On the 7th of July I participated in the Gold Coast Marathon with 8,000 of my closest running friends. What I have enjoy about participating in these large events is that as a collective group of people from a variety of backgrounds, ages and gender we all have a common goal and that is to reach the finish line.
Why the Gold Coast?
I chose the Gold Coast marathon event as it is renowned as Australia’s fastest and flattest marathon. 2 years ago, I participated in the Adelaide Marathon which was a lovely course along the river and parklands, but with only 200 people in the event the atmosphere was quite different. The saying, that a rising tide lifts all boats was applicable to my choice to race at the Gold Coast. I wanted to be surrounded by other runners at my capability and just beyond.
The Adelaide marathon had served me up a slice of humble pie as I had made the cardinal sin of going out too quickly. This can be easily done after all the anticipation and excitement around reaching the marathon race day. The last 8k's of running were quite uncomfortable. I tried to hold the pace but my legs ached and my energy waned. Time slowed as it took an eon for the finish line to appear.
I learnt my lesson from Adelaide and was determined to practice a different training and racing strategy this time around.
You are Pheidippides’ legacy...
Rob De Castella gave us a rousing pump-up speech before the starter’s gun. De Castella, one of Australia’s most celebrated marathon runners was amped up. He gave reference to 'Pheidippides', the forefather of the modern marathon. Pheidippides was a Greek solider in 490BC who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens to deliver news of victory before he collapsed and died shortly after (about 150 miles). De Castella’s energy and his mentioning of Pheidippides gave us a connection to the history, heroics and challenge of the event that lie ahead.
At the start line, I tried to stand with the 3hrs 30 min pace group, but in such a thick crowd it was hard to position myself in an ideal spot. Prior to gun firing, the crowd pushed up towards the start line and the pace group went from being 15 metres away to about 50m. Oh well, I didn’t let this bother me as my endorphins started to build. I had a sense of gratitude for my training, my support crew and the opportunity to race ahead of me.
0-18ks
Finding someone in a crowd of strangers that is running at a consistent, smooth pace and ideally around the pace you are looking for can be difficult. Once the race begins, people jostle around, surging and dropping their pace. I focused on finding a good place on the road, where I had some space to find my own rhythm. We ran out to Sea World and then turned to head south. This is when Xavier first popped up! I wasn't expecting to see him so soon, but it was quite reassuring and calming to the nerves to see a familiar face.
Not long after this, I spotted a Japanese man running with no shoes on, barefoot on the road surface. The variety of people and their choices of footwear and clothing never cease to amaze me. This man was moving very efficiently and smoothly across the ground. He didn’t look like he was missing his shoes at all.
From here I settled into my groove as the course took us south towards Burleigh Heads. I enjoyed the sight of the beaches as they were cast in an early morning glow. There was a slight headwind in the first 18k’s, but I managed to calmly click off the kilometres, take in the sights and high 5 a few kids on the side of the road. Xavier popped up again. His excitement and buoyancy were infectious. Also, I was amazed to see a big bunch of runners tightly packed together thundering up the road like a bullet train. This was the group of runners aiming to finish in 3 hours, which averages out to 4:15 per kilometre!
The beauty of the Gold Coast’s course is that these out and back sections give plenty of opportunity to catch a glimpse of the professional athletes from Kenya and Japan. Also, this style of course makes spectating simpler for family and friends.
Heading north... 18-30ks
The southern most point of the course was at the 18 km mark. I turned here and headed north again back up towards Surfer’s Paradise with the breeze now behind my back. There was now a strong temptation to get carried away.
Experienced runners and coaches often say that the key to executing a marathon is to be patient in the first section. After undergoing the training process for a marathon people are quite fit when they get to the start line. So, starting out at a slow pace feels quite easy, almost too easy but as the marathon is a long race there is plenty of time to throw the gauntlet down later.
The crowds were phenomenal through this section of the course! There were people with signs patiently looking out for their friends and loved ones. In between those glimpses they were cheering on everyone else. I was grateful for my name, which is short and easy to read off a bib. I was collecting kudos from strangers.
All this noise and energy were quite a contrast to my time spent training between Foster and Toora on the quiet flat roads. My favourite place to frequent was Grip Road, where I had more company from cows than from humans. Running alone can feel like a lonely pursuit at times, but I was so humbled to have seen so many spectators out on the course supporting everyone. I realised that I was never alone in my pursuit of this event. Here were thousands of people all engaged in this moment. It made my smile.
I rolled through the halfway point in 1 hr 44 mins. Right on target. Halfway down, but still holding back.
At the 24K mark, we reached the main section of Surfer’s Paradise and I noticed that the temperature subtly seemed to rise whilst the breeze dropped. To help manage this, I started pouring water on my head to try and keep my core temperature stable. Initially, I delicately poured half a cup on my head and then I ended up dumping one to two cups at a time in no particular manner to keep myself cool. This strategy worked excellently as it helped me forget about the heat until we hit the 28k mark the breeze picked up. At this point, I changed my playlist from the relaxed music I had been listening to over to my high energy playlist. These are the songs that I blasted in my ears at the end of my long runs Toora.
