I came across this race on the calendar a few weeks ago, suggested it to Tim and before we knew it we were entered!
I actually did the same race this time last year, and vowed straight afterwards never to do a half marathon unprepared again. I remember it being a struggle and I came in at just under 1.40 as a result so I was keen to make amends.
Although not specifically training for the race as such, this time around my mileage since the half marathon in May had been a lot higher than last year including a 22.5km run a few days before, and so I knew I could last the distance and hopefully at a reasonable pace.
So on yet another clear, but cold winter’s morning, I picked up Tim and we drove down to Dolls Point, arriving with plenty of time to collect our numbers and try and find some sun to stand in before the race started. It was freezing! Tim was actually running in a long sleeved shirt. I wish I was!
We had both decided on the drive down that the race was to be more of a tempo training run rather than an attempt on a PB and so with that in mind, and once the gun had fired, we didn’t shoot off like frightened hares and I set out to hold onto a 4.30 pace for as long as I could comfortable manage.
I quickly settled into a solid 4.30 rhythm with Tim tucked in behind me. The first km consisted of a small loop back to the start before we headed out on two laps of the 10km course which first went north towards Rockdale before turning around, back past the start/finish and then south, over the Captain Cook Bridge twice before another U turn back to the start line again. Then lap 2 which was basically the same as lap 1 without the 1.1km loop.
By the time we reached the 5km mark I noticed that Tim had dropped back a bit and was struggling to hold the pace. Whilst not a race, I was feeling strong and so decided to press on as I was managing to hold 4.30’s fairly easily. This continued across the bridge and back to the start finish line, going through 10km in about 45 mins. I was also basically running on my own from about the 5km mark, passing only a couple of runners the whole race!
On to lap 2 and the km’s kept turning over, all at about 4.30 pace and all feeling surprisingly comfortable. That was until we reached the approach to the bridge for the second time when all of a sudden from out of nowhere the wind got up and it started blowing a gale! Quite literally, running across the bridge was virtually impossible with a side wind trying its very best to deposit all of the runners into Botany Bay! The only way to run was to lean into the wind and crouch down whilst trying to maintain forward momentum. Crazy. The return leg back across the bridge wasn’t much easier as the wind this time was trying to blow us into the road. Quite scary actually.
After all that, my km splits had blown out as a result with a couple of 4.40/4.50’s thrown in and so I was now down on where I had been before the bridge.
Not to worry though, I was still running well and so I just concentrated on picking up the pace again for the last couple of km’s back to the finish line.
At about this point, one runner came storming past me. I tried to hold on but couldn’t manage it. He must have been doing sub 4 min pace, no idea where he had been all the rest of the race!
I eventually rounded the last corner and glanced at my watch – 1.34 - a sub 1.36 was on and so I upped the pace for the last km or so, crossing the line in 1.35.44. Only 50 seconds slower than my time for the half a couple of months ago! If I hadn’t had to battle with the wind, I reckon I could have got a lot closer too. Still, a good hit out.
Waited around for Tim who came in on 1.42 – turned out his stomach hadn’t been well all race after a Thai curry last night and so he had deliberately backed off the pace early on to make sure he finished the race. Poor guy.
Overall a great race and very well organised. They actually offer free pancakes at the end, although after 21km the last thing I want to eat is pancakes and so after a quick stretch we quickly got into the car, warmed up and back on the road.
Total km: 21.1
Time: 1.35.44
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