MAY 2010
By Marisa Branscombe
My starting point...
When I popped into Frenchman’s Road sports store to purchase a new pair of running shoes last year, the owner of the shop, who was a passionate runner himself, said “If you can do the Sydney City to Surf, you can easily do a half marathon. You should give it a go.
From that moment on I was set on doing just as he suggested. So last year in September I competed in the Sydney Running Festival’s half marathon and got a time of 1 hour and 57 minutes, which for a first attempt, I was really happy with. This year I wanted to give another one a go, and decided to register for the Noosa half marathon with a good friend of mine.
Training time!
My friend Liz and I began training in mid-February, after having time off over Christmas. It was hard to get back into the swing of it, and the first few runs were slow, but we eventually started getting fitter. Our training schedule was mapped out in advance, relatively simple and was not purely focused in running. We also worked it around our work and social lives, as we didn’t want to give these things up, but still wanted to do well come race time.
Weekly training program
Monday: Boot camp
Tuesday: 1 hour walk
Wednesday: 5km – 8km fast run
Thursday: Plyometric and core training
Friday: Day off
Saturday: Boot camp and Bikram yoga
Sunday: Long run (progressing from 9km up to 20km closer to the race)
The boot camp sessions usually involved running, boxing and circuit type activities. Plyometric training helped with my core strength and speed, and Bikram yoga helped stretch out my muscles to increase range of movement and flexibility. All of these other fitness activities helped to complement my running performance, both physically and psychologically. Hence, I didn’t suffer any overuse injuries and the running didn’t become repetitive or boring. I was always motivated and looking forward to the next training run!
Before the race
My preparation included drinking heaps of water and electrolyte drinks the day and night before, increasing my intake of carbohydrate loaded foods, such as pastas and breads, and ensuring I had the best clothing and equipment to get through the race in comfort.
As for pre-race jitters, well I’ve never really suffered from this in sports, despite many of my friends complaining of horrendous nerves. I didn’t get off that lightly though, as instead of nerves, I was worried about not waking up in time, so was pretty much awake most of the night beforehand! Not to worry though, the body got a rest, and I was definitely mentally prepared.
Race day – Sunday May 23, 2010
It was 5am and Liz and I were awake and raring to go for a 6.30am start, getting our bibs pinned onto our running singlets, safely attaching the timing chips to our shoe laces and talking about our strategy for setting the right pace. Once we hit the race venue at Noosa Heads, we jumped out at the start line and noticed there weren’t many people competing. This meant there were no battles for starting positions and we had a lot of space when the gun went off. And so we began to run, chatting away with smiles on our faces...
Our three main goals going into the event were:
a) Beat our times from the Sydney half marathon in September 2009
b) Try to beat Liz’s Melbourne half marathon time from July 2009
c) To finish the race together (or as close as possible to it)
So did we achieve these three goals on the big day? Yes we sure did! My finishing time was 1hour 51 minutes and 26 seconds and Liz finished a whole 1 second before me. And better yet, we ended it with a sprint finish, which is always impressive for the photo albums (right?!) Comparatively, I came 36th in my age group and ran at an average pace of 5.16 minutes per kilometre. We ran the second lap 3 minutes faster than the first, which allowed us to make up around 300 places.
The weather conditions in Noosa were perfect and the course was fairly flat, so it was a solid but enjoyable run. I felt like we gave enough to get a good time, but didn’t push it too far. I loved the atmosphere of the event, seeing a new place and the experience of my second half marathon!
Celebrations!
Hard work and success should always be followed by reward and celebration. Our celebrations afterward included popping a bottle of Veuve and treating ourselves to a big breakfast and then some fish and chips later in the day. Nothing wild you might say, but it was ideal considering how tired our bodies were.
Post-race pull up
Well I joked around about hobbling into the office on Monday morning, and unfortunately that turned out to be a reality. Due to old, worn down running shoes (which should have been replaced a month or two before the event) I had bad blisters, and my legs, abdominals and back were all getting progressively sorer. By the time Monday afternoon rolled around, I was in a world of pain, and my work colleagues found it quite amusing. Nothing a good boot camp session didn’t fix though. By Tuesday evening I was feeling totally fine again.
Despite the muscular soreness I had for a couple of days, it was all worthwhile. Training for three months and doing well provided me with a huge sense of achievement. Plus I got to do it with one of my closest friends and running buddies – a bond that simply cannot be broken.
Final thoughts...
What an experience! If you’ve been running regularly for a few years, and have competed in fun runs or other sporting events, why not give yourself the extra challenge of doing a half marathon? The training is rewarding and you will feel ultra fit in the process. I know many of you may think long distance running isn’t your scene, but I began running 2km at my maximum and now 10km feels like a short run.
“The miracle isn’t that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start”
John Bingham
My next challenge, once I’ve tackled a couple more half marathons is the full 42km.
