Gold Coast half marathon will be my last half marathon event for the near future.
I have now run FIVE half marathons in under 90 minutes, following my 1:30:37 in the 2014 Burnley half marathon debut in September 2014.
My sub 90 half marathons have been:
* 1:27:43 - Melbourne Marathon - half marathon - Oct 2014
* 1:28:35 - Keeping Kids on Track - Kilcunda - Mar 2015
* 1:27:35 - Traralgon half marathon - June 2015
* 1:29:23 - Malbourne Marathon - half marathon - Oct 2016
* 1:29:43 - Traralgon half marathon - June 2017
.... and I ran a 1:31:35 at the Cadbury half marathon in Hobart in January 2016.
My ultimate half marathon goal is to run an 84 minute half marathon - four minute pace - but that goal is just a little out of reach for Gold Coast. I have settled on a goal of 86 minutes (1:26:00) fo the Gold Coast course. That is an average of 4:05 pace. I also plan to run at a set pace over the duration - something that I have not really done to date. I have always been happy to go out early and bank some time so it will be interesting to see how this strategy turns out. I may well still die out in the second half and not get the sixth sub 90.
Monday June 5th to Saturday June 10th
I stayed in bed on Monday morning, knowing that I'd be running after work. My body came out of the Traralgon run much better than anticipated. I do have a right leg issue - emanating from the hip. I am rubbing out a ridge in the muscle in the hip. In the run after work I felt a tightness low in the hamstring. I ran at the Intervals course - but didn't run intervals. I ran one interval and then kept going around past the boat ramp and Bowling club and turned back onto the path at Rainbow park. Early pace was quite slow but I was right on 5 minute mace for the second and third. I ran back to the end of the interval course and through the foreshore camp ground. After each speed hump I ran a few harder paces, increasing them at each hump. My fourth and fifth, through the camp ground, was run at around 4:36 pace. I slowed for more recovery, running in the low 4:50s. after getting to 7 km I put in a faster kilometre to finish off, running the eighth in 4:32. I ran 8.3 km in just over 40 minutes, averaging 4:51 pace. It was a good stretch and I had a long stretch to cool down. Next Sunday is another big day of running so this week is a recovery week.
I rested on Tuesday. I have recovered quite well. I have decided to keep working on the right hip and I'm treating it with heat and ice and also working the muscle with a piece of dowel.
I was up at 6am - in the deep darkness - on Wednesday morning for a run. It was freezing - the actual low for Wonthaggi was ZERO. I ran in my cycling jacket and gloves. It was still freezing. I needed a beany as my head was painfully cold. The first was a 5:11 and then I was under 5 minute pace. I was at 4:38 pace for the fourth and running nicely - still not warmed up though. I ran the sixth in 4:25, slowed slightly for the next and then ran the eighth in 4:22. All up I covered 8.4 km and averaged 4:41 pace. Despite the cold I iced the hip after the run and then warmed it up again in the shower.
I stayed in bed on Thursday morning, intending to run later in the day. As I finished work the weather was closing in and the radar showed some rain on the way. I raced home, got changed and then headed out to the Desal tracks. I ran out towards the bird hide. Pace was great from the start, running the warm up kilometre in 4:36. When I got to the bird hide turn I turned in and took off, running an interval out to the bird hide. The track is an umbrella handle curve and I tended to slow on the turn most times. In the first I peaked at 3:21 pace in the straight and then 3:14 pace after the turn. I rested briefly and then returned at pace, this time peaking at 3:21 pace. I ran out towards the Mouth of Powlett for 800 metres and then returned to run the intervals again. This time I peaked at 3:09 pace out and 3:15 pace on the return with a brief rest in between. I ran the 800 m out and back again and then ran a third set of the intervals. This time I peaked at 3:09 pace out again and 3:26 pace back. I ran back to the car park (more than a kilometre) for my cool down. It was a real solid 8.4 km run in which I averaged 4:18 pace. There were two sub 4 minute kilometres in there. I felt good all through. I rubbed heat into the hip when I got home and then iced it after tea. The hip is feeling good now.
