Canberra marathon - Richard Butler
Date: 9th of April 2006
02:30am:
My three year old son (Matthew) padded into our room at the Pinnacle Apartments in Canberra waking me from my light sleep. I quickly ushered him back to bed and then went and had a couple of Weet Bix for breakfast. It was a little earlier than I had planned my breakfast but I didn't fancy getting up again before I had to.05:30am:
I woke up before the alarm and headed out to the living room. My running clothes were all laid out and I dressed and then did some stretching. Nerves ensured that I also visited the toilet a couple of times more than I do on most mornings.06:30am:
My personal cheer squad was up and ready to join me as I headed to the start line of the 30th running of the Canberra Marathon. Our accommodation was just a couple of hundred metres from the starting line which I considered a blessing as there was no need to head for the start until close to start time. We headed out the door into single digit temperatures. I was wearing gloves and two shirts over my running singlet. I trotted ahead of Merran and Matthew to help warm up.06:55am:
I was in the pack waiting for the starter's gun. It had been 6 years since my last marathon (which was my fourth) and this one felt like my first. As a veteran marathoner I should have been comfortable about what was to come but, six years is a long time and this one was different for a number of reasons.Firstly, I had done all of my training alone when for my previous four Merran had trained with me. Secondly, Merran also wouldn't be starting with me this time - I was alone for the whole run.
Finally, I had put some high expectations on myself. Yes, my basic aim was to beat 4 hours. 3:59 would be more than a 6 minute PB. But, for a while I had been feeling that I could do significantly better. I wasn't just hoping to beat four hours this time, I expected to go well under.
The starter encouraged the crowd to give us all a "warm Canberra welcome". Out loud, I noted that a warm Canberra welcome would have been ideal, which drew a chuckle from the equally cold runners around me.
07:00am:
The starter's gun sounded unexpectedly, and we were off. My plan was simple: go out at a comfortable but strong pace over the first half and see what the second half brought. I was confident from my training that I could maintain 5 min/km for two hours and still have petrol in the tank to finish from there - but at what pace?07:25ish:
Heading out at 5 min/km put me in the vicinity of the 3:30 pace group and I decided to keep with them. I had thought this would be helpful but I found the group to be running at what seemed an inconsistent pace in these early kilometres. I was with them at times and ahead or behind at others.7:47ish:
I went through 10km under 5 min/km, said hello to my cheer squad (Matthew was suffering from the cold and curled up in his pram) and ditched my gloves. Although cold, there was no wind so the running temperature was comfortable.I didn't feel like I had gone out too hard but, I was already aching in my upper thigh/groin. This is an ache that I normally only feel late in a long, hard, and hilly run. This was emotionally taxing as I was already worrying about how this ache would affect me later in the run.
8:42ish:
In spite of continued (and growing aches) I had pushed on and managed a pretty good half marathon time (for me) going through the halfway mark in under 1:43. I had been through the back end of the Marathon course where, given the nature of my aches, I had really felt the "hills". Yes, there are hills on the Canberra Marathon. They are insidiously slight, but they are there.9:00ish:
Although still in sight, I had lost touch with the 3:30 pace group and was feeling particularly sore as I went through the 24km territory. However, overall I was still a little under 5 min/km. I again passed by my cheer squad and, whatever I said, Merran became concerned about my progress.9:20ish:
The 28km marker, two thirds of the marathon done, and I had averaged spot on 5 min/km. I should have been pleased but the marathon demons were talking loudly in my head because I knew that: I had already faded to 5:25ish min/km from the halfway mark; I still had 14km to go; and the aches were growing.I was behind the 3:30 pace group by this time and surprisingly, I didn't mind. Hitting the drink stations with the group was a melee that I could do without. I had already experienced a couple of pushes in the back in the earlier kilometres.
10:30ish:
With only a few kilometres to go the 3:45 pace runner caught me (interestingly, he was alone). I had already walked a bit and although I tried to stay with him it was a lost cause. However, around this time I managed to beat off the marathon demons in my head. I had been thinking through my progress and realised that regardless of what I did from this point, unless I died (literally), I was going to break four hours and I was going to set a PB. I was going to achieve my goal.That thought helped me to enjoy the last few kilometres a little more - I joked with the volunteers at the drink stations (do you think I'll win?) and chatted with some of the runners around me.
10:47:15:
I crossed the finish line in 3:47:15, some 19 minutes ahead of my previous best - set in Sydney six years ago. Coincidentally, I had run my race number (347).Postscript
It is four days since the marathon and this morning I went for my first run since the marathon. I have always recovered well from marathons but I believe I came out of this one sorer than in the past. My emotions over this run are mixed. I am thrilled with the result - a 19 minute PB is not to be sneezed at - but I would have preferred a stronger finish than the 6:10ish min/km that I did over the last third of the run. I don't think I went out too hard but the aches came on much sooner than expected during the run. I'd like to think I had a better finish in me. Having said that, there's always next time, and next time I hope to have a race number closer to 330.- Richard Butler, 13th April 2006