QLD Half Marathon
You couldn't ask for much better racing conditions than yesterday morn. The sky was clear, the weather was cool, but not cold, and there wasn't a hint of a breeze.
It was great to catch up with so many CRs pre-race including Canberran Speedygeoff. I was soon to discover exactly why he is called that! In the race debrief they mentioned mp3 players were illegal and shouldn't be used. Robert Song said I should tell them mine played wav files *lol*. If questioned I was just gonna say I didn't hear the instructions cos my mp3 player was turned up too loud :-)
I had none of the usual nerves, one of the few joys of coming back from injury. I thought I'd try for just under 5 minutes per km and see how far I could maintain that, though just to get through the whole 21.1k without my knee forcing me to walk was going to make me happy so I wasn't too concerned about the pace. That was until the first out and back I spotted my brother about a minute behind - yikes! So a new goal was invented, not ease up and finish in front of him :-)
Its such a great course, dead flat with lots of out and back bits where you get to check out the race leaders and cheer eachother on. However my encouragement for Hannah fell on deaf ears, she was so focussed on her goal ... and it worked! And it was fantastic to run past the CR cheersquad (Cirque and Davo) so many times - thanks so much guys for being out there. I didn't recognise Ally though, she looked too glam in her civvies.
Around 15k Big Pig's 'Hungry Town' came on my mp3 ... whoops ... wav player, and it made me realise I was starving. I'd only eaten half a small can of rice for brekky, obviously it wasn't enough.
Aside from the hunger I made it the whole way without any real pain. I had a niggle in the knee around the 18k mark but it wasn't too much of a bother and didn't last too long.
My splits went like this ....
4:41
4:48
4:51
4:48
4:59 (5k - 23:59)
4:48
4:51
4:50
4:52
5:01 (10k - 48:24)
4:56
4:55
4:57
4:54
5:03 (15k - 1:13.11)
5:00
5:01
5:13
5:06
5:02 (20k - 1:38.35)
5:31 (21.1k)
Total was 1:44.07 on my watch and although I started it when the gun went my official time was 1:44.10. That was 11 minutes faster than Warwick two weeks ago, and 10 minutes slower than my PB from March last year. And a couple of minutes faster than my brother :-)
Even with that slowish (for me) time I managed to pick up a trophy for 2nd in my age group, the category winner being a mere 17 minutes faster.
Some of us backed up for a jog around the racetrack for the Doomben Cup (2.2k). I'd bet my 7 year old nephew 20 cents he couldn't beat me ... and I lost. Maybe I shouldn't have started running backwards 10 meters from the finish line just as he was sprinting home trying to beat some little girl. Boy, imagine being competitive like that ;-)
It was great to catch up with so many CRs pre-race including Canberran Speedygeoff. I was soon to discover exactly why he is called that! In the race debrief they mentioned mp3 players were illegal and shouldn't be used. Robert Song said I should tell them mine played wav files *lol*. If questioned I was just gonna say I didn't hear the instructions cos my mp3 player was turned up too loud :-)
I had none of the usual nerves, one of the few joys of coming back from injury. I thought I'd try for just under 5 minutes per km and see how far I could maintain that, though just to get through the whole 21.1k without my knee forcing me to walk was going to make me happy so I wasn't too concerned about the pace. That was until the first out and back I spotted my brother about a minute behind - yikes! So a new goal was invented, not ease up and finish in front of him :-)
Its such a great course, dead flat with lots of out and back bits where you get to check out the race leaders and cheer eachother on. However my encouragement for Hannah fell on deaf ears, she was so focussed on her goal ... and it worked! And it was fantastic to run past the CR cheersquad (Cirque and Davo) so many times - thanks so much guys for being out there. I didn't recognise Ally though, she looked too glam in her civvies.
Around 15k Big Pig's 'Hungry Town' came on my mp3 ... whoops ... wav player, and it made me realise I was starving. I'd only eaten half a small can of rice for brekky, obviously it wasn't enough.
Aside from the hunger I made it the whole way without any real pain. I had a niggle in the knee around the 18k mark but it wasn't too much of a bother and didn't last too long.
My splits went like this ....
4:41
4:48
4:51
4:48
4:59 (5k - 23:59)
4:48
4:51
4:50
4:52
5:01 (10k - 48:24)
4:56
4:55
4:57
4:54
5:03 (15k - 1:13.11)
5:00
5:01
5:13
5:06
5:02 (20k - 1:38.35)
5:31 (21.1k)
Total was 1:44.07 on my watch and although I started it when the gun went my official time was 1:44.10. That was 11 minutes faster than Warwick two weeks ago, and 10 minutes slower than my PB from March last year. And a couple of minutes faster than my brother :-)
Even with that slowish (for me) time I managed to pick up a trophy for 2nd in my age group, the category winner being a mere 17 minutes faster.
Some of us backed up for a jog around the racetrack for the Doomben Cup (2.2k). I'd bet my 7 year old nephew 20 cents he couldn't beat me ... and I lost. Maybe I shouldn't have started running backwards 10 meters from the finish line just as he was sprinting home trying to beat some little girl. Boy, imagine being competitive like that ;-)
posted by Tesso at 8:36 AM
16 Comments:
Opppps, hope you dont need that 20cents for something else!
Great run though Tess, I saw you out there a couple of times and you were looking completely focused but happy. Great news about the trophy too!
Now, whats all this about mp3-players anyway?
I am so glad to hear your feeling better and better! I know what you mean about the "happy to be out there" feeling. Although your fitness seems to be back quicker than mine :-) What is your secret!!! Go team J!!!
hmmmm ... sounds like GC is going to be doddle. Glad to see you're well and truly on the way back Tess :)
Good on you Tess...you're coming back nicely and it must have been satisfying to run the whole way after the last few weeks. Almost as satisfying as beating your brother?! :)
really good run, bad things happen around the 15K mark, i like the splits and even with a small slow down i don't think that matters too much but then again it was only about 10sec and won't take long to sort out
So Luttsy's a radio star eh, Ally? I was feeding him info about the runners all morning and didn't have a clue who he was.
Nice run Tess - take it easy. You've still got a lot of work in front of you.
PM
Hope you have pulled up OK today after the run. Sounds like there is a competitive streak running in the whole family.
As for the time, like yours my offical time is 4 seconds slower than my watch time and I also started it on the gun.
LOL so even if you ran your PB pace you still would have come 2nd - nice tactical running Tesso ;-)
Seriously - congratulations on such a fantastic improvemnt in such a short time - you are coming back strong!
Hope you pulled up ok?
:-)
Great effort Tess! I guess elastoplast is also good for hiding earphones too;)
Your knee is improving in leaps and bounds. It's fantastic!
Don't make excuses for the 2.2k Tesso. I saw you both and your nephew was clearly just the best on the day. Well, at least he knows which direction to run in.
Loved your comment on my blog about Eddie. Only snag is catching him.
Great stuff Tesso!!!
Good to hear you are back out there racing again, the speed will be soon returning.
:-)
Jeez Tess, at this rate we may see you at PMC ;-)
Glad to hear you're well and truly on the mend.
It was so good to have you out there Tesso. I feel a sense of belonging when you are there inspiring and giving encouragement.
Thanks.
Congrats on your 2nd in category. You were true to your word about your pace, you must have an internal metronome.
btw. To post comments I have to use my blogger account which for all intents and purposes has been retired.
So good to read that you're running again, Tess, & congrats on 2nd in age category! Stay well now, or you'll be in trouble from me!!
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