I rested again on Friday.
Saturday at parkrun I started really well in my warm up. I ran a 3.2 km warm up and averaged 4:36 pace. I did notice that it was going to be a pretty hot field while out on the warm up. The Queens Birthday long weekend had a few good runners down on the east coast. And it was a real hot start. I think that I settled in about 7th place but my first kilometre was a pretty fast 3:41. With the half marathon shadow still over me, and the longest run the next day, I settled my pace in the 3:50s - still pretty fast. My second was a 3:53. I passed one runner but then had another pass me after we had run together for some time. My third and fourth were 3:57s. I pushed out of the last turn but never had a real lot to give, finishing with a 3:55. My official parkrun time was a 19:26 - THREE minutes behind first place - who set a new course record of 16:27.
Sunday June 11th - The Longest Run - 7 parkrun courses in a day
Heather, Matt and I stayed in Traralgon on Saturday night so that we could get to the first leg of the Longest Run bright and bushy tailed by 6:30 am. It was cold and foggy in Traralgon as we set out on the first leg. I had tried a short warm up but it was just too cold so I stretched and warmed into it during this first run. Pace was good from the start - in the mid 4:30s for the first 2 km. After that I started to warm up and progressively upped the pace, with Matt right with me. The third was a 4:24 and then a 4:20 before pushing it home in the last to finish with a 4:05. One run down and a time of 22:09 and a 4:23 average pace - pretty happy with that.
We went back to the motel in Traralgon and I had a quick shower before heading to Churchill. I was going to try and run at 4:05 pace - my half marathon goal for Gold Coast - for as long as possible. I had finished with a 4:05 at Traralgon and took up from where I left off on the tough Churchill course. It was probably a bit more foggy but at least it wasn't dark. I started with a 4:08 and then continued to push to the top of the hill turn. The second had the benefit of the run back down and was a 4:00. I was running well and feeling great. My third was a 4:05 and then it was back up to the hill turn. I ran a 4:08 for the fourth and then pushed it home. I finished with a 4:03 for a time of 20:25.8 - I was right on the 4:05 pace. We ate some cookies after the Churchill run and then got back in the car to head to Newborough. I also opened my first bottle of coke (caffeine).
No great increase in temperature on the way to Newborough so I ran in the gloves again. Now this is a slow course with a rough surface and a steady incline of 20 metres. I pushed at the start but the stiffness in my legs from the drive was taking it's time to go away. My first was a 4:14. I tried to increase the pace but didn't have a real lot on the rise. The second was about half up and half down and I finished it strongly but it was only a 4:13. The turn back up the rise really slowed me. I put in a 4:23 and Matt caught up to me, doing an interval up the rise. My fourth, also about half up and half down, was a 4:17 - now it is not a massive rise and, if fresh, it would be no problem, but the accumulation of the first two runs was taking it's toll. I pushed it back to the finish line and ran a real nice 4:05 with the legs nice and warm by this stage. It was still a pretty quick run, averaging 4:15 pace for a time of 21:15. It was then back in the car and off towards Warragul. We stopped at Maccas on the way and I ate a sausage McMuffin and drank some more coke.
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| Leading Matt at Newborough |
At Warragul I got out of the car real stiff-legged. The lactic acid had really settled. We had a longer break for this run so there was plenty of time to loosen up. I rubbed a bit of heat into the right calf and just did heaps of stretching. The fog had finally cleared and the sun was nice. Warragul has a nice little rise as well. I started well, leading that pack out at 4:23 pace. Then the second was mostly up the rise and I found my legs still really heavy, slowing to a 4:35. I picked it up again on the way back and ran a nice 4:23. Then we go back up the rise, but the legs were warmer by then. I maintained the 4:23 pace. Matt flew past me the second time up the rise - running another hill interval. I turned and started the chase back to the finish. i ran a nice 4:12 to close the gap and finished in 22:15, with an average of 4:23 pace.
