Often when I mentioned to people that I was going to do the Brisbane Marathon I was met with negative responses along the lines of "yuk, what a terrible place to do a marathon". I found this surprising as I did the Brisbane Marathon last year and I didn't remember coming away thinking that it was a terrible course, so I thought that I would take note this year.
Despite having completed a tough Half-Ironman Triathlon last weekend, once again our mate Ben volunteered to join me for yet another leg of Challenge 7x7 . On Saturday night we had our own little carbo-loading pasta party and preparation ritual. The smorgasbord of sport on TV made it difficult to get an early night but reluctantly we managed to shut it all down in time to get a decent rest before our 4am departure the next morning.
The plan was to have a crack at going under 3hrs 30min again but deep down I knew this was going to be a difficult task. Having had minimal opportunities to train following the Gold Coast Marathon and Kokoda Challenge in July my legs still felt heavy and weak. On our Saturday morning ride I was faced with the reality that I was nowhere near full strength. Regardless of this I thought there was no harm in giving a sub 3:30 a go anyway, so off we went sitting on about 4 minute 50 seconds per km pace.
Fortunately I never usually have toilet problems in marathons but Brisbane Marathon last year did see me get into trouble early on. Well bugger me, on exactly the same part of the course as last year my stomach started to twist and cramp like crazy. Suddenly there I was, straight back at the scene of last year's disaster, re-living the nightmare. To make matters worse there was not a scrap of toilet paper, just what you need on those explosive toilet stops. I was wishing Brisbane Council had Kenny on the job, I know he would never have allowed that to happen!
Back out on the course again, a couple of minutes down but feeling heaps better. Ben had waited to help get me back up to the 3:30 group, or was it because he was still a little sore after last week's half-ironman. So off we went, making good time again, we caught them somewhere around 15km. Therese was meeting us at different points along the course with re-loads of Ammo to keep us hydrated which we really appreciated as it was quite hot out there and it's always great to see a familiar face along the way.
As we progressed through this first lap I couldn't help but think to myself that this was a beautiful course. Starting and finishing at Southbank, the marathon runs two laps of a course which, apart from a short loop around the Botanical Gardens, pretty much runs along (or over) the Brisbane River the whole way. While there may have been a variety of interesting surfaces, the course was fun, interesting and never boring. The drink stations were another highlight, full of extremely enthusiastic volunteers it was like there was a fancy-dress party going on at all of them. People having a good time along the course really add to the marathon experience for me and there was certainly plenty of this in Brisbane so thanks to everyone out there.
We went through the first half in 1hr 45min and I knew then it was going to be impossible to go under 3:30. Although we were making ok pace I was uncomfortable the whole way, it had been a struggle right from the start. My legs felt empty, there was no bounce in my calves and quads, and I had no power. It was strange because I wasn't struggling with breathing or out of control heart rate. I just couldn't seem to make my legs work hard enough to get my heart rate up.
As my legs weakened, so did my mental ability to push myself. At first we decided we were going for a sub 3:35 time, then sub 3:40 and then I was just thinking to myself "surely this won't blow out to over 4 hours, I hope". I was running way to slow for Ben and he had to take off with about 6km to go. I was trying as hard as I could but my legs were protesting in a big way. I think I was pretty close to experiencing strike action in the 'legs department' and I had no chance of convincing them to work any harder.
The graph below illustrates this well as it shows quite a difference in my heart rate from this Brisbane Marathon (pink line) and the Gold Coast Marathon (blue line) which I ran just 7 weeks earlier. In the Gold Coast Marathon my heart rate was more consistent and steadily rose to sit at around 180bpm for the last 10km. Whereas in Brisbane my heart rate was more erratic for the last 10km I struggled to get it over 160bpm apart from a burst in the last few hundred which I put on in a vain attempt to get myself a decent looking photo!
I finally finished around 3hrs 56min (compared with 3hrs 29min at the Gold Coast) feeling like I definitely deserved that finishers medal this time. Challenge 7x7 is proving to be a very tough assignment and I have to admit I am a little scared of the prospect of running another marathon in 2 weeks time. These marathons hurt like hell and doing them so close together is really pushing my limits. I don't have the luxury of being able to train many hours per week, I get time for my Saturday morning ride and just 1 to 3 short runs per week, and otherwise I work. So to those of you who are reading this blog and appreciate the efforts that I am putting in to support SIDS and Kids and The Garvan Institute, PLEASE, PLEASE help me support them by clicking on the links at the top right of this page and making a donation. Even if it is a couple of dollars these worthy charities deserve all the support we can give. After all, both of them work toward improving life for all of us.
Many thanks to:
- Therese and Ben for giving me such awesome support throughout Challenge 7x7.
- Megaburn for keeping me well fuelled.
- The organizers and volunteers of the Brisbane Marathon. They did a great job in difficult circumstances. I will definitely be back and recommend this as one to tick off your marathon list. Whether you do the full, half or whatever, the finish down Little Stanley St will send shivers up your spine.
Please donate to The Garvan Institute and SIDS and Kids through my Everyday Hero web pages. It is safe and easy to do.
Next Challenge is The First Sun Marathon in Byron Bay on September 12. Don't bother searching online for it, it is being developed by The Zebra and Rhino and is in its infancy. If you want to know any details just email us at mark@physiologic.com.au . Look forward to seeing you there at the finish!
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