Wednesday, July 2, 2014

T-minus 4

Well, it's now four days out from marathon number 5. The first one was in 2009; then 2011; 2012; 2013, and now 2014. As a mere hobby-jogger I refuse to do more than one marathon a year - it wouldn't be healthy for my sanity or the sanity of those around me! 

I've learnt new things with every marathon cycle. Things that range from 'when I try to take in a gel I feel like throwing up so this invention called shot blocks is a lifesaver', to 'don't steal your sister's shorts', to quite simply that I CAN finish a marathon at all. Let alone in less than five hours. Don't laugh.

This time round? I've focused more on the process than the outcome. (As Holly put it - "Well, you'll have over four hours of process, so that'd be a good thing to channel.") Last time round it was all about the sub-five or die. Which is more entertaining than slowly and methodically making small changes to training, but, you know...kind of a crapshoot. 

And so here is the theoretical race plan.  
- Take a shot block every 5km or 30 minutes.
- Take a short (1 to 2 minutes) walk break every 10km.
- ABSOLUTELY NO FASTER than 6:22/km pace for the first half.
- I am allowed to run/walk the last quarter if I am cramping as usual. (I will probably cramp.) 

I have no time goals except for 'maybe finish under 5 hours again?' Nobody cares about my race time but me anyway, and I don't care so long as everyone has a good time and I get cake at the end... 

So far this trip to the Gold Coast has been remarkably amusing in all sorts of ways. 

First at the immigration and customs line, one of the security officers asked me (because you have to be over 16 to go through the e-passport gates on your own) "You look very young - are you sure you're over 16?"

To be fair to her, it was 8am and I had just got off the red-eye and I had my glasses on and my hair in pigtails and she probably hadn't had any coffee yet. 

What I thought: Aw, I look 16? That's cute...I'm closer to twice that, honey.
What I said: I'm definitely over 16, but thank you!! 

Next, this afternoon, I was trying to get my prepaid SIM card activated and Vodafone's automated system refused to accept my hotel as a valid address. 
And then neither did Vodafone's call centre representative. 
Of course it's a valid address, I said. I'm standing right here! Even Google Maps knows where it is! 

And finally, I was enjoying a coffee at a little coffee shop by the beach in the sun, when a shadow the size and shape of a small dinosaur fell across my ankles. 


Startled, I looked up to be greeted by one of these, loitering about for crumbs: 

What's black and white and terrifying the first time you encounter one? An Australian white ibis. SERIOUSLY.

It's always a strange adjustment to run in a drastically different climate. It's super sunny here, and if you're in direct sun it feels pretty hot. On the other hand, it's also very dry, and if you're standing still in the shade, it's chilly thanks to all the wind. How am I supposed to run in that? 

11 comments:

  1. Are you doing the Gold Coast marathon?! You need to follow Lou @ running through china. She's doing the half. She's pretty fast and just did a 50k. Anyway, good luck! Enjoy the process and have fun! I am sure you can kick five hours in the butt ;)

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    1. Cool! Thanks for the recommendation - one more blog to read. The race organisers have done something very ingenious: they are putting on the half and the full at the same time, but 1.5 hours apart (the half starts first so some of them will be done before I even flag off) and in opposite directions along the long Gold Coast highway. So I may never actually see the half marathoners (in fact I have told Holly to please go back to the hotel and take a nice long nap and come look for me at the finish).

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  2. Heh, once I was flying home from college for Christmas, almost 22 years old, & the woman at the ticket counter goes, "And are you flying all by yourself today, sweetie?" in a voice like you'd talk to a five year old with. I was so stunned & confused it took me like 10 seconds to answer.

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    1. I've gotten that ever since I started college. It happens with enough regularity that after a while I stopped being stunned and started being amused instead...

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  3. Getting so close! Enjoy these couple of days and relax. Your race plan sounds solid.

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    1. So close! I love having a couple of days off to decompress from work before a major race. It worked the last time round, too.

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  4. "Nobody cares about my race time but me anyway, and I don't care so long as everyone has a good time and I get cake at the end..."

    TRUTH. Have a great race and enjoy!!

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    1. If the weather stays like this I will definitely have a great time! It's gorgeous!

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  5. Cake? I was hoping for churros...and melted chocolate bars...erm, I mean, hot chocolate! :)

    New Race Plan: Run fast in the shade. Run slow in the sun Fartlek the whole way. It'll be brilliant! :)

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    1. Ah, I can buy churros anytime but there is only one Char and her inimitable cupcakes. ;) your race plan sounds excellent, too.

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  6. Good luck on your race! I'll be keeping my eye out for a race recap. Here's hoping the course is full of shade, or at the very least you get some cloud cover for the time it takes you to finish.

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