RR Royal National Park Half Marathon

This was my first half marathon in 26 years. My last marathon was on this same course in 1983. There is a photo of me at the start of this race. I am the skinny blonde haired runner just behind Les Farley in this photo.

Talk about four seasons in one day. When I arrived early at the course it was raining. I drove around the Royal National Park in my hire car and stopped at some  of my favourite parts of this park.  

I stopped first at the upper end of lady Carrington Drive, where the Port Hacking River has carved a deep valley into the infertile Sydney Sandstones exposing Narrabeen and Wianiamatta Shales. On the more fertile soils massive Blackbutt Gum Trees and Turpentines grow over snow grass and Bangalow Palm. And shaded glades of warm/subtropical temperate rainforest grace the alluvial flats of the Hacking River. I hear a Lewins honeyeater calling and a Lyrebird mimicking a Satin Bowerbird.

Lady Carrington Drive, the path of the Half marathon snakes it way through the Port Hacking river Valley for 9km.  

My second stop is the start of the Wallumurra Trig, located on the top of the Hawkesbury sandstone plateau. The wildlowers pay no heed to calenders, and there is a profusion of wildflowers on display this very warm winter’s day. There are yellow bacon and egg peas, white beard heaths and smoke bush, pink wax flowers and philothecas.

I have come home, to a place I love.

The race. The race starts at 1:00pm, and the sun is out now, and it is hot. I buy a bottle of water to drink before the start. I say hello to a veteran runner who to ran 70 minutes in the 1983 race.

The race starts, I head off solidly. The race crosses and old wooden bridge that spans the River and then follows the bitumen to Kookaburra Flat. This is where the race started in 1983.

The race then doubles back on itself crosses the bridge and heads back through the start-finish area.

1km 4:07

2km 4:12

The spectators encourage the runners as they begin their long journey along the gravel Lady Carrington Drive. It will be out and back 9km from here.

3km 4:19

I’m working but I don’t feel as if I am overdoing. What I do notice is how hot the sun is when you run out of the shade of the trees. There are slight inclines and these seem to coincide with the more exposed parts of the trail.

4km 4:25

My times are slowing, but so are those are those around me. I am keeping pace with a group of people and catching some others.

5km 4:30 ( 5km 21.32.95)

The temperature was 28 degrees celsius yesterday, which was 10 degrees above average for the month of August.

The race entered more shaded areas deeper into the forest. When it did come out into the sun it was like a blast furnace.

6km 4:34

I stop to drink from plastic cups of water, but it is hard to get much in your mouth on the run. Next race I probably should stop to drink. Next HM I hope it is not so hot as today.  

7km 4:55

8km 4:43

9km 4:47

10km 4:49 (45.21.78) That’s probably where I hoped to be at 10km, but due to heat it was hard work.

11km 5:13 I have been keeping pace with the leading lady runner who is from the Sutherland club. My old club.

12km 5:22 This is a hilly kilometre before the turn around with 9km to go.
 
13km 4:50 A slightly downhill km.

14km 5:06

15km 5:03 The battle with the heat is taking its toll. The veteran runner, (he is 65) goes past. He tells me he has only one pace now. I tell him my pace is in reverse. In the 1983 race he did, 70:01, and I did,79.28. I still haven’t finished ahead of him in any race. Maybe next year?

16km 5:14

Oh boy this is getting tough now. There are runners ahead who I am catching, some are walking, other goes past then stop and I go past. This is the sort of carnage you would expect in a marathon not a half marathon, held supposedly in winter.

17km 5:14

The last few kilometres become a battle to finish. I was completely spent and dehydrated by the heat. I really had to dig deep to get across the line. My whole body was crying out to rest.

18km 5:20 I see a runner who does much faster 5km times up ahead going very slow. It makes me think that times go out the window in conditions on days like this.

19km 5:27

20km 6:27  nasty 200 metre hill right near the end slows me down this kilometre.