We had less than an hour to get to Pakenham so it was going to be tight. We were all a little late getting there so the start was delayed 15 minutes. The legs were real tight here. As we started I led the pack with another runner who was complaining that his legs were taking their time to warm up. I asked him how many he had done and this was his FIRST! - My legs were full of lactic acid and it was an effort getting them going. He ran off ahead and I pushed through the first two kilometres with a couple of 4:18s. I slowed after the turn and my third was a 4:24. Pakenham is an out and back and it was becoming a real chore. I was pushing and pushing but there was nothing there. My 24th and 25th kilometres for the day were just real hard work. I finished with a 4:32 and then a 4:35 to record a 22:10 with my average at 4:25 pace. I ate a pastie and another cookie after this run. I wasn't hungry but just felt I needed re-fueling before run number six.
Berwick Springs is my favourite parkrun course - it is so fast and there are no u-turns. The sun was out and the number of runners building. I got in plenty of stretching before the start. I had also completely changed my gear. I was running each run in a different singlet but here I changed my running shorts and underwear. I felt fresh and ready to go again. It was not the usual fast Berwick Springs start however. I led the pack out with very stiff legs and one runner passed my about 500m in. I ran the first in 4:33 and caught him on the downward section of the only rise - at this stage in the day that very small rise felt like a mountain. We ran together and chatted and he kept me up to date with our average pace along the way. My legs were warming up well here and the second was a 4:26. I just kept slightly upping the pace as we ran and our third was a 4:22. I was starting to feel real good again - maybe it was the pastie - and I started to push it out a bit more. Our fourth was a 4:14 and then we held that pace right to the end. It was nice to finish but this run felt really good. My average pace was 4:21 pace and I ran the course in 22:12. Thirty kilometres down now and my legs felt great as I watched the others come in. Unfortunately there was another dreaded car ride before the last.
Getting out of the car at Frog Hollow was real hard. My legs had really stiffened up again. I tried my best to loosen them but they were just real heavy. We took some group photos - the group really grew here as the Melbourne Longest Run joined us here. I ran to the front at the start but was soon passed by a few runners. It was just a hard push all the way. My first was a 4:29 and then I put in a 4:22 in the brief moment as my legs warmed up and before the real fatigue set in. Matt was running ahead of me and running nicely. My third, on the way back, was a 4:32. I slowed further around the lake putting in a 4:36. I though that I may pick up speed as I hit the slower traffic but it was not to be. I was incredibly fatigued. I pushed and pushed and pushed back to the line. It was my slowest kilometre for the day at 4:41. I had averaged 4:32 pace in running a 22:48 - my slowest of the day.
All up I ran 35 kilometres. I was on my feet, running - at good pace (every kilometre but the last was between 13 and 15 km/h) - for 2 hours and 33 minutes. My average pace for the day was a very credible 4:23 pace. I went through 6 singlets, 3 pairs of shorts, 4 pairs of socks, a pair of gloves, a jacket and ran in two different pairs of runners. We went to a pizza restaurant for dinner on the way home. That drive home was hard but I woke on Monday morning feeling remarkably good.
Monday June 12th to Sunday June 18th
I woke up feeling surprisingly good on Monday morning and then stretched for a recovery run. It was Labour Day - a public holiday - so we had slept in until 9am (a very rare occurrence). I drove out to the desal tracks with the clouds thickening. I ran out on the coastal side and ran out to the caravan park. My early pace was at 5 minutes and I settled in the 4:40s. I ran an extra loop before getting all the way out. All up I ran 7.3 km, getting a little bit damp on the way. I averaged 4:50 pace. I spent the rest of the day just relaxing with my legs up.
On Tuesday morning i woke early, intending to run, but got up feeling quite stiff - especially in my back. I stretched and then set out on my 8 km course. My pace was slow early - in the 5:20s and quickened only slightly during the course of the run. I had gone out in my gloves and cycling jacket only to find that it wasn't as cold as I had thought. With the stiffness and the over heating it was a real struggle. It was on this run that I decided that Wednesday had to be a rest day. I had originally planned a 10 km run on the Wednesday. The Tuesday run was 8.3 km and I averaged 4:58 pace.
