Thank you, MLCM. I wish I could go. It would be great.
Be careful with your calf. As Andy says you should rest a little so that you can avoid a bigger injury. I had a problem with my calf some years ago and it was hard not to be able to run for two minutes without pain.
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:Managed to pull my left calf muscle this afternoon which is a tad annoying. However I quickly applied the correct remedies and it looks to be OK, although no further training was possible today. Should be right tomorrow I thinks.
Which particular brew would that be mate?
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Sweder Wrote:Which particular brew would that be mate?
Ah, methinks you understand me too well...
Further applications of said remedies and a rest day today have made the calf completely brilliant again, so a big day planned for tomorrow... I take to them thar hills once more for a big session - scheduled to be the biggest of my training thus far, and something of a trial examination prior to the race proper a week hence.
I may be gone some time...
Keep a light in the window for me...
...a snort of bourbon or a single malt would be good too
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:I take to them thar hills once more for a big session - scheduled to be the biggest of my training thus far, and something of a trial examination prior to the race proper a week hence.
I hear Andy and Antonio sighing in desperation... take it easy!
Just under two days to race time... am I ready? Well, er, no, not entirely. Trouble is, you guys were right - I did somewhat overdo the mountain stuff last weekend, and have spent the intervening time contemplating two rather tender patellas. Yes, the kneecaps have finally voiced their displeasure at my recent training methods. Not too serious, you understand, nothing that will stop me competing on Sunday morning, but a warning sign none-the-less.
Anyway, earlier today I completed my last treadmill training session prior to the race, and based on that I have to say I'm not exactly over-brimming with confidence at putting in a good time. The time doesn't really matter that much, but it does mean I'll have to be really careful about not going out too fast and then not being able to get through the especially tough second half. Pacing will be an issue, as I haven't done enough road training to be able to really judge my pace that well, so I'll just have to be extra cautious for a bit.
Some of you will be pleased (and some will be horrified) to learn that I haven't had a beer now for 3 days, although to be honest I can't see how temperance is going to help any. But now that I've taken this course, I'll see it through to post-race Sunday, when I have a trio of special beers lined up for post-race celebrations
So at the moment I'm going through a kind of taper madness, fretting over things like which technique to use (proper race-walk, which is perhaps a little too fast for the distance - or a hybrid, which I can better control the speed of but is less efficient); whether or not to carry a water belt (I think not; it's just too uncomfortable with the hip-swinging of race walking); what kind of breakfast I should have and when to eat it; how I'm going to sleep the night before; whether to carry gels; where I'm going to park on the day etc etc. The usual stuff, but more so because it's going to be a tough day. I have visions of having to do a Seafront Plodder-style "stop and re-examine the reasons I'm doing this" at some nasty stage of the race... of which there'll be a few.
Crikey, if I keep going on like this I'll be talking myself out of it! I'm not sure if it's the taper that's doing this, or the lack of beer.
Aww Look Mate (as all good naturalised Australians are wont to say at the start of each sentence), this tapering
malarky's not easy. You start out wanting to run too much and can't then wind up feeling like you'll never run again. It happens to the best, including our Mighty Tasmanian it seems.
On the prep stuff I'm with Andy (see next post).
The brekkie thing is personal. I'm a toast n honey man - but not 'dry', the fat in marg or butter can be a useful energy source - black coffee and bananas. Gels: the jury's still out. I have good runs with and without gels, and bad ones on and off 'em too.
I also carry fluids with me. Andy's right again - its personal. I do it because sometimes I like a shot or two of ribena in there for a sneaky extra sugar boost. Also if you use gels it's essential to take fluids with them. I prefer to have the option to do this irrespective of water stations.
As for 'reasons for doing this' evaluations at sticky moments, never forget its all about the glory!
I'm neck-deep in work (self-inflicted due to Motorhead day yesterday and impending trip to The Cape) so I'll take this opportunity to say 'break a leg'.
You know what I mean
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:So at the moment I'm going through a kind of taper madness, fretting over things like which technique to use (proper race-walk, which is perhaps a little too fast for the distance - or a hybrid, which I can better control the speed of but is less efficient); whether or not to carry a water belt (I think not; it's just too uncomfortable with the hip-swinging of race walking); what kind of breakfast I should have and when to eat it; how I'm going to sleep the night before; whether to carry gels; where I'm going to park on the day etc etc. The usual stuff, but more so because it's going to be a tough day. I have visions of having to do a Seafront Plodder-style "stop and re-examine the reasons I'm doing this" at some nasty stage of the race... of which there'll be a few.