21km plus change 5:28. Somehow I manage a kind of sprint to just finish ahead of a fellow, who like me hit a kind of wall out there.

When I did finish I sat down, and I was unable to get my feet for quite a while. Someone calls out my number; I didn’t even have the energy to get to the recording table to hand in my number. I finished 42nd in 1 hour 44 04. I sat a drank a couple of cups of water.

I had hoped to go under 1 hour 40, but the heat had other plans for me. As I sunk to my haunches, I thought to myself well done Quinkin, you just finished your first half marathon in 26 years. I gave it everthing and I was physically exhausted.

But I did it. 

This is an amazing achievment considering that:

1) 14 months ago I was unable to run at all, and hadn’t been able to run for twenty years!

2) The most optimpistic physiotherapist I saw during my battle with knee pain said that I may run up to 5km if I rebuilt my quads.

Well yesterday I ran a half marathon. I can I run more. I know I have much better Half Marathons in me than todays.

I was so exhausted that as I went to my car to get some money for a cold drink, a lady followed behind me and said.

“Are you alright?”

“We don’t like the look of the way you are walking, you look dehydrated.”

I said I would be fine if I went slowly. I made the car got some money for a couple of icey cold soft drinks.

As it was the Sutherland Athletic Clubs 50th Anniversary all competitors got a medal.

At home at my hotel I couldn’t sleep. I was already  planning when to run my next Half Marathon. I want to get back on the horse and see what is possible. I think I have been bitten by challenge of running Half Marathons, running shorter distances seem don’t hold as much of a challenge. Marathons and Half Marathons are the real deal.

Fake Plastic Trees

But I can’t help the feeling
I could blow through the ceiling
If I just turn and run.
And it wears me out, it wears me out.
It wears me out, it wears me out.

Fake Plastic Trees Radiohead

Another 16km run done this am. My best on this course by nearly four minutes. I can’t believe that running 16km is becoming as easy as shelling peas.

Saw the lady walking the Great Dane this morning. That’s three mornings in a row.  

16km (10 miles) 76.52 (5:27, 5:07, 4:52, 4:47, 4:45, (25:01) 4:30, 4:39, 4:32, 4:37, 4:35 (22:54), 4:39, 4:48, 4:51,  5:01, 4:52, (24.11) 4:39) 4:48/km 7:40/mile

My kingdom for a time machine

If I run fast enough and long enough can I run right back into the 1980s? It was a happier life for me then.

I don’t really want to return to the here and now after next weeks half marathon. I’ll land back on the north coast with a thump after an inspiring weekend down at Lady Carrington Drive.

Lady Carrington Drive  holds so many great memories for me. I was fitter than I’ll ever be, probably the most self confident. Then there was the buswalking on the Couranga Track, the birdwatching in the rainforest, the night time spotlighting of Gliding possums and Powerful Owls. I even did my major wildlife university project there.

Wildlife and nature, I love them as much as running. I can still lose myself in that too.

Another run this morning. I am escaping into my running right now. Today was a running day. Hot and humid once more. I ran the Coffs Creek trail. This is my fastest 12km run there by nearly a minute

12km 57.12 (5:21, 5:05, 4:47, 4:42, 4:43, 4:27, 4:33, 4:34, 4:39, 4:57, 4:50, 4:30) 4:46/km 7:38/mile

last 10km 46:43 last 5km 23.12

Just looked a few photos of a Sutherland Athletics Club anniversary dinner dance. There were a few people I recognised, not many of those I used to run with.

Hotter than late winter.

A rest day. I forgot to put in a twelve km run from last Saturday.

did the 12km Coffs Creek circuit this morning. For a late winter’s morning it was very humid ,and I finished with sweat pouring into my eyes. At it was a weekend and I was running later than usual, I ran into a lot of people out walking their dogs, including a huge Great Dane, Labradors, and a couple of sheep dogs, and some smaller yappy dogs, which are the worst trip hazard of all.