I was back up and running on Thursday morning. I set out on the 8 km course and decided that I needed a bit of interval work. I couldn't be bothered setting the watch so I just decided to run one km easy and the next hard - a set kilometre intervals. They went well. It was a slow start and after a 5:18 warmup I ran the first interval - still cold. I ran it in 4:25. I slowed for the third to recover and then went hard in the fourth, running a 4:06 interval. I recovered again for the fifth and then really went in the sixth, running a 3:56 kilometre. I was a bit faster in the 7th km recovery and then really went hard in the eighth, running a 3:53 to finish. I still had 300m to run and just eased back home at 5 minute pace. It was a great run. I covered 8.3 km and averaged 4:35 pace.
On Friday we had report writing day at the school so there was no rush to get started. I slept in past 7 am and then set out on the 13 km course. Lower Powlett road has some great views at the moment with the Powlett river closed at the mouth and the river in flood. I decided to do another set of kilometre intervals. This time I was running two kiometres and then running the interval, every third kilometre. In the lead to the first interval I warmed up with two kilometres at just over 5 minute pace. Then it was time to go hard and I ran a 3:56 kilometre along White road. I was a bit surprised when it came up. I continued on White road at a recovery pace, around the 4:40 mark. The second interval was on Lower Powlett road and ended at the top of the hill there. I ran a 3:58 and then slowed to enjoy the view. I turned onto the rail trail for another 2 km of recovery. I was around 4:50 pace this time. Near the end I started my third interval, pushing hard on the gravel and across South Dudley road onto the bitumen. This interval was a 3:57. I slowed significantly at the end and gradually picked up speed again as my breathing settled. I started the final interval at the local pool - and up the North school hill. I really picked up the pace at the top and into Mary street. I ran a 3:53 for this interval. I had a kilometre and a bit to recover and finished with some 4:40 running. All up I ran 13.3 km and averaged 4:34 pace. My body is feeling pretty good after two big running weeks. The hamstring can still be felt while running so I applied heat to my right quad, hamstring and hip just before showering.
It was off to parkrun on Saturday morning. It was very, very cold. I ran the warm up with gloves and then decided to keep them on for the run. I didn't really get warm! I did run 3.5 km and averaged 4:56 pace. I was very sluggish. I ran to the front at the parkrun start and another runner joined me. I tried to go hard early but my legs were just so heavy. I had nothing. He went ahead and I couldn't go. I ran the first in 3:55 but slowed in the second - it was a 4:01. I pushed in the third, with another runner on my tail. I ran a 3:58 but then really slowed in the fourth for a 4:06. I had lost the runner behind me and was running totally alone now in second place. I pushed hard through the fifth and managed to get back in 3:56. My official time was 20 minutes exactly.
On Sunday morning I slept in a little longer. I wanted to get in a longer run exactly two weeks before the half marathon. I drove to the Guide Park and set off on my 14 km run via Harmers Haven and cape Paterson road. It is a hard push up the Cameron street hill for the first 2 and a bit km. I was running well early, running the first in 5:03 and then the second at 4:54. I kept up the speed progression in the third (4:42) and fourth (4:37) before I really started to struggle. I started slowing while I was still on the bitumen - not a great sign. For the next eight kilometres it was just a real struggle to keep my pace below 4:50 pace. In a number of points in the run the pace profile shows a spike at the start of the kilometre as I reacted to the time on my watch for the previous kilometre. My legs were too heavy to maintain it though. I pushed back into town and up the hill to Broome crescent. As soon as I crossed the top my pace jumped up as I picked up speed on the down hill. I let gravity take me to the bottom and then I pushed all the way back along Graham street, maintaining the down-hill pace. I finished with a 4:39 (partially down hill) and then a 4:13 back to the Guide Park. It was nice to stop and get a drink.
I have put in some serious running in the past month with an average of 68 km pre week for the past 4 weeks. I am really feeling it in the glutes at the moment. I will freshen up over the next 2 weeks with some shorter, sharper running and a couple of two day breaks. I'm injury free but do still feel my right hammy when it is tired.
