RR Central Coast Half Marahton

Epilogue.

“How surreal is that? I just ran a Half Marathon.”  I thought, as I was eating a toasted sandwich in a Service Station at Buledaleh on a break from the long five hour drive back to Coffs Harbour.

All this running I am doing has a mist of unreality surrounding it. I constantly have to pinch myself to make sure it is true.

I’m often scared and I’ll wake up and the last year and a half running will all be a dream.

But on the table next to my meal, rested the finishers medal with Central Coast Marathon engraved on the back.

It’s real enough.  THIS IS NOT DREAM QUINKIN, you are running.

The race.

The race started at 7:00am under a bridge near the huge expanse of Lake Macquarie on the Central Coast. Fisherman were dipping their reels into the calm waters along the shore. Above us was a Norfolk Island Pine with a dead crown  caused by roosting cormorants who sprayed their droppings onto the road. Out in the middle of the lake is a large colony Pelicans.

The sun comes out and it is a little  hot and humid, but nothing like the conditions I have endured in training in Coffs Harbour, or the Royal NP HM back in August.

There was a large turn up runners, at least 300 or so for the combined half marathon and 9km fun run. The race director asks for quiet to explain the course. The murmur of voices slowly settled.

The race started along a road marked with witches hats. I take the inside line and go easy. At the end of the road the race turns left onto a cycle path, and begins follows the lakeshore.

1st km 4:13 

I’m not even puffing, but I notice that plenty of runners are already blowing hard. I hope they are not doing the HM, because they will be struggling later on.

I just stroll along and I feel like the pace is easy. I draw up on the shoulder of some of the other runners and they seem to take it as a challenge and make and effort to forge ahead. I know better, the race doesn’t start until after halfway.

I know that in warm and humid conditions you need to conserve energy for the back end. I learnt the hard way in my previous half marathon where I nearly fried. The conditions are much more benign than that race in August, but the humidity is testing. This after all is summer in Australia.

2km 4:21.

The race follows the cycle path, through groves of Paperbarks and She Oaks, in and out of the shade. It crosses one or two wooden bridges that traverse little creek inlets. Cyclists ring their bells as they move on through the runners on a Sunday ride. People walking their dogs shout encouragement.

3km 4.22 This pace feels easy. There is a water stop, but I don’t feel the need just yet.

4km 4:20. I see a runner who is  drenched in sweat, he’s blowing like a steam train. Every time I move ahead he charges up on my shoulder, like he’s already racing me. I haven’t started to race.

“You’re not doing the HM?” I ask him.

“Yes,” he says.

I warn him about going to hard, that the second half of the race will hurt, if he doesn’t pace well, and gets dehydrated.  I learnt the lesson of poor pacing on the Royal National Park  HM.

He keeps challenging, so I put in a short burst.

“@#*&,” he says, as I draw away easily.

I see this felow after halfway, about 400 metres behind. I suspect he is in for a long hard morning.

The 9km fun runners come heading back the other way. Some runners are using the road and others are using the cycle path.

So now the runners doing the HM are revealed. The real deal, the HM.

5km 4:38. Water stop. I make sure I stop and walk to drink a full cup of water.  I plan to stay hydrated in this race, even if I lose time at water stops.

5km 21:55  

6km 4.28

There a few runners who go past, and others who are building a bit of a lead, but nothing too insurmountable if they slow after half way. 

7km 4:36

8km 4:46 Another water  stop. Not happy with that kilometre split, maybe I’m pacing too easily, and not working hard enough.

9km 4:39.  The leading runners come back the other way, and I shout out good run to the first three males, and the first lady who is up in the top ten OA and looking strong.

Other runners shout encouragement to runners they know, and others they don’t.

I get a few shouts of “good job, you’re going great.’  Runners are great like that, it is such a positive sport. It is one of the joys of an out and back course.

10km 45:04. I’m ahead of my pace of the Royal HM, but it took a lot less effort. That is faster the my 10km times back in May.

I hit half way, and I tell myself now the race starts.  

11km 4:25  

I immediately gain on some of the runners that reached the half way about a hundred yards ahead.

12km 4:44 Water stop and I grab a drink.

Now I reach a funny stage of the race. I feel like I am pacing quite well, but I am not happy with the km splits.

13km 4:43. I see each km split and I say to myself, come on you’re being lazy. I don’t feel like I’m going to blow up or anything, the wheels are definately well and truly on, but I’d like to going faster.

14km 4:48. It feels too much like a jog. I go past a lady runner and a younger male runner who were leading at halfway but are slowing. The lady runner actually won the female 40-49 age group.

