The Lead Up

After a successful trip overseas to Boston and Big Sur we turned our sights to the Sydney Marathon which incorporated the World Age Group Championship. On home soil and on Australian Eastern time this was an easy drive, a marathon and an easy drive home. I’d had a break after Big Sur and planned to put together a sixteen week training block and have a go at a (for me) competitive time.

16 weeks out. Very early on there were indications that not all was right with the world. A run here or there would take a little longer than normal or would take more effort. I put this down to the break and thought a little more work and some distance in the legs would see it all come right.

Nine weeks out. Problems. I tackled my first long run, a 30 km Sri Chinmoy event around Princes Park. This is six laps of 5 km with a hill at the 4 km mark. Dirt around the back and bitumen for the balance. It had been raining so the dirt section had some pretty serious puddles to avoid and it was pretty cool. Finished in 2:24 and won my age group. I pulled up a bit sore but it was my first run over 25 km and was quite cold. Tuesday night I ran an easy track session on the bike path and then on Wednesday morning I couldn’t walk to the end of the street…….

Problems Big, Big Problems

Walking, even short distances involved a feeling like someone sticking a knife into my hip, just behind the hip flexor and then grinding it through the joint to the top of the quadricep muscle. Every step hurt and the effect was that the leg woudn’t bear weight. Not promising with the marathon nine weeks away. I took the obvious to an old bloke approach that this was another minor problem and taking it easy for a day or two should fix it. Nope.

By Friday I gave in and made an appointment with the Physio. Dan is a nice young man with the typical Physio mean streak in him. He poked and prodded a bit to see what hurt and how he could make it hurt a bit more and then decided it may have been a soleus muscle strain in the gluteus. A bum strain in short.

A painful massage later things had loosened up a bit and we thought signs were positive. He suggested an MRI of the hip to be sure and as we were now 8 weeks out from Sydney off I went to Doctor Isaac for a referral and an MRI. Came back as normal wear and tear for age.

Hmmm. Next step up is the back. Pain might be referred from spinal nerve damage. So back we went for another MRI that showed a lesion in the L4/5 vertebrae. Dr Isaac suggested a CT guided cortisone injection into the spine. This took a couple of days to organise. Five and a half weeks before the marathon. Haven’t been out of a walk for four weeks. I asked the doctor about the likelihood of running in the near future and was given the guarded “do as your body tells you”. Not promising as my body was telling me to go and have a holiday in the sunshine.

Post Injection.

Things started to improve. Injection Thursday, walking Friday slowly, better over the weekend. I could put weight onto my leg without discomfort but we were now only four and a half weeks out. Gentle 5 km run Tuesday. Started to slowly build up distance over the next two weeks with ten and twelve km runs. I needed to find out if there was any chance to run the marathon. I needed to try a longer run.

Sandy Point Half

The Sandy Point Half is a pretty simple event. 10.5 km down Beach road, turn at the cones and run 10.5 km back. I had volunteered ages ago to be 1:45 pacer. 5 minutes/km. Simples ! I had advised the organisers that I was having issues with my back and wasn’t supremely confident but thought I could manage what is a comfortable pace for me. I was wrong. Weather was nice, cool and not much breeze, ideal running weather really. After about 8 km it became clear that I was working way too hard for the pace and if I continued at that pace I would blow up and not finish. The culprit was my left quadricep that again felt like there was a knife stuck in it. I threw away the pacing balloon, told the other pacer and jogged it in. I could hold 5.20 min /km and finished in 1:51. I was pretty sore again for a couple of days and obviously this was not the boost that I was hoping for but with little or no training for six weeks not a surprise. It didn’t give me any guide as to what I could expect nor any confidence that I could double the distance in three weeks with no time to build up.

Sydney Marathon – The Age Group World Championship

On to the main event. We had a bit of family crisis to deal with which meant Anne had to stay in Melbourne. I was on my own. Drive to the little town of Yerong Creek, South of Wagga which now boasts a lovely little cafe for a stay overnight with my sister and husband and then on to Umina Beach, North of Sydney for another overnight stay this time with my nephew Thom, his partner Greta and their two kids Eliot and Miriam. Friday into town on the train. A very pretty train trip if anyone gets the chance.

