(The photos with this blog are from a previous run.. just to show you the territory )
How easy could this
be? Running the Half marathon over the ‘Mt Marlow Track’ and the ‘Under the
Radar’ track? The week before I flew at the ‘Rolling Thunder Run’, and I had
run most of the distance before, right? I knew I was kidding myself. This was not gonna be the typical marathon.
Doing 6km ‘Mt Marlow’ is not for the faint hearted, add to that the 12km ‘Under
the Radar’, 2km ‘Graveyard track’ THEN a couple of 100m of beach…
I arrived early, as I
do. I learned there were 75 other competitors. I was hoping not to many (fast)
runners in my age group, maybe I might get a place…. Surely not to many people my age would be
stupid enough to get up early to do this run?
I was thinking how to tackle this… should I go on steady at Mt Marlow
and faster at ‘Under the Radar’? Problem with that is, that you get stuck
behind some ‘slow pokes’ as it is hard to pass between the rocks.. So I decided to go pretty fast at the flat
to the Mt Marlow track, stay as much as possible in ‘my place’; don’t pass
anyone, and no one passes me. Then see how I’d go on ‘Under the Radar.’….My aim
was to do the run under 2 ½ hours, but definitely under 3hrs.
The race started at
about 7am and at that time it was already quite warm and muggy
Not running, climbing |
Downhill to Bald Rock
car park was not easy either. I stopped at the drink stop drank my water and
refilled. I should have filled it with Gatorade instead of water, but hey you
always see clearer in hindsight, then through sweat smeared glasses at the
time. They offered to spray me with the hose, but I refused. Did not want to
get al sloppy and wet while running on a dusty track.
Start of 'Under the Radar Trail' |
At the water stop in the middle of ‘Under
the Radar’ I had my gel. I felt stuffed, but I wasn’t dead yet. I was still
jogging, but slowly and had passed a few more ‘walkers’. the man at the water
stop said “only 5km left.” Liar! 5km of ‘Under the Radar’ would have been more
accurate. “Nearly finished....” or so I thought. I had a good drink and filled up my bottle
again.
The man in front of me didn’t stop for a
drink so I sped up to catch up.. When he started walking, I passed him and felt
great that I passed another person. I had experience, I had run Under the Radar
before, I can do this! The guy had a
‘snake-lolly’, when he finished chewing he jogged passed me. I stuck behind him, then he walked again and I passed him. This was
repeated 5 or 6 times. I just kept plotting along, but it was getting
frustrating and demoralizing.. so after the 5th or 6th time, I
started walking when he walked, jogging when he jogged. Never, never, never walk in a run, because it
is nearly impossible to start running again. As you all know. Eventually that
‘walk/jog –guy’ was somewhere behind me, so at least I had beaten another ‘walker’.
the beach.... very difficult after the long run |
I heard people clap, “well done”, but it
was all in a daze. That walk/jog -guy passed me on the beach and I was aiming
to pass him, my shuffle went a bit faster and had a look of a slow jog..I never
did pass him. I crossed the finish line,
I stared at the lady taking the times etc.. I said “51” and she said “all done”
I stopped my Garmin: 2:39:33. Done. I felt
too exhausted to care.
I was in a daze, looking for food and water
and a seat. Grabbed half a banana, and a filled a cup of water, I was so weak,
I spilled most of it. When I sat down, a cramp came from my knee to my groin. I
wanted to get up to stretch my leg, but couldn’t. OUCH! I writhed on my seat and the guy next to me
asked if I was alright. MY face turned to him, and with my eyes shut I said
‘fine fine, just cramp’.
I remembered I had water with salts etc in
my car. So I started to ‘walk’ to my car. I couldn’t find it at first.. my
brain still not working. I found it eventually, got the waterbottle from the
car and had problems closing the door. My fine motor skills weren’t too good
still.
I walked back somehow, had watermelon and
banana and this 750ml drink.. I had more water and waited for the
announcements.. I spoke to someone that was in my age group and his time was
2.15. So I knew that I most likely would not have a place.
After the
announcements I went home. As I sat in the car, the cramp in my right leg came
back… OUCH… I massaged it and squeezed my eyes until it subsided… I got home
safely, found my bed and fell asleep, sweaty and all. I woke at 1pm and was
starving!
PS my placing:
3. Heart
Break Half Marathon - Male 50 +
Place
|
Name
|
Time
|
|
1
|
John
Hoggan
|
2:18:38
|
|
2
|
Robert
Smythe
|
2:34:09
|
|
3
|
Antony
Daamen
|
2:39:29
|
|
4
|
Stuart
Corbett
|
2:58:10
|
|
5
|
Ross
Johnston
|
3:49:38
|