Gold Coast Half Marathon - 2006
With not a lot of running and just a month of speed work in the lead up I wasn't putting a lot of pressure on myself for the GC Half. Four weeks earlier at Doomben I'd run 1:44 and so I figured I should be happy with anything under 1:40 and set myself an A goal of 1:38 and a B of 1:42.
After tossing the bag into the PCRG tent and catching up with lots of the gang it was almost time for the start of the race. I got a few dirty looks as I weaved my way through the crowd trying to reach the cluster of CR caps belonging to JD, Aunty Karin, Kit and Bernie G. A minute or so later we were off.
The first km it was hard to get moving freely, JD and I were running together and we caught up to roving reporter Plu who was speaking into his collar something about just passing the 1k marker. That split was just over 5 minutes so I was already behind the eight ball pacing wise, but not too concerned. The crowd thinned within another km or so. From there on I just tried to maintain a steady pace. JD was somewhere behind me, I wasn't sure how far back, but as tempting as it was didn't look to see just how far.
I had such a great mix of music for this one, I must use it more often. It was punk or crazy upbeat covers of all sorts of songs including Stand By Your Man, Leaving On A Jetplane and Beauty School Dropout. Very entertaining to say the least.
Fast forward (well, not really fast forward, more steady forward) to around the 17k or 18k mark and who should pull up beside me but JD. He'd been about 5 meters behind all that way. We ran together for a little while and then he upped the tempo slightly and tried to get me to come along but I didn't have it in me. And I was worried that even a small increase in pace would wipe me out. I'd have to let him have this one (and he did by 10 seconds). Plenty of time for revenge :-)
What a hoot it was to pass the first CR cheersquad and then the next one a little further down the road. Those guys are faaaaantastic. How spoilt are we CRs!
Coming down the home straight my eyes were on the clock as it ticked over 1:37.51, 1:37.52, 1:37.53 etc. I made one final desperate sprint to get over the line before 1:38.00 and as I did the guy just in front of me put his arms out sideways for his finishing photo - I had to slow down ever so slightly to avoid running into one of them.
Gun time was 1:38.00, net time 1:37.29 :-) Very happy with that. Its almost 3 1/2 mins slower than my PB, but a 7 minute improvement on the Qld Half four weeks earlier. And as an added bonus I came third in my category - no bling though.
Splits ...
5:02
4:37
4:33
4:27
4:34
4:31
4:34
4:34
4:34
4:36
9:07 < 2 kms
9:15 < 2 kms
4:36
4:35
4:39
4:43
4:37
4:38
4:41
0:25
Had to spend a little time in the medical tent afterwards. Not for me, but Clairie who had truly given her all in the race. The attendant thought we were related, she said we had the same mouths. I told her Clairie's was louder :-)
After tossing the bag into the PCRG tent and catching up with lots of the gang it was almost time for the start of the race. I got a few dirty looks as I weaved my way through the crowd trying to reach the cluster of CR caps belonging to JD, Aunty Karin, Kit and Bernie G. A minute or so later we were off.
The first km it was hard to get moving freely, JD and I were running together and we caught up to roving reporter Plu who was speaking into his collar something about just passing the 1k marker. That split was just over 5 minutes so I was already behind the eight ball pacing wise, but not too concerned. The crowd thinned within another km or so. From there on I just tried to maintain a steady pace. JD was somewhere behind me, I wasn't sure how far back, but as tempting as it was didn't look to see just how far.
I had such a great mix of music for this one, I must use it more often. It was punk or crazy upbeat covers of all sorts of songs including Stand By Your Man, Leaving On A Jetplane and Beauty School Dropout. Very entertaining to say the least.
Fast forward (well, not really fast forward, more steady forward) to around the 17k or 18k mark and who should pull up beside me but JD. He'd been about 5 meters behind all that way. We ran together for a little while and then he upped the tempo slightly and tried to get me to come along but I didn't have it in me. And I was worried that even a small increase in pace would wipe me out. I'd have to let him have this one (and he did by 10 seconds). Plenty of time for revenge :-)
What a hoot it was to pass the first CR cheersquad and then the next one a little further down the road. Those guys are faaaaantastic. How spoilt are we CRs!
