Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon
Race Course
I woke up in the middle of the night to the usual sounds of a Saturday night in Kings Cross; horns honking, people yelling and a bonus doorbell ring for every apartment in my building.
I told myself to go back to sleep because I knew when I woke up, I had to face the biggest athletic challenge of my life - 21.1 kilometers or 13.1 miles. On top of this distance, I challenged myself to neither walk nor stop.
Dave and I decided to not run, but endure this race back in February. We signed up on the last day of the Early bird; February 16. We didn't start training till mid March for a race on 20 May.
Playing soccer and running a few k's in the morning makes me athletic enough, but this race isn't about athleticism - it's about endurance and mental strength. As the race got closer, so did our training schedule. Dave upped our runs to 3.5k every morning it didn't rain. Saturdays were our 'big run' day. We had only three 'big run' Saturdays. The first was on 15 April. We ran 12km - from Elizabeth Bay to the Opera House to Hyde Park and back through Woolloomoolloo and finally en route to Elizabeth Bay. Not only was that our longest run, but we also made it a point to not stop and we didn't! Right after, we went to our first races – horse races that is.
Our next long run was in Port Douglas during Anzac Day weekend. We took off on work from Wednesday to Sunday. After diving and sightseeing through the rain forest, we decided we had to make a go of it even if we were on vacation. We ran 12km from Port Douglas to the Captain Cook Highway and back. Sure, it was only 12km - a distance we conquered before, but this was different. We were in northern tropical Queensland where it was as hot and muggy like an East Texas summer. That 12km felt like 16km. Nevertheless, we powered through and made it without stopping!
Our last long run was the longest run and the last 'big run' before our race. Two weeks before the race, we decided that that would be the weekend to tackle 17km. We figured if we could do 12km in the cold and 12 km in the heat, we could add 5km, only 5km shy of the 21km half marathon. We usually run right out of bed in the morning because it gives us less time to dawdle and persuade ourselves to not run. This time, we left the run till 2pm that Saturday. We had to wait because Dave took on a new market research project at work leaving him 'on call' from 11am-2pm for any enquiries about his media tracking project.
We set off on a route mapped out on Google Maps. Getting to the Opera House was a breeze. We had run this route countless times since moving to Australia. I felt good. I felt confident. My breathing pattern was set and I wasn't breathing out of my mouth! On Macquarie Street, I took one step onto uneven pavement, tried to catch myself, but slipped on a large fallen leaf and 'super manned' the pavement. It all happened at once, but it felt like slow motion. No matter how much I tried to prevent the fall from happening, the next move made the fall even worse. As I fell, I looked ahead and saw that Dave was wide-eyed with desperation because he tried to catch me. He was too late. Thank goodness I wore knee length fitted Lycra pants because otherwise my knees would be bleeding - my hands got the brunt of the pain since I managed to catch myself with my hands before my face hit the ground. I got up both angry and shocked that that had happened. I'm a soccer player and I never fall. I sat down on the curb, wiped away the debris and decided I had to keep going because this run was more important than the embarrassment.
We continued down Elizabeth Street around Hyde Park towards Surry Hills and Redfern. We took a left turn towards Centennial Park and found ourselves having to jog in place at every stop light. We finally crossed over the M5 highway to Centennial Park. I have been to this park many times for soccer games and practice, but I couldn’t tell where we were because the sun was gone. We kept running thinking we would hit Oxford Street soon enough. We ended up running not only around Centennial Park, but also Queens Park. The distance was frustrating, but what was more frustrating was being lost and being unsure about each turn. Perhaps the darkness helped the pain because we weren’t thinking about our legs as much as being lost. In the search for Oxford Street, we lost the feeling in our legs and had no problem continuing the run. When we finally reached Oxford Street, I couldn’t run anymore. I was not angry about being lost. As soon as we began walking, my anger disappeared because we had conquered exactly what we set out to do – 17km without stopping! Our legs buckled like Pinnochio’s first steps. We took a cab to Guzman and Gomez in Kings Cross for $5 burritos to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and our longest run ever!