Today was overcast and a ‘long garmin’ day where the poor satellite reception made me run about 200 metres further to the 6km turn around point.

12km (7.5 miles) 59:15 (5:11, 4:57, 4:47, 5:10, 5:04, 4:37, 4:44, 4:42, 4:57, 5:05, 5:03, 4:55) @ 4:56/km 7:54/mile

Very warm today, a grey smoke haze rested over Coffs from early bush burn offs. For the first time I felt relief in entering the airconditioned supermarket from the heat outside. Several early season bush flies sneaked into my unit through an open door. A hint of what this summer might be like, in late winter, and it’s not pleasant.

I wish I could go a never ending long run, and just keep running beyond the reach of the world of people. With cool mountain streams to drink from, and shaded trails in the rainforest to run on, and never get tired.

RR Morgans Road CC

This was the last race in the Mid North Cross Country Season. My first full cross country season since 1985. I’ve collected a whole lot of memories that I can look back on with  a real sense of achievement and pride.

Three years ago if you had of told me I would run nealy 1300km, race a whole cross country season, race in several ten kilometres road races, one City to Surf and a Half Marathon I would’ve said bollocks!!

I DID it. And there’s going to more running, I haven’t finished yet.

Today’s course was at Morgans Road Farm,  an exceptionally tough CC course. It was so much hotter and humid today than it was back in May this year. The 10km race I did earlier this year really dented my confidence at the time. I did 52:03 and the second half on the race was the longest ordeal.

So today I decided on the 5km.

I started quickly again and was in third place. The race proceeded along a grassy field with forest on side and the farm on the other. Gradually footsteps drew closer behind. I slowed through a boggy patch with a small drainge line, mud and standing water.
The race entered the forest on a trail with dry grass that had been recently slashed. A group of four runners went past me at this point.

Out onto a wide electricity easement, with slashed grass. It was much easier to run than last time when it was unmown and very wet underfoot.

Into a forest area with a nice soft surface to run on. The group of four were starting to string out into single file.

1km 4:01.
Not too bad for a not flat out kilometre where I was watching my footing. I can still see three places ahead of me. There is a guy in grey shirt and another ahead of him in a blue shirt. They’re not getting away.

The race leaves the grassy easement and turns left into a lovely forest area. Its fairly flat and even to run on, except ocassionally I put my foot in a hollow, and land heavily and unevenly.

I’m gaining on grey shirt, and blue shirt is not far ahead of that. The leaders are about  two to three hundred metres ahead.   I feel as if I’m not losing as much ground on them as usual.

The race emerges onto a gravel road. There’s a low metal gate to hurdle. Then the race leaves the gravel road and goes across a grassy paddock.
2km 4:31.

Now the real horror part of the course starts. First the race goes up a steep little pinch with loose ground. The course turns left onto a path, which not long after descends downwards into a little gully on loose uneven ground. Over the wet area a wooden panel  have been laid down. Straight after the gully, the loose path climbs steeply for forty metres or so.

You can’t gain momentum on the dangerous little pinches, and you really have to work hard to climb out of them.

This is what killed me in the race in May, but it’s not having the same impact today.

There is only a short flat stretch before the course turns left into the forest on a downhill path. It is covered with sticks and loose stones. I’m really catching grey shirt now. It seems he went out too hard.

At the bottom of the hill there is a haripin left, then along a pretty, shaded section of wet sclerophyll forest.
I catch grey shirt at the boundary of the Morgan’s Road property, there is banana plantation on one side of the fence and forest on the other.
Then starts a 250 metre steep uphill strecth. I work hard up the hill but don’t overdo it. I get ahead of grey shirt.

3km 5:36. I think in the race in May I did this kilometre in 6:03.
Blue shirt is just at the top of the hill, and it looks as if he is working hard. I get to the top of the hill, and try to open up my stride a little, but there are more ups and downs and steep little gullies. Fortunately they are drier and not as dangerous as in May.
Finally the course goes into a banana plantation on a fairly even sort of a trail. I gain some momentum and I am really catching blue shirt. My lungs are starting to hurt.
The race winds around in the banana plantation for a while, up a little hill, which seems like harder work than it should.