So what is your next challenge? Has this inspired you to jump on the long distance running bandwagon? Or will it be a triathlon, swimming event, starting a new team sport or beginning some adventure activities? Whatever it is, get out there, stay committed and strive to reach your goals, as there is no better feeling than success in doing so!
Training time!
My friend Liz and I began training in mid-February, after having time off over Christmas. It was hard to get back into the swing of it, and the first few runs were slow, but we eventually started getting fitter. Our training schedule was mapped out in advance, relatively simple and was not purely focused in running. We also worked it around our work and social lives, as we didn’t want to give these things up, but still wanted to do well come race time.
Weekly training program
Monday: Boot camp
Tuesday: 1 hour walk
Wednesday: 5km – 8km fast run
Thursday: Plyometric and core training
Friday: Day off
Saturday: Boot camp and Bikram yoga
Sunday: Long run (progressing from 9km up to 20km closer to the race)
The boot camp sessions usually involved running, boxing and circuit type activities. Plyometric training helped with my core strength and speed, and Bikram yoga helped stretch out my muscles to increase range of movement and flexibility. All of these other fitness activities helped to complement my running performance, both physically and psychologically. Hence, I didn’t suffer any overuse injuries and the running didn’t become repetitive or boring. I was always motivated and looking forward to the next training run!
Before the race
My preparation included drinking heaps of water and electrolyte drinks the day and night before, increasing my intake of carbohydrate loaded foods, such as pastas and breads, and ensuring I had the best clothing and equipment to get through the race in comfort.
As for pre-race jitters, well I’ve never really suffered from this in sports, despite many of my friends complaining of horrendous nerves. I didn’t get off that lightly though, as instead of nerves, I was worried about not waking up in time, so was pretty much awake most of the night beforehand! Not to worry though, the body got a rest, and I was definitely mentally prepared.
Race day – Sunday May 23, 2010
It was 5am and Liz and I were awake and raring to go for a 6.30am start, getting our bibs pinned onto our running singlets, safely attaching the timing chips to our shoe laces and talking about our strategy for setting the right pace. Once we hit the race venue at Noosa Heads, we jumped out at the start line and noticed there weren’t many people competing. This meant there were no battles for starting positions and we had a lot of space when the gun went off. And so we began to run, chatting away with smiles on our faces...
Our three main goals going into the event were:
a) Beat our times from the Sydney half marathon in September 2009
b) Try to beat Liz’s Melbourne half marathon time from July 2009
c) To finish the race together (or as close as possible to it)
So did we achieve these three goals on the big day? Yes we sure did! My finishing time was 1hour 51 minutes and 26 seconds and Liz finished a whole 1 second before me. And better yet, we ended it with a sprint finish, which is always impressive for the photo albums (right?!) Comparatively, I came 36th in my age group and ran at an average pace of 5.16 minutes per kilometre. We ran the second lap 3 minutes faster than the first, which allowed us to make up around 300 places.
The weather conditions in Noosa were perfect and the course was fairly flat, so it was a solid but enjoyable run. I felt like we gave enough to get a good time, but didn’t push it too far. I loved the atmosphere of the event, seeing a new place and the experience of my second half marathon!
Celebrations!
Hard work and success should always be followed by reward and celebration. Our celebrations afterward included popping a bottle of Veuve and treating ourselves to a big breakfast and then some fish and chips later in the day. Nothing wild you might say, but it was ideal considering how tired our bodies were.
Post-race pull up
Well I joked around about hobbling into the office on Monday morning, and unfortunately that turned out to be a reality. Due to old, worn down running shoes (which should have been replaced a month or two before the event) I had bad blisters, and my legs, abdominals and back were all getting progressively sorer. By the time Monday afternoon rolled around, I was in a world of pain, and my work colleagues found it quite amusing. Nothing a good boot camp session didn’t fix though. By Tuesday evening I was feeling totally fine again.
Despite the muscular soreness I had for a couple of days, it was all worthwhile. Training for three months and doing well provided me with a huge sense of achievement. Plus I got to do it with one of my closest friends and running buddies – a bond that simply cannot be broken.
Final thoughts...
What an experience! If you’ve been running regularly for a few years, and have competed in fun runs or other sporting events, why not give yourself the extra challenge of doing a half marathon? The training is rewarding and you will feel ultra fit in the process. I know many of you may think long distance running isn’t your scene, but I began running 2km at my maximum and now 10km feels like a short run.
“The miracle isn’t that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start”
John Bingham
My next challenge, once I’ve tackled a couple more half marathons is the full 42km.
So what is your next challenge? Has this inspired you to jump on the long distance running bandwagon? Or will it be a triathlon, swimming event, starting a new team sport or beginning some adventure activities? Whatever it is, get out there, stay committed and strive to reach your goals, as there is no better feeling than success in doing so!
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