17km Around Sydney
Last Long Run Before the Race
Two weeks came and went quickly. We ran a our regular route around Rushcutters Bay each morning, but decided to rest up for the big race. I began to get a little nervous when I read this:
Are there any time restrictions?
Yes, competitors must reach the 7 kilometre point within 50 minutes, the 11 kilometre point within 75 minutes, the 15 kilometre point within 115 minutes, and just prior to the 18 kilometre point in 135 minutes or they will be asked to withdraw from the event. These will be strictly enforced.
I wondered what would happen if you didn't make the markers. I decided that if I ran at 10km per hour, I would be fine. I just wanted to finish!
As a training measure and preventative, we stopped eating spicy foods the Thursday before. To keep our energy up, we carbo-loaded on Saturday eating falafels at Westfield and eating hummus and Turkish bread for dinner. That evening, I had prepared the marinate for boeuf bourguignon. With left over chuck steak, I pan seared some to go along with dinner. Dave was against eating meat before the race, but couldn’t help himself when I sat down with a piece of medium rare steak with all the juices. Is there a rule against eating meat before a race? He thinks it has something to do with digestion and bowl movements the next day. We rested our heads at 9pm that night after setting out our gear for the next morning.
The Half Marathon Race Course
Picking Up Bibs and Preparing Our Brains for Running Mode
21.1km Sign Outside of Town Hall
Bib #13258
Pre-race Falafel
Setting Out the Race Gear
Ready for the AM
The combination of the street noise, my anxiety about sleeping through the alarm and nervousness of the race got me up earlier than expected - only 15 minutes early. I turned on the TV to see if the Champions League Final was still playing – Bayern Munich versus Chelsea. We dressed quickly, ate some Kit Kats and cashews and watched the match until the 70th minute.
Breakfast of Champions
Kit Kat Bar, Cashews and Mandarins
We decided to drive our scooters to Hyde Park so we could make a quick getaway post-race - in consideration of our legs because they would probably not function properly. Driving through Kings Cross, you could see a clear distinction between those who were still dragging the party out to the wee hours and those heading to the start line. The sky was dark preparing for dawn. The air smelled of McDonald's, alcohol and a cool morning air mixture. Seeing the mix of people made me smile. I was up at an hour where people were still enjoying their ‘Saturday evening’ and joining others who were crazy enough to be up at an hour to run 21.1km!
We parked our bikes and stripped off our jackets and sweat pants. The crisp cold air hit our bare skin. We quickened our pace towards the race area. As I approached the corner to cross into Hyde park, SPLAT! – a bird decided to drop a bomb right where I was walking. I couldn't see it because it landed under my collarbone. What I could see was that it was brown and looked like mulch. I panicked hoping it wasn't in my hair or my clothes. Dave found a paper bag outside of the Starbucks where the bomb dropped and wiped it away assuring me it only landed on my skin. “It’s lucky!” Dave said. Let’s hope so because I’m really going to need it.
Hyde Park was swarming with Lorna Jane, Adidas, Asics and Nike geared runners. We had 15 minutes until the 6:45am start time. First order of business: bathroom break. The line-ups were long and were at a standstill. Typically, port-o-potties or ‘port-o-loos’ (in Aussie speak) turn over at a reasonable pace. People wee quickly to get back to the concert for instance. Here, people were taking more time because they weren’t doing a number one, but a number two. This was a serious race and if you detour to use the bathroom during the race, that would take a lot of running time away and throw off your mental game because you’ve stopped. We didn’t want to take this chance. One woman changed lines three times to get closer to a loo. We finally were back to business with 5 minutes left.
The race start time was 6:45am, but because Dave and I were in the yellow group, we didn’t cross till 7:04. Two groups began before us. When it was the yellow group’s turn to go, racers began to jog. I decided to save my energy and brisk walk. As soon as my bib passed the start line, Dave and I began to jog and set our pace. We dodged and passed slower runners and made it a point to bypass anyone running and cheering. This wasn't a ‘for fun’ activity for us. We were running, not talking, totally focused on getting our pace right and moving away from those who would be road blocks. We saw our friends Jutta, Saskia and SG, but decided to not say ‘Hi’. It would be better to see them at the end of the race for fear of their race position getting to my head. I didn’t want to run the race wondering if I was ahead or if they were ahead. We weren’t competing against each other, but as school mates do, you always want to come out on top.
