Falling off and not able to bridge back

Gold Coast Marathon Race Report

Had a good prep going in with an easier week of training + work load.... legs pulled up well from Bay to Bay, knowing that the speed work had been less due to UTA50 mishap on knee, Good kms in the legs just not at the pace for the 3 hour Marathon... but you just have to go for it...

Day before headed out to watch the 10km Runners, watched the start and headed to park run... 21:31 / got i to pace to hold around the marathon pace.. which funny enough actually was 4:19 ... legs felt okay, did a bit walking around back to 10km finish and got breakfast, the rest of the day tried to keep off my feet and got on the roam roller + spiky ball

Dinner was a Eye Fillet Steak Salad with some sweet potato chips 🙂 just mineral water all night

Sleep was a little less then planned but my fault... 5am breakfast a little different due to travel.. oats / banana & Tahini with coconut water + the Brownie and 6:30am another 1/2 banana with temple Nutrition electrolytes / water

Did the old dont try anything new on race day... 😳 I had used the chews a couple of previous but not much and normally use to gels. But find it easier to use while running so went with those for race fuel, 2 x packets of chews in fuel belt..

Nutrition plan - Water every aid station from 5km / 2 chews (1. margarita with extra sodium) (2. Black cherry with extra cafinne for the boot Home) 2 x every 30 - 40 mins = 2 Packs for finished around 37km for enough to hit the system for 4.2km left.

Got down to Race Start, Meeting up with a few runners, warmup with some drills and fast turn over of the legs and some runt throughs... and was ready to go.. pre race prep talk to the guys, using every aid stations to stay on top of hydration and nutrition, especially early on due to humidity in the Gold Coast... it’s know to get runners unstuck.. unfortunately if proved so for a lot 😢

Gun when off had the usual doubts & questions as we all do at times.. but plan was to go out with the 3 hr bus... starting around the 4:10 pace with the aim to get into a solid pace and push through a little lactic acid build up and get onto the other side and settle in 🙂 first 5km were 20.50 odd / 40 sec a head / same for the 10km mark / up to the 20km mark I was on pace / 21.1km 1:29. But it was there where the wheels came a bit loose, mind wondered / I keep telling myself to push through it and it will settle, fight to hold the pace and not let the 3 hr mark escape. But slowly the pace slowed and was hitting closer to 4:15 + and it was just then my head to keep trying to hold and picked up a bunch that had also dropped ... around the 27-30km mark was the hardest as I just kept having to catch myself... but as you come back through past the finish line with the crowd and lots of cheers, you can only feed from it all, had a good rhythm again, picked up a bit of stitch around 33-35km and battled through. Catching my breathing and staying tall.. got through it and was continuing to pick up a lot of runners that were slowing and dropping as you always see, from the 30km mark its all mental and the test to see how smart you played early on in the race, pacing, hydration and nutrition..

Broke the race down to 5km & 10km and to track splits.. and then from 30km it was just hold and keep pushing...

Passing lots more and feeling it, thought I was running back at 4:10, but the watch said different 😳 4:20 4:25 o well I just had to push to get as close as I could to the 3hr... was hurting but just picked the runners ahead and just focused on catching each one... blue shirt, a flyer, pink shoes etc.... pulling from thoughts of the team and all the support to keep pushing along... was busted and crossed 3:02:52.. Not quiet a #PR but 4 minutes quicker from 2017.

Happy with the race, one thing that may have caused the lose of pace midway through was pacing early on, maybe holding back closer to 4:14 in the in the first 10km... but o well I still pushed it and will be stronger next year and have more speed in the legs over the marathon distance... it one again and for a lot of others were found out too, as you can’t hide from the marathon... like ultra events and in Ironman...

You can get away with a Half Marathon & Half Ironman and not get too badly burnt from hydration / Nutrition and or pacing... But the Marathon / Ultra Events / Ironman will find you out.... leave you cramping on the side of the road, vomiting, passing out.. that’s why it’s so special to say you have Run a Marathon...

Thanks for all the support from everyone in training and racing / Stroke No Limits / Runlab and HPT Peter Clifford Newcastle Triathlon Club + The Running Community all around 🙂 Along with Scott Elite Muscle Health & James @Transitions Chiropractic ... Keep the body fresh and able to continue to push the body 🙂

Goldie is a special event and always have so much support on the day !!!

Pure Performance Transitions Chiropractic Hunter Podiatry Services Entrix Temple Nutrition Pro4mance Gloryfy Unbreakable Australia

Stroke No Limits Runlab Newcastle Triathlon Club Elite Muscle Health Transitions Chiropractic Hunter Podiatry Services The Concept Temple Nutrition