The Tan Marathon
Sunday, August 14th, 2016
This urban park
trail run is held on the TAN walking and running track around the Melbourne
botanic gardens. This beautiful part of our garden city is a great place
for spectators to enjoy a morning around the gardens, the Myer Music Bowl and
along the Yarra River. Across the road, by the river are BBQ facilities
for those who would like to enjoy a picnic.
Race Schedule
Laps
|
Registration
|
Briefing
|
Start
|
||
100km
|
26
|
6:00
|
6:45
|
7:00
|
|
50km
|
13
|
7:00
|
7:45
|
8:00
|
|
42km
|
11
|
8:00
|
8:45
|
9:00
|
|
21km
|
5
|
9:00
|
9:45
|
10:00
|
|
12km
|
3
|
10:00
|
10:45
|
11:00
|
|
4km
|
1
|
10:00
|
10:45
|
11:00
|
Public and other park users
The ability to
continue holding the Tan Trail Run very much depends on how we, as users,
conduct ourselves on the course. It is highly likely that you will come across
many obstacles including runners and walkers. Please be respectful and make
your way around them as they have equal rights to the public park. There will
be dogs on long leads too and we understand it can be frustrating, but it is
imperative that we do not say or do anything that could bring about a complaint
from the public. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.
Pre-race – *Warning: this is a long post!
Story
time… If you read my previous posts, you’ll know I entered Gold Coast marathon
last month however I downgraded to the half marathon because my hip was giving
me grief. Since hip surgery last August, I’ve been rehabilitating,
strengthening and building up my running endurance.
This
year I’ve run Portsea Twilight 8km, Australia Day 10km, Beer Run 21km, Canberra
21km – first event I actually raced, Wings for Life 25km, Great Ocean Road
23km, Traralgon 21km – paced a friend, Gold Coast 21km, You Yangs 30km and
Devilbend 21km – paced a group.
Woah
Nelly! That is a stack of races! How did that happen? They’ve all been part of
building endurance and my focus has been distance. Entering Gold Coast marathon
was a mistake and I’m glad I didn’t run it. BUT… it planted a seed.
I
love distance running (I’d rather run slower for longer, than a quick 10km or
even half marathon). After surgery, I said NO marathons for at least a year! BUT
(yes another ‘but’)… I entered Two Bays 56km (Jan 2017) and I needed to
qualify.
I
needed to run a full marathon in 4:30. I knew I didn’t want to run Melbourne
because I ran 3:23 (PB) there in 2014. I wanted to leave Melbourne Marathon
alone. I considered Western Sydney and Marysville. However I was becoming
impatient (I know… very unlike me). A friend (Chris) told me he was running The
Tan marathon and two weeks prior to the event, he asked if I wanted to run 30km
with him. I’d run You Yangs 30km two weeks before that, and I trusted I’d be OK
(even though You Yangs nearly killed me). The 30km-training run went well, and
I pulled up without too many issues.
*My left hip fatigues much earlier than the
rest of my body. It can handle a half marathon but once I run further my entire
left leg hurts (especially my peroneals and foot).
In
summary… I knew I wasn’t ready to race a full marathon, I lacked fitness and
strength. BUT (my favourite word)… If I could run 30km and pull up OK, then
surely I could run a marathon. And The Tan was looking mighty fine! I really
wanted to run it! And the date of The Tan was exactly one year since hip
surgery (must be a sign from God)! I believed that if I went into it with a
healthy respect (fear) for the distance, I hydrated well and I rested or walked
when needed, I would be OK.
My
goal would be a Two Bays qualifier (with a secondary goal of sub 4 hours). I couldn’t
expect more than that. However I still wasn’t convinced I could make the
distance so I didn’t enter… And I didn’t tell anyone about it either!
*BTW… Normally I would have zero desire
to run 11 laps of The Tan but everything about this was unusual!
A
week before The Tan, I ran Devilbend 21km and helped pace the 1:45 bus. We had
a great day and I was happy with how well my body recovered except for a spot
on the outside of my lower leg (peroneals). There was some swelling and pain.
All I could think was… BUT I want to run The Tan marathon! It became clear… The Tan marathon could be my first marathon
post-op, exactly a year since my surgery… I REALLY wanted to be marathon
runner again! However I still didn’t enter or tell anyone…
That
week I did everything I could to recover and prepare:
-
Chiro (my hubby)
-
Sports podiatrist,
-
Myotherapist
-
Kinesiologist
-
Good nutrition (including hydrating)
-
Good sleep
-
Foam rolling, stretching and mobilising
-
Magnesium baths
-
Mental preparation: meditation, visualisation, mantras and
prayer!
-
Rocktaping my left side (powertaping)!