Don't know if things are different over there, but here, I would NEVER carry water with me in a race, as organisers are usually very sensible about providing enough drink stations.
Re sleep -- the Hal Higdon wisdom is that sleep the night before the night before is more important as you're bound to never get your 8 hours the night before the race. Anticipation, early morning travel, that sort of thing.
Breakfast is a personal thing. I never have dairy products the morning of a race. The classic runner's pre-race breakfast would be something like dry toast and honey, and banana, and black coffee. That said, some people can have a full fry-up and get round. I suspect Nigel is in that category.
Gels, or at least a few boiled sweets, are useful. I always wear a cap. I usually make a list of things I need to take, which will include (for post-race) towel and change of shoes/shirt.
Get all your kit laid out the night before to avoid any early morning panics. Make sure you pin your number on the night before too.
Finally, watch out for the dreaded chafing of the nipples and thighs. Stick a couple of plasters (not sure where Aussies stand on the plaster v BandAid terminology debate) on your nipples, and either wear some lycra undershorts as I do, or smear those muscley thighs with Vaseline.
Er, probably various things I've forgotten, but that should help.
All that's left is to say, "Damn good luck old chap". Enjoy the post-race beer, and tell us all about it. Look forward to the report.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
I´ll be also in a race doing Benidorm half marathon on Sunday. I´ll have you in my mind.
All the best
Antonio
Good luck, Antonio. Let us know how it goes. Make sure you reward yourself with a few churros and chocolate afterwards. You have to have a treat from time to time**.
**[SIZE="1"]Of course, this advice is in no way connected to me wanting to lose more weight than you.[/SIZE]
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Good luck to yer....it should be fun, don't forget to take a camera!
Good advice from Andy regarding chafing. It's massively uncomfortable so slap on the old vaseline. Cheers!
Hmm, carbo-loading just isn't as much fun without a few beers The official pre-race pasta night is on as I type this, but I didn't go because the MC is a work colleague, and I couldn't face the idea of paying a rather hefty amount of dosh to listen to a guy I see most days anyhow. So instead I've had my own pasta party ... of one This game really is a lonely business, eh?
Hello? Anyone out there??
Sigh.
But anyway I'm pretty much all set now. Just gotta go through my check-list one more time and try then to get some sleep. Weather forecast isn't overly encouraging, but not too severe. Does look as though it will be pretty cold up on the higher slopes though.
My race strategy is simple - go out cautiously and comfortably, and ensure I get to the 10km mark in good shape, ready for the killer climb. And then just get to the bloody top, no matter how long it takes. Simple, yep? Erm. Yeah.
OK, thanks for the tips and best wishes, I'll catch you all post-race.
Oooh yes, a good race to report on it is too, also as well
The Point to Pinnacle is an utter bastard of a race if you don't like hills, and a real dream for hill lovers - although it can of course be a nightmare if you don't get it right. And the weather is always a problem.
It's 21.4km from sea level start to the pinnacle of Mt. Wellington at 1,270m (4,200 feet in the old money), and it's all uphill apart from the first kilometre which is flat. As far as I can make out, there's been an annual foot race up the mountain as far back as the 19th century, as the mountain dominates the Hobart skyline and so of course, you just want to run up the bloody thing. Even Charles Darwin couldn't resist the urge when he visited in 1836, calling his day's climb "testing". It certainly would have been - dense snow gum forest on the lower slopes and massive boulder fields and dolerite columns higher up, and of course back then, no roads or tracks.
These days there's a narrow road all the way to the summit, and it's this that we follow. They limit the field to 1200, mostly I think because of the logistical problem of getting everyone back from the summit to the start line again (for which they use a fleet of buses, provided by the main sponsor). They also have a strict time limit - 3h20m for runners and 4h20m for walkers, with the runners starting an hour later than the walk section, which accounts for about two thirds of the field. And as I discovered today, many of those walkers are in fact runners, including some very good ones, who just find it too insane to try and run the wretched thing. And the runners certainly suffered - there were some very distressed looking people up there today, and a rather alarming number of ambulances, first aid officers and emergency services personnel. So my race-walking effort felt much more vindicated.