4km 4:55. Anything under 5 is good probably above par on this beast of a course.
I go gingerly down a steep loose trail with rollovers, then a hairpin left turn, a right, and then onto a mown path, with an alarming camber in places. There are little unseen hollows that I put might foot into and lose balance.  
Blue shirt is only about 30 metres ahead now.   I’m not sure if I have it in me to haul him in. I wonder what sort of fight he will have left, as we are well and truly in the last kilometre now.

I catch him just a the race emerges from the forest and onto a grassy area marked with orange plastic cones. I push up the last cruel grassy hill and work hard to the finish.
I beat Blue shirt, and cross the line, and it really hurts my heart and lungs.

Last 800 metres is 4:08 or 4:26/km
I finish fourth out of all the 5km runners.

Time is 23:09 for 4.9km. Probably would’ve like to have dip under 23 minutes, but I think it is a good run on this exceptionally tough course on a very warm and humid late winter’s day.   

Most importantly there is no injury, and I warm down without pain. I sense the need for more hill work to whittle down my km times on hilly courses.

 

The Start- Photos thanks to the Berringtons.

20km run number 4

My best by nearly 4 minutes.

20km 1 hour 38:14 (5:27, 5:20, 4:52, 4:53, 5:01 (25:34); 4:43, 4:42, 4:40, 4:52, 4:47 (23:45); 4:56, 4:54, 4:43, 4:49, 4:48 (24:11), 5:00, 4:54, 4:58, 4:59, 4:51 (24:43).

I liked how I kept the last 5km all under 5:00m/km, after a fairly solid middle 10km in 47m50. I think I’m ready for next week’s half marathon.

RR State Junior 5km Relay 1981

Last night I was thinking about the Taren Point road relay medal I won in 1981. I was 18.

I was the lead runner for the Sutherland DAAC U20 team, which consisted of John Gordon, Andrew Douglas, Greg Hoare and myself. I was easily the slowest runner on the team, and had not run under 17 minutes for 5km. All the other Sutherland  runners had.

The race started in an Industrial area at Taren Point. The starting area was located in a dead end street with Botany Bay lapping nearby mangroves.

I was nervous before the start and I looked at all the junior runners warming up and I thought they all looked faster than me.

After the start I soon slotted into fourth position. Out in the lead were Bruce Kentwell from Bankstown and Bruce Graham from the Western Suburbs club. Bruce Graham still runs in Canberra and does very well in many races including the Canberra Half Marathon and this years City to Surf.

We ran out along the quitet industrial roads and Graham and Kentwell were still in sight. I was running along with Warren McCourt a St George runner. Warren also runs in Canberra and goes ver well.

We entered a residential area and Graham and Kentwell started to take a wrong turn. I’d run the course earlier that season in a trial for the Sutherland Club, and I said to Warren that they’re going the wrong way. We waved and shouted at Kentwell and Graham to go the right way.  They got the message and headed back onto the right course, they lost little bit of time but were still leading by quite a distance. 

Little by little Warren McCourt got a lead on me I dropped backed to fourth. I tried to run as fast over the line as I could, but Iwas spent. I handed over the baton to Andrew Douglas an excellent junior athlete.  

Andrew Douglas ran a great leg to move Sutherland up into 3rd place and within five sconds of the the Wests and StGeorge teams. 

The Wests team handed the baton over to Danny Boltz  a truly exceptional junior athlete. He went on to run very fast half marathons and marathons  and represented Switzerland at the Olympics. He still holds the NSW State Marathon record (2:11.10).

Andrew Douglas handed over to John Gordon another outstanding junior (who ran 3:53 for 1500 as a junior). Gordon gave his best to stay with the flying Danny Boltz. However, Danny Boltz ran his leg in an amazing 14:48! John Gordon went past the St George runner and ran 15:50, still a great time for a junior, but no one could match Boltz, who ran 39 seconds faster than the next fastest leg of Matthew Todd from St George (15:27).