The run was smooth and fairly flat. We embarked on Darling Harbour and to our left we saw the first runners passing us in the other direction towards the finish line! I thought out loud wondering how long we had gone. “About 2km.” said an older struggling man next to me. I was shocked! “I’m just kidding.” he followed up. Phew!
Gradient Map of the Race Course
Fairly Flat
Running through The Rocks and Darling Harbour was beautiful. The city was behind you, the harbour next to you and the CBD in front of you. At one point, I thought we were running through Pyrmont, thinking “Yes! I am half way there!” My watch proved otherwise as we had only been running for 30 minutes. I had to keep spirits up. I focused on the beautiful surroundings, not where I was heading next. This year is the second year the race course is a single track, so we don’t have to double up on places we had already ran through. To accommodate for the distance, the track was extended through Pyrmont and Barangaroo, a new subdivision both curvy and hilly. This was the most frustrating part of the race because we ran in zig zags. We would go towards the water, then away from the water and back again towards the water – never knowing where the race turned back towards the CBD. We were now in the double digits. Our pace was good, but I knew that if I had more hills and turns, my legs would override my dedication. The girl who changed lines three times waiting for the port-o-loo tapped me on the shoulder and had a bright grin on her face. “Hi!” she said. “Hi, you finally got to a loo?!” – that’s all I could think of in my running state. In front of me, I recognised a familiar face – Suzy Dafnis
, the founder and director of Australian Businesswomen's Network. She is also a body builder. If I could keep up with her, I must have been doing something right!
We finally made our last turn out of Pyrmont. I saw poms filtering out of pubs sporting Chelsea kits. “Did Chelsea win?” “Ya!” “What was the score?” “One all.”
This perplexed me. How did they win if the score was one and one? I didn’t have time to ask more, but the score kept my mind off the road for the next 2 km.
We rounded back around Darling Harbour and ran on Sussex Street back north towards The Rocks. Lou, a former Waverley Old Boy soccer girl, yelled out to me waving and smiling. Seeing a supporter boosted my confidence and pace.
We entered the Western Distributor onto Cahil Expressway (the highway at the very northern part of The Rocks). The city council had cleared out all traffic to allow us runners to spread out on the four lane highway free from fear of getting run over.
At this point, we were 16km in and I was hitting a wall. I slowed down my pace to recover, and would then pick up my pace to find I needed to slow down again. Thankfully, the highway was straight and flat. After this stretch, we would be back to the Botanical Gardens area with less than 5 miles to go. Along the path were volunteers keeping runners within the boundaries. They were also our cheerleaders. “Only 5km to go! Run faster so I can go home.” said an old lady sitting on the path.
We turned the curve where the highway ended and Macquarie Street started. This street would lead us towards the finish line, but we still had a ways to go. At the end of Macquarie Street, you can see the finish line. This race didn’t end there though. We wrapped around the park towards Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair – still 2km away from the finish line. This was the hardest part of the race. We passed a large crowd encircling the finish area. We passed those from the blue and red group - some had finished an hour earlier! We had to get past this area and funnel into the peninsula so thin we were running two or three across. Alongside our lane was the opposite lane with racers ending the peninsula portion of the race. They too had to navigate through the narrow lane often times jumping into our lane to bypass struggling racers.
I could pinpoint areas of pain; ankles and quads. My mind knew there was less than 2km left. The pain in my legs affected my breathing and my determination. I slowed down to a grandma’s stroll, but didn' stop. I kept repeating the mantra, “You’re almost there. Don’t stop. Get it done!” As I was coming out of the peninsula, I hear SG’s chipper voice. “Hi Shady!” I replied back with “Hey SG.” with an expression that resembled something like a smile. I had passed her at the 10km mark and here she was passing me. I picked up my pace and was back at Hyde Park in no time.
