Week 10 – The End

I maybe on the road to a half marathon, but we are also half way through a marathon celebration of our 50th birthdays.  It all started in early September and will continue in various styles until the 9th of November.  Saturday night was the peak of those celebrations with a “family dinner” that bought both our families together.  While it was great to spend time with the ones you love there is always the shadow of an upcoming 21km run over everything you do.

I had to change the route of my run this week to get the right distance.  I ran past my old high school, my old footy ground and my childhood home.  It felt like a cross between a lap of honour and a funeral cortèg

My last major training run of this campaign yesterday, and in the interest of tapering, was only 12ks. Just 28kms for the week.  Every run I do is still hard work, it certainly hasn’t got easy, but I do feel better, even over longer distances.  A couple of short runs this week, maybe a 4k and an 8k, will see the training over and lead me to the start of the event.  I am confident about going the distance, it’s just a matter of how long it takes, and what condition I’m in at the finish.

I’ve been driving to work, Terang to Camperdown, 23ks, for more than 30 years.  It has only been this week that I’ve realised I would actually be able to run the distance.  I’d have to leave two hours earlier and wouldn’t get much done once I got there, but I could get there.

As many of you would know I’m a numbers man at heart so here’s some for the fans.  In the past four months I’ve run over 450km. That’s Melbourne and back.  Although all this started out as a weight loss exercise I’ve actually put on more the 5kgs.  There’s been one rule I’ve had in the back of my head all this time, When the running stops so does the eating!  Six meals a days can’t continue when I go back to just sitting behind a desk.  This week though, I’m supposed to increase my carb intake even further.  I’m not sure how I’m going to fit it in, but I’ll keep trying.

For a guy who’s never been big on writing I’ve actually enjoyed doing this blog.  It has acted as a distraction while I’ve been running.  Thinking about what happened for the week and how the story goes, has taken away from the pain.

So, if you hear from me next week, you know I’ve made it!

 

See you all at the finish.

 

5 days to go.

Week 7 – The ‘G

I had mentioned earlier that one of the main attractions to the Melbourne Marathon was that it traditionally finishes in the MCG.  I have always loved a great arena, I’ve seen plenty, from the Colosseum, to the Birds Nest, Lords to Madison Square Gardens, but none of them have the same presence as the ‘G.  My family still laugh at me when we get to the top of the stairs and there is an audible intake of air.

I went with a friend in the early 70s and saw Richmond, with my father in the late 70s and saw North Melbourne.  I saw my first test at the age of about 10, and I saw Dennis Lillie break the wicket taking record in 1982.  The same friend and I have seen about fifteen Boxing Days together.  I took my girlfriend there in the 80s to watch Collingwood and I saw Fitzroy play in a number of Elimination finals, (lost most of them).  I’ve watched my team Melbourne, play in a grand final, (lost that too, by a lot). In fact I’ve seen the final quarter of eight grand finals ( I haven’t seen the first quarter of all those games, but that’s a whole other story).  I even saw Asafa Powell win the 100m at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and ironically, watched Kerrie McCann’s victorious lap to win the women’s Marathon.  (Saw Chez complete her 10km challenge too)

The idea of running into the MCG, with the crowds cheering and fans waving (it’s my dream, let it go) was to be the highlight of running the event and the real incentive to run 21kms.  Once I had registered and paid my entry fee (Yes you have to pay to suffer this pain) I got the details of the event.  There it was highlighted as a feature “Finish at the MCG”. Some story about preparing for the cricket and not being able to run on the grass, so we finish outside the ‘g.   A lessor man would have thrown the letter and chucked it all in, but I had come too far and was committed to compete.

So it is to be, we finish outside the MCG.

Thanks to our great family, this weekend I found myself on the Peninsula (That’s right dear, on the Peninsula).  I had come across a rail trail (read, horse track) starting in Red Hill.  A lovely bushland  setting, with views over Western Port Bay, although after an inch of rain during the week, it quickly become a cross country track.  Not great for the ankles as I ran through the mud on several occasions.

Anyway, it was a gentle downhill run towards Pt Leo.  The only problem was I now had to turn around and faced a 4km climb back up to Red Hill.   Aaagh, I hate hills.  (Remember Timboon). Uphill as far as the eye could see.  The slope seemed to range from gradual to ridiculous.  It wasn’t that steep when I was going down.  I don’t even know how they ever managed to get a train up this hill.

The steep slope and rough terrain also played hell with my toes.  (Yep, pretty sure now, they were broken in the great IKEA incident two weeks ago). Downhill, they were being used as a brake, and uphill I needed them to power any forward momentum I could gather.  I really hate hills.

Just 10ks today (I think) partly, because of the hill and partly because there was no GPS signal in the bush.  26kms for the week.  4 weeks to go now, so the next couple have to be pretty big weeks training.  Back on the relatively flat ground at Terang, it should be much easier.

I actually lost 1kg last week, although a weekend of fine dinning and a few drinks (my first for six weeks, by the way) may have fixed that, but obviously I still need to increase the daily carb intake.  I still can’t get my head around the idea of eating this much being good for you.

26 Days to go.