Western Suburbs handed the baton over to Murray Carver with over a minute lead over Sutherland in second.

Sutherland’s final athlete was Greg Hoare a strong  runner who I always finished second to in the Junior club races. He was always just over a minute ahead.  

Greg ran his heart out and caught up 21 seconds on the last Wests runner. The Sutherland team finished second only 45 seconds behind. The difference between gold and silver was Danny Boltz.

I finished 14th out of the 32 juniors in the race. It turned out I ran 16:37  for the 5km and a huge PB for me.

After the race Bruce Graham came up and slapped me on the shoulder to thank me for telling him he was going off course.

I won a silver state relay championship medal that day, which I’m still really proud of. But what I am most proud of that day, was telling my opposition they were going the wrong way. I’ve could have let them get lost and maybe have won a gold medal for the Sutherland team.

Looking back I feel better winning silver and showing good sportsmanship.

I was far from the best runner in my age group, or in the club, which was really strong. I was an average runner sort of mid field as a junior, my best place was 10th and 14th in NSW State CC Championships. I never won any individual medals, but I did win three team medals.

I’d gladly get in a time machine and go back to those days.

Many of the mid north coast young runners have more talent and potential than I ever did, including the guy who wins these races in a canter.  Their potential is limitless and I hope they get as much enjoyment out of running as I did.

Up Tempo

Cycle path was the venue this morning. It was not cold at all at, about 17 degrees C at 6:30am.

Started easily the first couple of kilometres and was working comfortably by kilometre 6. Then I started to push harder the last six kilometres.

12km 55:44 ( 5:19, 5:02, 4:49, 4:49, 4:41, 4:46, 4:23, 4:25, 4:28, 4:20, 4:23, 4:16)

45:22 for the last 10km; 21:53 for the last 5km. A really pleasing tempo run.

Running down a dream

Running down a dream that never would come to me

Working on a mystery, going wherever it leads

Running down a dream

Running down a Dream Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

RR Diggers Beach 5km V.3.0

Todays Cross Country was at Diggers Beach.

This is the third time I’ve raced this course. It doesn’t get any easier, same burning lungs, but  my times are improving.

Was interested to see how much I have improved since I ran this race back in May. I arrived early; I was really keen for a race. It is a long time to wait in the morning for a 10:30 start when I got up at 7:00am.

The car park was already full to overflowing.

There was a surf for Jesus carnival on. 

Surfers getting boards out of the their cars; talking about how they’d go in the semis. Surfers changing into their wetties. I’m glad I was born a runner. They’re probably think there were glad to be born to surf. Two very different things to have a passion for. It’s great to have a passion in life whatever that might be. I’m glad mine is running.

This late winter morning was very warm, definately hotter than May. I said hello to to a couple of runners who said I was on the City to Surf TV coverage being interviewed about my breast cancer charity. Have to check it out. I hate seeing myself on TV. Makes me cringe. I have a great face for radio, and a great voice for magazines.

Pretty soon we’re all lined up at the start.

Mmmm……no achilles soreness. My achilles was sore before the May race on this course.

And they’re off. Hold your horses! I’m leading! Woah there old fella.

OK there goes young fella number one who wins these races with daylight second.

And here comes young fella number two sitting on the leaders heels.

I’m still third across the bridge, and then across a grassy field. Then up a pathway into a cul de sac.  

Then young fella number three goes past, who often comes second with daylight third.

“5 or 10km?” he asks.

“5″ I say. “Nah, maybe 1km that’ll do me.” My heart and lungs are having second thoughts about going the distance. It’s the ’red-lining’ point in the race, where your legs and lungs sends messages to your mind that you can’t sustain this for another 4km.  

Gravity and my dead legs are starting to win. Three older fellas go past, one a strong triathlete and another the first 10km runner, and another guy I don’t know.