As
the week progressed, I knew I was going to enter but I decided to leave it
until the day. The night before, my mum arrived to mind our boys because Brad
had agreed to support me. I packed a lunchbox full of snacks. I told Brad to
force me to drink and eat on course. I had strategies in place for the last 12km
when I knew it would get tough (Brad agreed to run the last 3 laps with me). I
even took a second pair of runners (thinking different pressure points might
alleviate pain in my lower leg). I was nervous and excited! And I still didn’t
tell anyone… I slept well and woke feeling ready!
Race day –
I
woke at 6am and listened to a short, guided meditation to get my mind ready. My
stomach was churning from nerves and probably too many electrolytes. I had a
piece of toast and cup of tea. I wore my long skins, singlet, long sleeve top,
Asics Nimbus (Brooks Glycerin were my back-up shoes), Injinjis, gloves and
Garmin. I had a few gels and water bottle in my Flipbelt. We said goodbye to mum and
our boys.
On the drive into the city, my stomach was doing backflips… I know
digestive issues are common with runners but I’d never experienced it like
this. Lets just say we had to stop a few times and ended up purchasing Gastro-stop from the supermarket! Bloody nerves!
We
arrived with plenty of time to register, go to the toilet a few more times and talk to friends (I saw Chris; he’d been unwell and reset his goal to sub 4
hours). We listened to the race briefing. The message was simple; run around The
Tan (11 times), and be careful of pedestrians (and dogs). The
50km and 100km runners were already going (always inspiring to see). There were
a few marquees including Freedom Sports (conveniently my podiatrist was there) and aid stations. There were approximately 30 participants in the
full marathon.
When
we started, Chris and I ran together and talked strategy. Chris planned to walk
Anderson Street hill every time. I was going to run for as long as possible.
However I planned on shuffling and estimated our pace would be similar (until I ran out of steam).
For
the first hour my splits were very consistent with an obvious decrease in speed
each time I reached Anderson Street; 5:11, 5:42 (hill), 5:10, 5:11, 5:14, 5:39
(hill), 5:13, 5:20, 5:24, 5:50 (hill)… Chris and another guy whom I'd never
met before (Mike), and I were running around the same pace. Every so often, one
of us would drop back a little but we’d soon catch up. We chatted about goals
and past experiences. Mike told us of his upcoming and EPIC adventure to
Iceland for the Fire and Ice Ultra; http://www.fireandiceultra.com.
It starts at the Askja volcano, goes up sand dunes, across lava fields, over
two rivers, through grassland, pass boiling mud pools and steam outlets… And
after 250km, it finishes at the natural hot springs! So I wasn’t exaggerating
when I said EPIC! (Just quietly, I think Mike is a sandwich short of a picnic
basket… Joke! He seemed very grounded actually).
We
talked about our families and how they’ve helped us. I was grateful for
Brad being there. Each lap he would pass me food or water (or my asthma meds
because I forgot to take them). One of my goals was to fuel properly and not focus
on time. I could afford a few seconds each lap to have a proper drink or food
when needed (I wasn’t trying to qualify for the Olympics)! I took my first gel
around 10km.
Chris,
Mike and I discussed strategies for when the going got tough. Mike told us
about a game he played in his last event that had laps. He would choose a car
(make and colour) and look for it as he ran a certain section of the course,
and each lap he would add another car. I talked about mantras and counting;
sometimes I practice my times tables uphill (you’d think I’d be good at them by
now… I’m not). Chris seemed to have an unwavering commitment to his goal. I
completed my Coaching Course with Chris about a year ago and he’d told me about
his experience at Comrades in South Africa (my dream goal); http://www.comrades.com. Chris has a positive
attitude towards running and often paces other people to achieve their goals.
He’s an experienced and selfless runner. I was happy to run with Chris and
Mike. I was calm and relaxed. My mind was strong and my body was OK.
After
an hour, the half marathon runners began and it was a buzz to see familiar
faces on the track. There are advantages to loops or out-and-back courses, and
atmosphere is one of them. There were a few supporters on the sidelines, and
their encouragement helped me greatly! I continued running comfortably until I
reached the top of the fourth Anderson Street climb (approximately 17km). I could
sense my pace dropping. A little bit further on (around halfway), I could feel
tension in my left hip. My glutes were struggling. From 20km onwards my splits
were 5:54 (hill), 5:28, 5:36, 5:39, 6:10 (hill)…
And
then… I hit STRUGGLE TOWN! I reached 25km and my left leg quietly said NO. It
was polite… a quiet whisper… No… I’m tired now... Just no.
I
whispered back… I understand. But I’m going to finish this!
I’d
taken my second gel, and a quarter of a vegemite sandwich. I was drinking water
and Hydralyte. I was tired because I lacked fitness and strength. I was NOT
going to die. But I was going to hurt! Chris and Mike maintained pace and were
a bit ahead of me. I lost sight of Chris however I could still see Mike, which
helped spur me on. He was very encouraging. But I had to rely on myself. Nobody
could run this for me.