Monday June 19th to Sunday June 25th
I slept in on Monday morning and then went out to Inverloch for intervals after work. After a warm up out and back I was into it. On the next out and back I ran my first interval on the back - peaking at 3:20 pace. My next two intervals were not as quick, peaking at 3:37 and 3:44 pace respectively. I found a bit of pace on the fourth, peaking at 3:07 pace. The next peaked at 3:33 pace and then I joined Jesse for an out and back. It was a fast one. In the interval I peaked at 3:01 pace - as I watched him run away from me - and that kilometre was a 4:07. I walked at the end of this interval and then ran out for one last time. The final interval peaked at 3:22 pace. For the 8.1 km run I averaged 4:34 pace.
I followed up on Tuesday morning. I took forever to warm up, feeling stiff at the start. I never really got going. I ran a shortened version of the 8 km course, getting 7.4 km in the end. My seventh kilometre was a 4:39 but this was quite a bit quicker than the others. My average pace was 4:55 for the run. At home rubbed heat into my hip and then showered. I iced it as I had breakfast.
I took Wednesday off. I had planned to run but it was raining during the night and there was still rain around so I dozed off again. When I woke I used my massage stick to work my right hip area and then rubbed in heat. I also rubbed heat into the glute. I then showered and then iced. I used ice and heat again on Wednesday night.
I woke on Thursday and decided on a run. I had been thinking of a two day break but I have been working the hip and felt I needed a run. I rubbed heat in before the run and stretched. I set off on the 6 km course and was running nicely from the start. The first was just over 5 minute pace but then there was no acceleration in the second. I pushed in the third and ran a 4:30 - with some down hill - then followed up with a 4:38. I pushed again in the fifth and finished with a 4:17 and then a 4;14. May average pace was 4:38 for the 6 km run.
Given the work that I had been doing on my hip I decided to go out for a short run again on Friday. I rubbed in heat and then set off on a short run out towards Heslop road. I started slowly and then got down to around 4:40 pace, running out to Wentworth and then back to Korumburra roads before returning home. I ran the last 800 m at 4:29 pace. The run covered 4.8 km in just over 23 minutes. I averaged 4:47 pace.
I ran at parkrun on Saturday morning. I started with a 4:45 average pace 3.2 km for a warm up. The parkrun start was pretty quick - I had heaps of trouble getting my breathing right - running a 3:40. I slowed significantly in the second, running a 3:58. I was getting pushed along with some runners around me and picked it up in the third with a 3:51. I pretty much held that pace until the end and ran a 19:12, my best in a while.
On Sunday morning we had our third Wonthaggi Road Runners Handicap race. I calculate the handicaps and pretty much got mine wrong again. I got there early and ran a slow 4.3 km, 5:05 paced warm up run. I started off the back mark with Bill and, after trying to go with him, watched him run away. I started with a 3:55 but the legs were just tired and I never had any pace. The fact that the two in front of me were pulling away didn't help my frame of mind. I ran a 4:03 and then a 4:01 but then really slowed for a 4:09 in the fourth. The final kilometre is a short out and back so all the runners see each other. It did help me to pick up a little speed. I finished with a 4:04 to run a 20:17 5 km. I came 13th, passing only two tired runners who were going at 80%.
Monday June 26th to Saturday July 1st
I stayed in bed on Monday morning as I was running after work at intervals. I didn't run an interval, running an easy paced run with Kate instead. The start was a bit fast but we settled into some really consistent low 5 minute pace. We got past the 10 km mark, running 10.1 km and averaging 5:04 pace.
I am really working on the hip and right hamstring at the moment - ice after runs and heat at other times. I woke on Tuesday morning and rubbed heat into the hip, glute and hamstring before I got out of bed. I then got up and stretched before setting off on my 6 km course. I started slowly, not getting under 5 minute pace until the third kilometre. The third and fourth were run at 4:52 pace. It was harder than normal. I picked up the pace in the last two, finishing with a 4:36 and a 4:30. Back at home I showered and then iced my hamstring.