Anyway, my race went really very well. My race plan was simple - get to the 10km mark in good shape in order to cope with the brutally steep last "half". The first 10km is relatively gentle, averaging about a 4% gradient, but the last 11.4km averages around 8%, with a couple of long and frightening 10% pitches which make you feel like you have car batteries strapped to your legs.
Kick off was at 7am, but my arrival was a little ominous - noticing that there was limited parking anywhere near the start, I ducked down a side street, found a spot and thereby found myself parked outside a cemetary. Hoping this wasn't anything more than fate having a joke with me, I wandered down to the start in good time for the off. More by accident than design I ended up starting right at the back of the field (I was too busy chatting to a non-competitor to notice everyone making their way to the start line). The start line was very narrow, so that by the time I got 200m into the race I swear the leaders were 500m further on.
It was a pretty cold and grey old start to the day and I wasn't properly warmed up, so it was tough going for the first couple of kms. But then I started to find some rhythm and began to think about the difficult question of pacing. I really had little idea of how fast I was travelling, and as there were no kilometre markers on this part of the course (for some reason the organisers only provide countdown markers starting at 10km from race end) I was fairly clueless as to what speed I was making.
I decided the only thing to do was use some pace setters, so I found likely candidates (cute ones) travelling just slightly faster than I thought was comfortable and settled in behind. And it seemed to work. As I felt better I slowly reeled them in and then looked for another one.
And I reached the half way point feeling great! That was where the steep stuff really started, and all my training began to pay off, as I started passing more and more people who struggled with the inclines. I just set a steady pace and kept at it. It certainly wasn't easy, but I felt strong and just kept going.
After 14km it got really tough. The next 4km are the steepest, and with increasing altitude it gets much colder with wind and rain also settling in to make it just that much more fun.
As it turns out, we were lucky. Because the weather can be extreme, they sometimes call off the pinnacle attempt and turn it into an out and back event, only going part way up the mountain. As it turned out, the weather was iffy at the start, but they let it go. By the time the organisers realised they had made a mistake, the leaders were already passed what would have been the "turn around" point and so up we went. I say lucky, but in fact there are good reasons for calling it off, as we would find out.
At 18kms I was doing it tough but maintaining my pace, and as the worst section was behind me, feeling really good and looking at a "wishful thinking" time. I had swept up three pace setters and was now eyeing off my fourth - a very tall guy wearing black shorts (there being no appropriate cute ones at this stage) but he was ever so slowly puling away from me. I thought i could still pull him back on the last stretch but then at 19kms I quite unexpectedly hit the wall. It was all going so well, and then bang, the wheels fell off. I worked hard through that 20th km, but then one of my earlier pace setters had her revenge and whizzed past me and I ran out of determination. It was bitterly cold and wet by now and I just wanted to finish the sod. The last km was awful, very ugly indeed. All three pace setters that I had used in such unsolicited fashion to get me up the mountain now reeled me in, sneering malicious retribution (or so it seemed) as they zoomed past.
Still, there was a really pleasant surprise in store, for just as I was thinking "hmm, only a couple of hundred metres to go now", quite suddenly, there I was at the finishing line!
Somewhat dazed, I was directed through the finishing chute, picked up my medal, collected my gear and was standing there in drizzle and sleet (and what I learned later was a wind chill factor of about -10 C) when an official pointed me to a bus and told me to get on quick. Good advice, as it turns out, especially as I was still in a saturated tee shirt and running shorts.
I glugged a pint of Gatorade in 2 or 3 milliseconds and then checked my watch, which I had somehow remembered to stop as I crossed the line. I had told myself I'd be happy with anything under 3h30m, and really pleased if I could break 3h15. My actual time was 3h09:33*, so I was completely chuffed!
That it was a strenuous race was confirmed by the fact that on the way back down the mountain, two people on the bus I was on were physically sick, with the result that we had to keep the windows open, making it very, very cold return journey. But I had my medal and a good time, so I was happy.