I
focused on my mantra – LIGHT, STRONG, FREE
I
said it countless times. I’d seen my Kinesiologist earlier in the week and she
made a comment, “You came into this word strong.” At the time, I had no idea
how much that'd help me. My mantra turned into – YOU CAME INTO THIS WORLD
STRONG – LIGHT – FREE
The
next time around, I saw Brad and asked if he was going to run the last few loops
with me. The plan was for Brad to run the last 3 laps (11.5km). I’d lost count
of what I was up to… There were still 5 to go (I was one ahead of myself). But
Brad knew I was starting to hurt and said he would run the last 4 laps (15km)
instead. Thank God!
The
last loop on my own was OK because I had something to look forward to. I
visualised the finish line, I repeated my mantra and I played Mike’s car game…
Red Holden, White Mazda, Black BMW… I shuffled my way uphill and plodded slowly
around the track until I reached Brad again. He was ready to run but I stopped for a
drink and lollies. By this stage I’d covered 27.5km… Every kilometre after this point,
seemed like 5km!
Running
with Brad was interesting; I was grateful for the company and encouragement
(he’s very supportive). However (being a Chiropractor) his focus was on my
body; function and pain. I quickly shut him down. I was hurting more with every
step but I couldn’t afford to focus on it. I asked him to talk about something
else and I heard the cogs ticking over in his brain… Poor guy!
YOU
CAME INTO THIS WORLD STRONG – LIGHT – FREE
YOU
CAME INTO THIS WORLD STRONG – LIGHT – FREE
I
asked if we could play a game. We agreed on the alphabet game and picked random
topics… Sport, Food, Colours (that didn’t last long), Countries, Cities… I
can’t remember what else. I also can’t remember my nutrition or when (if) I had
a third gel. My recollection of the last 3 laps is a bit hazy. It went
something like this… Shuffle uphill, walk, groan, shuffle around the rest of
the track… and REPEAT! Each kilometre was tougher than the last. I was tired
and underprepared.
I
understand that some people only train to 30-32km before they run a marathon,
but that’s not me. I believe in the long run (physically and mentally). But this
was different. I just wanted to finish it. Once I started walking in the last 3
laps, I knew I’d miss my sub 4-hour but I didn’t care. I still wanted my Two
Bays qualifier though. I was so slow (I started stressing about time). My
splits from 30km were 5:36, 5:56, 7:29 (hill), 5:53, 5:45, 6:10 and 6:37
(hill).
The
last 5km continued with the pattern of – shuffle, walk, groan, shuffle and REPEAT!
My final splits were 6:09, 5:53, 6:25, 7:43 (hill), 7:08, 6:47 and 5:19. Surprisingly,
my mind remained focus on the task ahead. I never contemplated stopping. I
concentrated on the finish line. And anything that could distract my mind from
pain. When I finally crossed the line (4:06), I was SO happy! I thanked Brad (lifesaver) and Mike came over to congratulate me.
Post-race –
After
I crossed the finish line, I walked around and rehydrated. I tried to take it
all in… This meant so much to me. For years, I’d run with hip issues, finally
opted for surgery and took 12-months to reclaim my marathon-runner status. It wasn’t
fast or pretty BUT… It felt like a victory to me! I was proud and grateful.
Chris
ran 3:52 and Mike ran 3:57 J We planned on getting some
food, so I went to freshen up and change clothes. When I came back, someone confirmed I’d finished 1st female. I had mixed
feelings about it because it was slower than my PB by 43minutes! It was my
slowest marathon (even slower than GOR 2015, which was painful)! I was
embarrassed (not about the time but about the win). However… when I thought about it, I decided to take it as a
win for everything I’d overcome in the last year (and longer). It’s been a
bloody long road and it will continue to rise and fall. I’ve faced physical and
mental challenges along the way. I have more respect for my body and running
long distances. It has taught me humility. I gratefully accept my podium finish.
The
next day I woke up sore however I was OK. It only took a few days to recover. I
was pleasantly surprised!
Lessons –
1.
Don't ever run a marathon underprepared again! That was HARD work!
2.
Glute strength and muscle balance is paramount!
3.
Get my lower leg fixed…
4.
Never forget this moment and people who helped me crossed the finish line!
5.
Take it easy for awhile J
Race feedback and will there be a next
time -
As
I mentioned, usually I’d have zero desire
to run 11 laps of The Tan but… I enjoyed it (never claimed to be sane)! For those who are looking for an iconic Melbourne run, you can't miss The Tan! Trailsplus
crew were professional and supportive. The program ran smoothly, people were
friendly and encouraging, aid stations were well-stocked, photographer was
snap-happy and prizes were awesome! I love my medal and plaque. Even the
weather was perfect. I’m loving Trailsplus events. And although I doubt I’ll run
The Tan marathon again, I’ll definitely enter Trailsplus races (who knows I
might have already entered one). Overall I rank this run 8/10… (2-points deducted for Anderson Street hill x11… haha)! Thanks guys!