1km 4:27. (4:30) + 3 seconds on May. I really attacked that first km and I’m surprised it was only three seconds quicker than last time.

The race goes behind some houses and onto a gravel trail right out onto Korora Headland. The early pace is starting to sting, and the quartet of runners are getting away.

Out onto the Kangaroo Grass Headland. I see the leaders coming back the other way. I’ve got quite a lead on 7th.

Back the race goes on the headland trail up some evil little hills. I’m starting to stoop already and the early pace is burning my chest.   

2nd km 4:37 (4:47) + 13

The race now trends downwill first on the fire trail, then streeply onto the road left into the cul de sac and even steeper before levelling out onto the grassy field. This is the kilometre to really go hard before the beach and the steps.

3rd 4:13 (4:18) +18 seconds on May.

No old fart sub 4 minute kilometres for me today.

Back through the start finish area. Across the beach sand. Up the stairs. Slow, slow, slow, I go. The cobbled path still ascends after I leave the stairs behind. I think there is someone behind me. I get going on the fire trail, it is still going up, up, up. Must be channelling Dr. Seuss in this race report.

There is a guy up head who is walking. I reach a fork and almost go the wrong way, at the last moment I see the flour arrow and veer right. That would’ve been disappointing.

4km 5:27 (5:38) +30 seconds on May.

There is one nasty incline back onto the road. And now it’s downhill all the way to the finish. I see the guy who was walking he is only about 100 metres ahead. I go hard on the downhill stretch, but I’m not going to catch him.

640 metres 2:29

4.64 in 21:13.15 +33.5 improvement seconds on May (21:46.76) . I though I  might’ve been able to go under 21 given my improvement at 5km times since May.

I finish 5th. I remember last race on this course my achilles was sore for a couple of days afterwards. Today I was able to warm down no problems, and I could’ve run a few more kms. So I’ve come a long way since then.

My times and ability to manage niggles are heading in the right direction.

Maybe some lack- of- speed work is in order, once I get this Half Marathon out of the way? A few 1km intervals. All I have to do is find a grassy field where Plovers don’t attack me, and I’ll be laughing.

 Another good hit out on the Diggers Beach Course, which is a tough little cookie, and a great tester.

5th/33 runners. In retrospect I was happy with the way I went out hard. I still have some speed if I can get more endurance to sustain it. However, I faded the last half of the race and the leaders really got away again. Would’ve been happier with about 20:40. The winner improved about 36 seconds on his last race. He’s going great.

 

RESULTS: 5KMS – (Male) Richard Pearson 18:08, 1; Matthew Berrington 19:20, 2; Cris Robb 19:50, 3; LyleMayes 21:03, 4; Paul Sheringham 21:12, 5; Craig Mcbrien 21:36, 6; Tim Kitching 21:41, 7; Michael Stubbs 21:41, 8; Luke Williams 21:44, 9; Nigel Cotsell 22:15, 10; Mick Mays 24:20, 11; Matthew Hunter 25:02, 12; Nathan Stubbs 25:29, 13; Gordon Abbott 25:54, 14; Graham Bagley 26:08, 15; Mark Sutton 26:36, 16; Joe Wiegerinck 26:58, 17; Charles Templeton 28:11, 18; Zach Donnelly 28:55, 19; Mario Muscat 33:16, 20; Tom Holbut 36:12, 21;

 

RESULTS: 5KMS – (Female)  Tenielle Stubbs 22:29, 1; Isabel Garrett 23:00, 2; Emma Sutton 23:54, 3; Fiona Bagley 25:42, 4; Fiona O’Meara 26:05, 5; Benice Dougherty 26:30, 6; Petrina Pearson 26:50, 7; Jane Wilson 27:50, 8; Trish Pool 28:11, 9; Anthea Martin 28:43, 10; Katrina Broomfield 28:46, 11; Michelle Stubbs 30:28, 12;