The marathon begins at 30k’s
My energy levels lifted. I was grinning like the cheshire cat as we crested the bridge back over towards Southport at the 30k mark.
I let my stride open and for the first time gently let the flood gates open. This felt fantastic. All that patience had paid off and now I could start to sink my teeth into the opportunity that lay ahead. I was starting to overtake people and that's an uplifting way to run. There were throngs of runners working their way through the course, with someone always ahead to identify and focus on.
I kept encouraging myself along this section to stretch and chase down my goals. Before the race, people predicted that there would be a headwind in the final 4 kms. So, my plan was to capitalise on the slight tailwind in this section and really work down my pace. Again, another blessing from an out and back course; if there is a headwind in one direction, there’ll be a tailwind in the opposite!
Greeting the headwind, 36.5km
However, at the northernmost turnaround point, I found that the headwind that greeted us couldn’t surmount my high energy levels, determination and sheer will to reach the end in the best possible time.
I kept chasing people down, targeting the next person, using their clothing as targets. The man in the yellow t-shirt or the blue hat. I kept telling myself that those people up ahead were the tactile manifestation of my goals, my stretch goals and if I kept picking them off one by one, I could find my potential. I stopped looking at my watch, letting the pace, heart rate and time go. Instead, I poured myself into the moment.
At the 38ks mark my strategy was to reassure myself. No matter how I felt at this point of the run, there was only 4kms remaining which means less than 20 mins. We can all manage to get through something that challenges us for that duration!
The marathon is 42.2kms.
At the 41 K mark, I kept on the pace, hammering down, trying to pick the smoothest and fastest line through the crowd of runners. I registered that this marathon that I have been focused on for the last few months was nearly all over. Here I was in this moment and chasing down my goals, which is such a gift and privilege. That wasn’t lost on me.
The 42k marker came along. There was Xavier again, under a big Morton Bay fig tree jumping up and down. He knew I was on for a personal best time.
The final stretch of the course is lined with running club tents and lots of people hanging over the fence screaming, ringing cow bells and offering a high five. I slapped one high five down to big cheers.
With 250m to go, runners funnel into the finishing chute. I pushed again here, towards the famed blue carpet at the finish line, willing myself on and the carpet closer. There was a lot of noise and cheering. The Gold Coast certainly know how to set up a finish line!
With a narrow double arm pump in celebration, being careful not coat hanger anyone else, I crossed the finish line. Satisfaction and joy were plastered across my face. My official time was 3 hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds which was a PB of 11 minutes from Adelaide. This meant my average pace over the 42.2kms was 4:53 minutes per kilometre. In that final 1.2kms my pace dropped down to 4 minutes and 17 seconds per kilometre.
Finished and feeling... great!
After crossing the finish line runners are quickly ushered along as to not create a bottleneck. At this stage runners start to stumble, cramp and flop over the fencing, or sit on the ground. I felt great, my legs were happy to keep walking along. I made a point to find 2 runners that I had run alongside the final few kilometres with, to thank them for their camaraderie and congratulate them. I caught up with Xavier and my parents in the finishing area. Mum says she could spot me a mile away because of my cheesy grin. Despite the sweat, there were plenty of hugs and a few happy snaps.
Looking back now, I am happy with how I executed the race and what a positive experience the event was. As runners, we are often hungry for more regarding the official time that we cross the line in. But rather than fixating on the numbers, I can see that the process and experience were greatly fulfilling.
I send a big thanks out to all my running friends around Foster and the Pack Run crew. To share some miles with other people really does help to make the process more enjoyable. Also, I am thankful for the patients that wished me well before the race.
What’s next?
In April next year I’m looking to participate in the Ballarat Marathon. They have a great event up there with a variety of different distances from one mile to 5km, 10km, half marathon and a full marathon. My hope is that a few locals will join in on the weekend of running. There is ample time to train over the summer holiday period when the days are longer and our new year's motivation is still high.
If you have a half or full marathon on your bucket list, are curious, tempted but afraid then I highly recommend taking the leap! You don’t need to be able to complete the event now, but by committing to the process of training towards an event you will start to move from where you are now to that future place. It’s a rewarding and enjoyable journey to undertake. Once race day comes, the hard work is done, the hay is stacked in the barn and as runners we have the chance to see what we are capable of. We can celebrate the process and enjoy the moment!
For anyone that is looking for a running group that meets on weekends around Foster area please sing out. We have a small friendly group with varied fitness levels and we meet about once every 4-6 weeks. Everyone is welcome. There is also the equally friendly local 'Pack Run' group on Facebook that is worth checking out. They host runs every 3-4 weeks in various locations in our area with 3, 5, 8 and 10km’s on offer. Plenty of kids and people walking join in as well.