No AG medals for me this race. This HM attracts a lot of good runners.

The volunteers on the course are really friendly and encouraging. One tells me that I am in 47th position.

15km 4:45 (68:30) That’s a master 15km PR.

A few other runners go past running strongly.

16km 4:47. I keep on saying that this kilometre I will go hard, but it never really enventuates.

17km 4:49. A pleasant breeze is blowing in my face. The conditions aren’t too bad.

18km 4:48. I overtake another runner who was leading at half way. A couple of other runners have stopped to walk, and I pass them as well.

19km 4:54. Come on snap out of it, Quinkin, I tell myself.

20km 4:48

I tell myself I am slowing, but I doing well. This will be a PR.

21km 4:32 . I wind myself up for the final km, and I can see the Entrance Park. So I speed up, and actually sprint.

Spectators and finished runners applaud and shout out encouragement.

I manage a sprint to cross the line.

97:10 a master’s PR. Probably not  a bad time for a summer marathon, in warm and humid conditions.

I finish 49th/220 or so runners. I feel a bit tired when I am finished, but recover quickly. I am left wondering if I paced myself too easily, if I didn’t leave it all out there, and really could have pushed harder the last half.

I conclude that there is still a lot of improvement left if I can build more endurance.  This HM was a learing experience and much better than my August race.

I look forward to my next HM, in Autumn or winter, where I have more miles under my belt, and should revel in cooler conditions.

My running dream is alive and thriving.

Run Like Hell

I’m here to run,

run like hell

suck it up Quinkin

put it all on the line

go hard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySO-gryuO-c&feature=related

One day you will wake up and it will be better

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I…

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Fix you Coldplay

A massage therapist said that to me once, when I was at the worst of my pain.

That day is here now.

What I’ve been through the last few years has had a big impact on me, in so many ways, and I think I deserve a rest.

Next year I might take some extended leave from work.

Things of beauty

A Bird orchid

a bi-plane like dragonfly

an old tree reaching to the sky.

Standing on the earth

watching

storm clouds build

hearing

thunder roll

seeing

cooling rain drops fall on still water

in a sunshower

those same storm clouds

moving out to sea

and emptying into the ocean.

Understanding the seasons

witnessing the world spin on its axis

the intricate dance of planets and moons and stars.

Standing on the earth

for a brief lifetime

soothed by these things of beauty

and feeling humbled by my place in the world.

I think I’d better run, run, run, run, run

12km this morning.  I fixed the wrist band on my Garmin, but as I was doing it, the display on the Garmin changed to only km splits.

12km 61.59 (5:40, 5:06, 5:08, 4:52, 5:02, 4:47, 5:17, 5:27, 5:04, 5:10, 5:12, 5:11)

I might do a short jog on Saturday down at The Entrance. I feel a bit nervous about this race. It it will be cool like it has the last two days, I will feel more confident.

Dorrigo Fun Run Map

Garmin Connect – Activity Details for Untitled.

Heatwave Tamworth

Heatwave Tamworth

Oxley Park cowers under the stinging sun
weighing down on wilted straw dry stone grass.

White Box crowns glare harsh flat,
in blinding light that melts bitumen in Peel Street.

Wilga leaves weep for the silent bush, where no bird
has the energy to sing, and Kangaroos shelter
in the scant shade of mock olives.

Even the diurnal ant shift is on strike, and only
big black bush flies murmurring in disgruntled voices
brave the infernal heat.

Quinkin 2001

The week that wasn’t V2.1

Sun: 20km

Mon: field, mossie bite hell

Tues: 12km

Wed: field, more fun in the sun

Thurs: 16km

Fri: Rest, I needed some

Sat: 12km

60km

RR Dorrigo Fun 6.5km- socks and a sack

I ummed and ahhed about doing this run.

Now I’m glad I did.

Pre race. Last night I struggled to sleep. I had my window open, but no wind arrived to relieve the stifling heat. It was after midnight before I was able to coax myself to sleep against the sweat trickling down the back of my neck, and the frustrating sweat induced itchiness.

What would the race be like in the morning? A 9:00am start at  North Dorrigo. Might be cooler up the mountain at Dorrigo, but any run at that time of the morning would have a sting of heat and humidity to it.

So I began the 40 minute drive from Coffs Harbour to Dorrigo. What I notice is what a great season this is for cicidas. You can hear their defeaning chorus from the tree crowns, evern inside a car with the radio and air conditoining going. Their chorus is energy sapping, and it evokes a sense of heat. I can’t recall it being this hot this time of year in all the time I have lived on the north coast.

