again (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago) followed immediately by the Camino Portuguese (Porto to Santiago). With Christmas Day in Santiago, it’s then off to Finisterre and Muxia on the western coast of Spain before arriving back in Santiago on New Year’s Eve. All-up, it should be about 1,200 kilometres of mid-Winter walking in around 50 days. And after some time in England, it will be back home and into training for Canberra in April 2017.
Although I love Hobart and Tasmania generally, it was probably the half marathon in my program that I was the least excited about, so it wasn’t too difficult a decision to scrub it - especially given the attraction of the alternative. And it’s still on the program for 2018.
So all that means that the BQ-Quest schedule (past, present and future) now looks something like this:
1. Sydney half - May 2015 (time 2:00:26)
2. Gold Coast half - July 2015 (missed with hamstring injury)
3. Melbourne half - October 2015 (time 2:18:04, with calf injury)
4. New York half - March 2016 (time 2:01:46)
5. Gold Coast half - July 2016 (time 1:57:46)
5A. Melbourne half - October 2016
6. Auckland half - October 2016
7. Canberra half - April 2017
8. Gold Coast half - July 2017
9. Great North Run (England) - September 2017
10. Hobart half - January 2018
11. Gold Coast Marathon - July 2018
12. Melbourne Marathon - November 2018
13. Gold Coast Marathon (1st BQ attempt) - July 2019
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