On Wednesday morning I rubbed heat into the hip and hamstring in bed again. I set out on the 8 km course intending to cut it short in the middle. I was running kilometre intervals - two easy then the third hard. My first two were quite slow and then I ran a 4:16 for the third. I eased it right back to 5 minute pace for the fourth and fifth and then put in a 4:09 for the sixth. After easing it back I pushed on the run home running back at sub 4:50 pace. I averaged 4:51 pace for the 7.8 km run. At home I iced immediately and then showered later. On Wednesday night I had a nice hot bath. I hope the legs will freshen up in the next few days.
Thursday was a rest day. After work Heather and I headed for Tullamarine to be ready for our morning flight.
Friday morning we caught our flight to the Gold
Coast. After boarding the flight was
delayed by 30 minutes so the 90 minutes on the plane was now 2 hours cramped
up. We got to our accommodation
mid-afternoon and then headed out to the Main Beach parkrun course for an
organised freedom run. Running legend
Robert De Castella was there with his Indigenous Marathon Program team and they
were all introduced at the start of the run.
It is an inspiring program. We
eventually started the run and I set off at a pretty comfortable pace. My first was a 4:42 and from there I
gradually picked up speed as I warmed up.
I was feeling quite good and chatting to people as I passed them. I progressed to the point where my fourth was
at race pace (4:06) and then eased it back to finish with a 4:10. I ran the 5 km parkrun course in ?, averaging
4:22 pace. Before showering I rubbed
heat into my right hip, glute and hammy.
It was an early start on Saturday morning as Heather was
running the 10 km at 6:30 am. I watched
the fast 10 km runners in awe. The
finish is impressive, wide, flat concrete and it looks really fast. I feel ready but I’m just unsure of what my
body will do. I have been running pain
free this week but I just have a feeling that all is not quite right yet. Nothing will stop me from going out at that
4:05 pace though – and I’ll just see how the body holds up.
Sunday July 7th - Gold Coast Half Marathon
I was up at 4:30am after a fitful nights sleep. I ate a muffin and got ready and then jogged
down to the marathon at Broadbeach park.
It was a 2.7 km warm up jog at an average of 5:14 pace. I had a good stretch and then headed to get a
good spot at the start line.
With the goal of sitting on 4:05 pace I didn’t go out
hard and just allowed myself to settle into a pace. Even though I was near the front it was
crowded early with a lot running past me at unsustainable speeds. I started with a 4:07 and then ran a 4:01
second up as I settled. The third was a
right-on 4:04 and then I ran a 4:10, slowing to get a drink. I was back on it then for the next four
kilometres, running nicely with none of the right side problems. I slowed to a 4:09 in the ninth and then a
4:14, as I had my gel and a drink in the tenth.
I got back to a 4:06 in the eleventh but it was just starting to get a
bit hard at this point. I wasn’t in pain
but I just didn’t have a real lot to give.
I went out to 4:09 in the twelfth and then settled at 4:12 pace for the
next two – still not being caught by the 90 minute pacers yet. I went out to 4:18 pace for the fifteenth to
seventeenth, not a massive slowing and still able to hold a pace. At least I wasn’t in freefall – like at
Traralgon. It was just hard work at this
point. I was really searching for the 18
km mark – only 3 to go – and slowed to put in a 4:26. My mind had been set on getting to the last
three for some time so I was able to push when I got there. I ran a 4:11 but then dropped back to a 4:24
for the twentieth. I pushed near the end
and ran the twenty first in 4:18. I
really love the finish chute at Gold Coast and really pushed hard in
there. I peaked at 3:43 pace in the last
hundred metres to finish in 1:28:42.
While it was two minutes behind the goal it is another
sub 90 half marathon and it is one of my quicker ones. I was much more comfortable with this race –
nothing stupid early – running within my means.
It was a pretty short prep so to push out two sub 90s with only a four
month prep has been a good achievement.