I arrive at the Dorrigo Showgrounds very early. It is cooler up the mountain, a little bit anyway. Runners turn up in dribs and drabs. An old bus in available to ship the runners up to the North Dorrigo store.

The bus winds up through though the green rolling hills of the Dorrigo basalt. There are cows grazing, and privets growing in copses along the road.  

Upon arrival at North Dorrigo there is a registration table set up on the sidewalk under the verandah of the North Dorrigo store. North Dorrigo is a small town with a few houses, an old petrol pump, a restuarant, and a timber store. It is surronded by rural hills of green.

I get my rego number and pin it on in the shelter of the restuarant with its small water feature, which provides a cool microlimate.

What I notice about the race director, the volunteers and the owner of the restuarant (who pours iced water into glass jugs) is the country friendliness. This race has a rustic rural charm.

The flies are friendly too and much more prolific than on the coast.

The 13km race goes first. I’m glad I’m not doing this race. The sun is already carving its mark into the bitumen.

The race.

9:00 am rolls around. A field of forty or so runners toe the line of the Tyringham road bitumen. I move to the outside to try and get a clear start.

Off we go, and a group of four teenage boyz go off like bunnies. The bunny boyz are dressed in black T-shirts, baseball caps and knee length board shorts. Obviously the fashion for the rural youth of Dorrigo, but not appropriate attire for a race in hot, humid conditions.

There is a Sudanese boy who goes rocketing past the Boyz. He’s flying. Coffs Harbour has a number of Sudanese refugees. There are a couple of Sudanese boys, one in Victoria, one for my old Sutho club, who are showing great promise as runners for their new country.

I tuck in with an Australian Mountain running champion, and a another blonde boy who looks like he can run a bit.

At about 800 metres, I go past the boyz, who are groaning in unison.

1km 4:05

Now the course starts going uphill, and continues to go up for three kms straight. This is a hilly brute of a course.  

At about 1.5km the Sudanese who was  leading by nearly one hundred metres, stops turns around and starts to walk.

2km 4:42

The Australian Mountain running rep is way ahead, and will win by a long way. The blonde haired boy catches his Sudanese friend and they encourage each other. The Sudanese boy continues to run gamely on. He obviously has some talent if he trains, and paces himself better.  

I don’t go past these two until three kilometres. I give them a quick ‘keep going’ as encouragement.

3km 4:43

Finally I hit a downhill stretch, and try to open up a little. It’s a good long downhill stretch into a gully.

4km 4:04

Up the other side is another long ascent. I just try to pace myself on these hills. I’m clearly second and under no pressure.  

5km 4:34

Eventually I crest a rise and I can see the Dorrigo township below. To the east is a long line of red vintage rail carriages at the Dorrigo railway museum.

6km 4:22

There is one more cruel ascent up to the Dorrigo showgrounds. The race runs around the grass outside the showgorunds. I almost get lost here, and run into an access road. An SES volunteer puts me right.

The winner of the 13km race goes past me here. We run along a footpath, and then turn right through the main gates of the showground. Then the run is funnelled into a corridor of start pickets with red tape.

I pass through two buildings and I wonder if  I have to run a lap around the equestrian area.

There are people standing around.

“Where do we go?” I ask.

“You’re finished,”  says a lady

“Thanks goodness for that,” says I.

I am handed a raffle ticket with a number and my time on it.

Post race.

I get some cool drinks and sit in the nice shade of some big trees.

Out on  the equestrian area, there is some dressage horse action going on.

“Last call for Gentleman Hats,” says the ground announcer, over and over again.

“No more gentlemen hats?”

“All right then, first call champion hats.” I have no idea what she is talking about, but I like the country ambience.

I fnished up coming 2nd overall 

6.5km. 28.18 

I won a pair of socks and a sack of potatoes for 1st in my age group. The guy that won was also in my age group, so he only got the outright win prize.

 

Skyrockets in flight afternoon delight

Off again on an afternoon/evening run. There was a strong north easter blowing which made the running conditions much more pleasant. Consequently I ran much better than some of my recent 16km runs in the heat and humidity.

The first 6km was slow and easy, but I picked up the pace to some quicker kilometres without conscious effort. If I concerntrate on my running form, striding long and easy, arms low and by my side, the extra pace come easy.

It felt more like one of the runs I did back in the cooler months of August.

16km 80.46 (5:33, 5:23, 5:08, 5:23, 5:19, 4:45, 5:11, 4:50, 4:59, 4:48, 4:48, 4:58, 5:05, 4:43, 4:58, 4:53)