So it all basically went really, really well. According to my HRM, I burned 2,666 calories during the race, so I probably hit the wall around the 2,400 calorie mark. So perhaps a gel or two might have helped, though I suspect the risk of a stomach upset from said gel might negate its benefit. Will have to think about this some more.
So, what now? Hmmm.... well for the moment, I'm going to watch some cricket and drink some of that really nice beer I've been saving. Ciao for now.
*Based on last year's results, that should put me somewhere inside the top quarter of the field - not bad for a first timer (and an old fella at that) , so all the training has paid off, woo hoo!
This has made my day - well done MLCM. I'm delighted for you. What do those doctors know, eh?
That sounds like one hell of a race. A half marathon is a tough distance for most of us but all uphill? Doesn't bear thinking about. Am going to have to start hill training soon myself, and not looking forward to it.
Sounds like you went through the classic cycle: pre-race excitement, laboured first couple of miles, settling in to rythm, mid-race comfort/complacency, struggle, final mile or two of torture, huge relief at finishing, post-race elation, pride and satisfaction. I bet that beer tastes good.
Thanks for getting the report up so quickly. I was wondering how you'd got on while listening to patches of the test match through the night.
Enjoy your beer and the plaudits. No doubt you'll rest for a day or two, but don't make my usual mistake of going to seed for several weeks, then struggling to get back on track.
So, what's next? Just a personal thing, but I find I have to plan another race even if it's in the dim and distant, to keep myself motivated. It's a good way of fending off the inevitable sense of anti-climax.
There's always Almeria in 2008 of course. At least you know for sure that you can get round it now. It won't be as tough as the one you just did.
Anyway, great effort. Well done.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Ripper Mate!
I doff my cap, sir! A fabulous effort and a great result - I always suspected Lazarus was an Aussie . . .
This really does cap a weekend of sporting excellence for the Green and Gold. Scotland hammered; the Kiwis thwarted by a Golden Try in the final, England staggering punch-drunk around the Gabba and one of our very own a-top a monstrous personal mountain, arms aloft in magnificent triumph.
Like Andy this is a real highlight for me. We've followed your tales of pain and anguish these past six months, fearing the worst, hoping for the best (typical bloody Englishmen). I shall raise a glass of the black stuff to you this afternoon - just as soon as I've hobbled out a few hilly miles in appropriate homage.
Good on yer.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Official results have just been posted - I placed 114th out of 678 finishers, so very happy I am
I had a great night's sleep and feel pretty good today - only minor muscle soreness and NO complaints from any of the joints. Training really does make a difference (in case you were wondering)
What a great achievement, you should be feeling really good. Doing a whole race uphill just makes me shudder to think about, never mind actually doing it. Way to go!
Thanks everyone, all much appreciated, to be sure And quite honestly, it's largely due to the enthusiasm and encouragement to be found in the RC pages that I got there at all.
anlu247 Wrote:After doing that, you can do whatever you like.
It's funny, but one of the guys at work who ran the same race said much the same thing to me this afternoon. In fact he made me virtually promise to have a crack at running the whole thing next year. So now I'm committed to preparing for two races: the 2007 Point to Pinnacle, and the 2008 Almeria Half!
But certainly success breeds success, and I have been thinking about what to aim for next, because I'm like Andy - without some distant goal to aim for I'm giving up a big advantage to the sloth and anti-motivation monster.
So I have determined to start a programme of combined race walk / run training to build on my newly acquired leg strength and see just what I am capable of run-wise. Things are going swimmingly just now, so I'll introduce some more running and see how we go. With the evil but lovely Rebecca (physio) and Mr.Pain (the podiatrist) to assist, we'll see just what can be done.
But first I'm off for a week in Adelaide. I'll try and get some training in while I'm there, but gosh I just realised it so happens that it coincides with the 2nd cricket test there. How amazing is that!
Now what can be better than a nice hot summer with an Ashes cricket series and all that beer that has to be drunk and all those barbecues that have to be cooked (well we have to keep the economy afloat somehow, don't we Hortense)?
Having a decent race under one's belt makes it just that much sweeter, too
November - Crunch Month
The official pre-race pasta night is on as I type this, but I didn't go because the MC is a work colleague, and I couldn't face the idea of paying a rather hefty amount of dosh to listen to a guy I see most days anyhow. So instead I've had my own pasta party ... of one 