Again, the race organisers wanted to be cruel and make us run the last 500 meters split with 250 meters away from the finish line having to turn back and run the last 250 meters towards the finish line. This was the last 500 meters. This was a distance I could do easily. We forgot about the 21km we had already ran. We forgot about the pain in our legs. We pushed forward sprinting towards the finish line. No one was faster. Dave and I weaved through at least 50 people nearing the finish line, but we got there first. Most of my determination came from seeing two large ladies in front of me and I thought, "There is no way they are getting to that finish line first." I saw the arch and the line. I pushed my legs so hard knowing it would all be over once I got my foot over the line. As soon as the bib reached the line, the race clock showed 2:28 minutes. My watch said 2:08. At the same time, my legs stopped moving, my heart was jumping out of my chest and I bowled over a few steps past the finish line. Dave came over and picked me up. He hugged me and whispered, “I love you.” I raised my head up at him with a beaten look. “I’m so proud of us.” We embraced. Crossing the finish line was such a triumph. We had trained for the past few weeks and endured a race we never thought we would ever enter. We were filled with emotion and were left weak in the knees.
500meter Sprint to the Finish Line
I saw SG again and we hugged like little girls seeing each other again at summer camp. We were so proud of each other. We had only met this year when I joined the Waverley Old Boys soccer club. She had mentioned she was training with a group and I said I hadn't started. But here we were. We both finished at about the same time, but the time didn’t matter. Finishing was the goal. We walked towards the water stations and could barely get a cup in. Gatorade was abound. We couldn’t stomach its sweetness and tried to find water. We sat down on a patch of grass. Next to us was the same girl who waited in the port-o-loo line and tapped me on the shoulder during the race. This was our first post-race exchange. It would be the first of many asking “So, what was your time?” We were proud to say 2:08.
The post race atmosphere was chaotic. People were frazzled from the race and being around hundreds gathered at Hyde Park. The race had over 13,000 entrants. Hyde Park had all those people, bystanders and volunteers. Everyone was on a high, but also very exhausted. We made our way out back to our scooters. I walked in fear of bird droppings.
We didn’t really advertise this challenge to our friends and any friends who were interested ran the race too. Our first opportunity to take victory pictures was at our scooters. We reenacted the finish line feeling in front of a church on Castlereagh Street. A pastor asked if we won. We said we finished and that was winning enough.
Half Marathon Medal
Half Marathon Champ
We met up with Jutta, Saskia and their German posse for breakfast in The Rocks. They were really proud of us, but weren't ready to talk about the Munich loss. The score was a draw and went to penalty kicks I found out. Dave and I couldn’t eat much for some reason. We each had a blueberry muffin and left the group at 11am – Dave had to get back to his media tracking project and I had to go to see my teammates play at Moore Park.
It began to rain. As I drove my scooter on the wet pavement, I didn't think about how dangerous it was, but thought about how lucky I was to not run in the rain. As I approached our field, I saw a lot of faces I hadn't seen before – some of the AAW3’s bumped up a few players to help us out because many of were gone including me and SG for the half marathon. To my surprise, I saw SG playing left back! This girl is absolutely mental! She felt guilty about leaving the team for the next three weeks while she's in Ireland, so she filled in for the last half. I, on the other hand, was completely out of commission, but was happy to be a fan.
AAW2 Team Huddle After 1st Win of the Season
AWW2 def. Maroubra FC 3-0
I finally got home at 2pm. I was wet and tired. All I wanted to do was take a shower – I was till in my running clothes! After a much needed hot shower, I put on my robe for the first time this season and relished in the moment. I had completed my first half marathon – a distance I never thought I would be capable of finishing, but I did it without walking or stopping!
That afternoon, I prepared the Boeuf Bourguignon. We were clean, warm and enjoyed a hearty meal feeling nothing but sweet success. We did feel our sore feet full of blisters and aching legs and back.
*The next day, I found chaffing on my back where my sports bra hugged my torso and around my chest. Be careful of your sports bra ladies!
Post Race Meal
Boeuf Bourguignon
The next two days, I felt nothing but soreness. I didn’t recover until after soccer practice on Tuesday night. However, Dave and I picked up running again – we ran twice around Rushcutters Bay that same week and have already signed up for City2Surf Green Group, right behind the elite preferred group! I’ll have to stand under a bird that day to give me luck and keep me going.