Friday night was the Meet and Greet for the Age Group Champs with a harbour cruise. I managed to catch up with Avi and Lisa and a cohort of Houston runners and a bunch of guys from Melbourne all under the sunset and lights of Sydney Harbour. A good night had by all.

Saturday I woke up early, strange bed, sleeping alone and decided to Parkrun. The local run Piramma was on part of the marathon course so that was useful and it is a very pretty course with a view of the harbour bridge. Ran 24.11 with a stop to take a photo so under 5 min/km. From there it was over to the Opera House for the picture of the runners who were to compete the next day. Wow! What a crowd. The rest of the day was spent resting up as the marathon was a 6.00 am start which means an even earlier rise to get there.

Sunday 3.00 am. Time to get going. Check the gear, go to the toilet. Hear noise next door. I didn’t realise they were runners too. Nope. Turns out they were just getting home from a night out as I was leaving. Funny old world. Metro from Barangaroo to Victoria Cross, short walk up and into the gathering area. Dark, very windy but not too cold.

5.15 gear bag in, last toilet stop, gather in the corral, out to the start and away. Sun was just up but cool and windy as we head down the first kilometre to the bridge. down to the bridge and then up onto it. The view is spectacular as the dawn rises over the harbour. I’m trying to settle in to something a little over 5 min/km. If I could Parkrun 4:50 then 5:05-5:10 should be doable. Down off the bridge and around through Darling Harbour. Everything holding together, still lots of people around and the quick runners of the “A” corral coming past. Up through Barangaroo and past the Hotel. If I’d known what was coming I might have stopped in for a rest and a coffee.

At 10 km I was around 50 minutes. It was still very windy and there are a couple of hills so I was pretty happy with how it was going. We went across Oxford St and out past the Cricket ground and on to Anzac Parade for the long out and back up to 21km. Hit the half in 1:38. Double that is 3:36, Add 10 minutes for 3:46. Would be happy with that.

I hit 23 km and 23 km hit back. Within 500 metres all of the go in my legs had gone. I had always known that this was a possibility but was hoping to get to 30 km or beyond before having to face it. The idea was then to heroically jog in at 5:30 / km and finish brightly. The reality was much, much different .

My quads basically gave out. I could do no more than shuffle and there was no brightly about it. Any attempt to speed up was met with massive indifference and threats of strike action. Uphills were bad, downhills were worse. Runners came past. Many gave words of encouragement. Thom running his first marathon came past. David running a typically solid race came past. George following up from Kangaroo Island a week before came past. There was nothing I could do but persist. 30 k around the park, 35 km back into town, 40 km agony down to Lady Macquarie’s chair and not much better coming up. Finally, to the Finish line. The young and enthusiastic running through as I shuffled in. Job done.

After a sit down came a slow walk back to the pub we were meeting at. I met up with family and friends and enjoyed sitting very still and a couple of pints of Guiness. Later. I made it back to the hotel and slept for a couple of hours, then out to the presentation dinner. Monday back to pick up the car and down to Canberra and Tuesday home. A long, long weekend.

What did I learn about Myself

I like to think that I am self aware enough to know that I am not superman. This was an occasion to remind myself of that. There is always the movie version or the advertising jingle that says all we need to do is want it enough and we can overcome anything. If finishing is enough then OK I’m happy with that. I wanted it enough to finish and I did.

What I couldn’t achieve was the Fairy tale. In that there would have been a burst of energy, a beam of light, maybe a chorus of Angels and a negative split. But would it have been justice? 9 weeks of interrupted training, six weeks including parts where I could hardly walk, medical procedures and physiotherapy to get to the start line and you want rainbows as well? Sorry. the real world doesn’t run like that. I think I’ll take the finish and be grateful. Next year in New York we’ll work on better.

Where to from here ?

Melbourne marathon in three weeks. I have no time commitments and no plan to race. It will be slow and steady and don’t look at the watch.

After that I’ll go back and talk to Physio Dan and we’ll see about a rehab plan for the back and hip which will no doubt involve lots of stretching and strengthening. There is a tightness in the left hip flexor which doesn’t allow it to straighten. I think that is what is throwing the pressure forward on to the quadricep muscle,

From there.

Who knows?

Is this the new normal ?

Time will tell.