I arrived at race start as late as possible. At the back of the crowd, behind even the road barriers due to the huge numbers of runners waiting there, I too waited as the elite and ‘preferred’ red-pen runners up the road ahead of us started their race a little before those of us in the green pen. Across the road from us the still slower blue pen runners were also assembling in their thousands. And behind us still further, arriving also in their thousands throughout the city were the yellow and orange waves of fun runners, pram pushers and walkers for their later start in this, the world’s biggest organised run with very nearly 70,000 people (from 85,000 official entrants) attempting the undulating 14km from Hyde Park in the city to the iconic Bondi Beach in the south-east.
It was, it must be said, a little strange that I was there at all. Only one week and two hours prior, I had unstrapped myself from the belly of a gargantuan Emirates A380 after seven weeks abroad. On our return, as if mimicking the A380’s size, my suitcase weighed 8 kg more than when we left which was bad enough, but worse my belly had an additional 3 kg of blubber surrounding it, evidence of a holiday of minimal running and, dare I say, maximal indulgence. Since arriving back in Australia a mere two brief runs had confirmed what I of course knew – that I was in somewhat less than PB form for this year’s City 2 Surf. Hence my decision to start right at the back and treat it as no more than a slow training run. Albeit a training run with tens of thousands of other runners, plus assorted bands and sundry entertainment lining the road along the way.
The weather, it must be said, was perfect. Crystal clear blue skies and a light cooling breeze – ideal conditions, and as the race started for us green pen runners, the mood was buoyant despite the intense crush of bodies and early hill climbs for the first four kilometres. The first half of the race is largely uphill, noted particularly for the aptly named Heartbreak Hill, an unrelenting 1.5km climb to the half-way point of the race, and while I climbed it without too much difficulty, I knew my time was going to be well down on my previous two attempts at this race. I hit the 7km mark in a shade over 43 minutes, not fast, but given my lack of training, the crowds and the hills, I was not unhappy.
The second half, whilst still undulating, is net downhill, with a long, fast stretch down to the seafront at Bondi. It allows for easy negative splits, and while I didn’t exactly hammer it (the 13th and fastest kilometre I completed in 5:17, as opposed to 4:37 last year) it was still a negative split race for me, the second half a little over a minute quicker than the first.
Having crossed the line and collected my medal I began walking toward the long line of buses that ferries finishers (tens of thousands of us!) to the train station at Bondi Junction, a few minutes away. I caught sight of a fellow team member (60 of us having entered through our employer) – a fellow I didn’t know. I thought he looked about my age or a little younger, but whilst chatting he ventured that this had been his 40th consecutive City 2 Surf race, and that he was approaching 60 years of age! I tell you folks, this running game does keep you young if you just stick at it!
Final time for me was an unspectacular 1h25m36s, a good six minutes slower than last year. But given my current state of bloatedness I’m not unhappy with that. I felt strong at the end and in truth could probably have knocked a minute or two off that time, but I felt good throughout and that was the main thing.
Now it’s time to focus on the P2P and those accursed hill sessions. But first, a couple of days of cross-training, helped by the arrival at my inbox of a complete ab fitness program sent to me by an athletics coach I met whilst on holiday. It’s fairly ... comprehensive. But it’s also just the ticket I think. My core has become flabby and weak, and desperately needs toning, so here goes. I’m diving in. Wish me luck.
Training's fust in August.