Coming down the home straight my eyes were on the clock as it ticked over 1:37.51, 1:37.52, 1:37.53 etc. I made one final desperate sprint to get over the line before 1:38.00 and as I did the guy just in front of me put his arms out sideways for his finishing photo - I had to slow down ever so slightly to avoid running into one of them.
Gun time was 1:38.00, net time 1:37.29 :-) Very happy with that. Its almost 3 1/2 mins slower than my PB, but a 7 minute improvement on the Qld Half four weeks earlier. And as an added bonus I came third in my category - no bling though.
Splits ...
5:02
4:37
4:33
4:27
4:34
4:31
4:34
4:34
4:34
4:36
9:07 < 2 kms
9:15 < 2 kms
4:36
4:35
4:39
4:43
4:37
4:38
4:41
0:25
Had to spend a little time in the medical tent afterwards. Not for me, but Clairie who had truly given her all in the race. The attendant thought we were related, she said we had the same mouths. I told her Clairie's was louder :-)
posted by Tesso at 6:24 PM
19 Comments:
Hey Tesso - great run!! Hope that you enjoyed it and that there are loads more to come this year :)
Fantastic run, Tesso. You clearly had a ball and I wish I could have been part of it this year.
Sounds like you had a good run. Also sounds like you can improve. At least I didn't read anything about a knee, so that must be well and truly fixed by now.
Good one Tesso, that is a great improvement in such little time. Well deserved.
Given that sort of form, another 4 or so weeks a 1.30.29 at Noosa wouldn't be far off the money ;)
A great race report there. Has me itching to get out for my next one.
fantastic effort with 'interupted' preparation tesso.
well done.
Good even split times.
Clairie seems to be the ticket collector for the 3:20 bus in Canberra at the moment and do I detect you wanting to be the driver??
BTW, bring on the BRRC races. I'll start practicing my sprint finishes ;-) (Doh, Just remembered I've got a buggered hammie.)
Great run Tesso after your recent injury. Let JD have that one. Get him next time!
Lol Clairie even types louder than you do :-)
Great run Tesso - you Team J legend you ;-)
Well looks like Canberra is definitely on for me next year Tesso. I sure wouldn't want to miss the excitement ... it's building already.
What a good run you had at the GC. Congratulations Tesso. I so glad your form is returning.
Heh Matey,
I think the nurse meant we had the sames mouths as we were both grinning cheeckily from ear to ear.
Conspirators, Allans calls us.
Can't wait to see you go for it at Noosa. After some rest and training for it I am hoping to tag along and see if I can keep up. We might both be able to do some good times depending on what we do in the next 6 weeks.
Great news that the knee is behind you now (well not literally because that would be a tad uncomfy) but injury wise.
Damn that JD we are going to have to struggle along at 3:20pace in Canberra pretending to do it hard and then with 2km to go just sprint!!! mmmm perhaps that's his game plan too ;) Might just have to practise tying his shoelaces together.......hee hee
Amazing with such little time in prep. You'll be passing a few more CRs (not just JD) before long.
Sound like you had a good race, lots of fun. I'm not sure but I might have got a shot of you near the finnish, let me know you Bib No. so I can look it up and I'll send it to you.
It's great to see you're fully back in action and I'm sure you'll soon have JD back behind you where he belongs :)
Hope to see you soon.
So nice to see you again tess!!! Team J rocked :-) That was such a big improvement.... glad to see the tesso form returning :-) I agree the cheer squad and atmosphere was fantastic!!
An age category placing....fantastic, Tesso! Great splits...no wonder you beat 'em all!
Wow, two great halves in a month, you must be iron lady.
Taking me a while to catch up on the blogs... anyway, that is a great report and an even better result!
Great run Tesso...nice to see such a wonderful improvement over the last month :)
Post a Comment
<< Home