COMRADES MARATHON 2008 WEEK 32: Comrades qualifier

"If at first you DO succeed, try something harder”
Ann Landers

The week started off with me still feeling the effects of a big week last week. But it didn’t stop me pushing hard and doing a 24km run that involved running up part of Mt Coot Tha where I ran an uninterrupted section of about 1.3km uphill. This highlighted to me how I need leg strength and hill running to achieve the required level to run comrades.
After Wednesdays effort it was time to taper down a bit for my comrades qualifier in Canberra.

I arrived on Saturday without my coach, inspiration, nagger and masseuse Rheanna! I won’t make that mistake again.

Saturday night we went out to dinner with Brett, Ollie and Dave; friends who had travelled up from Melbourne. Whilst they all ate pasta I didn’t choose the wisest in opting for the lamb curry. However I prefer rice to pasta and it tasted damn good!
Sunday morning arrived and I got through my usual 3 toilet procedures on race day. Glad to have got that out of the way, we arrived at the start line with about 50 minutes to go. The weather was cool and at 6.30 it started to rain. Went to the toilet a couple of times and was deliberating on whether to wear gloves and take sunglasses also. It was pretty overcast so decided against the sunnies, but stuck with the gloves.
I was also trying to get my bag in a safe place and made my way outside oblivious to the time as I only had my gps and hadn’t started it up yet as I was moving indoors and out. Everyone was at the start line now, it was cold and raining and I tried to turn my gps on. I couldn’t get a signal and was standing under a tree, so I made my way to where there were less people. Turned it on and next thing I heard the start gun. The race had started, I now learnt I was right at the back of the field as everyone was running away from me. And my gps was still locating satellites! 30 seconds later I started, a bit flustered.

Trying to work my way through all the slow runners was tough but I settled into a rhythm running about 5:10 a km. I was aiming for 5:15 so I was happy enough.
After 10km I had dropped down to 5:00 km’s, and needed the toilet! I went at 15km (and later again at 30km).

The course was a double out and back, with 2 looped sections so that you ran out and back twice in 2 different areas. A very frustrating way to run as for example when you have run 15km you see the sign for 30km. Nothing is more demoralising!
Also the way Canberra is laid out it was very hard to get your bearings and you constantly felt you were running around in circles. We kinda were!

The rain persisted on and off, but mostly on for the first 30km or so. After which everything was soaked so the damage was done. Then the sun came out and I missed my sunglasses.
I was taking small amounts of sports drink (High 5. Why do all aussie races have sports drink I have never heard of, let alone can train with! What happened to powerade?) every 5km. I was mindful of my carbohydrate intake so at 35km I tool a energy gel (with water). Within a kilometre I started to feel stomach cramps which made that last part of the race that much more uncomfortable.

I went through the 42.2km finish in 3:32 according to the official time, (3:29 by my time which accounted for my late start and toilet stops). I felt okay and wanted to keep going to do the 50km. at about 43km I regretted this decision! Each km felt longer and longer and harder and harder.

At this stage my feet were very uncomfortable. I think the drenched socks had caused my skin to shrivel up like prunes and now I had edges of skin that were rubbing badly and ready to get blisters. I just had to try not to think about that.
I figured just get to 45km and then it’s only 5 more. The problem was each 500m felt like a km! the turnaround point was just after 46km and then I figured just get to 48 and 2 to go. I broke it down to 4 lots of 500m and just to get through 2 of those and then the last km. With 1 km to go I started to think of Rocky VI (one of my favourite movies) and had Rocky and Duke in my ear saying “No pain” At this stage I started saying it out loud to myself and although I might’ve looked eccentric I finished quite strongly in an official time of 4:13. Mission accomplished. The legs felt okay but they were definitely getting tight through the quads and hamstrings in the last 7-8km.

Now I have qualified for Comrades.
All I have to do now is make that run twice as hard by making it uphill and then add another 40km (just a marathon) and I will have comrades!!! How do I run that??

Training for week Mon 7 Apr - Sun 13 Apr
Mon 7 Apr	8km, total trainer
Tues 8 Apr	24km
Wed 9 Apr	15km
Thurs 10 Apr	30' cycle, total trainer
Fri 11 Apr	8km
Sat 12 Apr	Rest
Sun 13 Apr	50km - Canberra marathon
Weekly mileage	105 km

"The difference between the mile and the marathon is
the difference between burning your fingers with a match
and being slowly roasted over hot coals"
Hal Higdon