The Gold Coast Marathon 2016 Race Review

Let’s start my entry from the results – I ran a Boston Qualifier at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon!

Being female has its advantages, as my time of 3:32 has given me a good clearance of the BQ standard. That is, the chance of being accepted into the Boston Marathon next year is very high based on the law of averages over time.

So read on if you are interested in the pre-race, mid-race, and post-race brouhahas.

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Almost eight months of training and it all comes down to this day. I have tried to rehearse this moment three months prior to the event but it did nothing to calm my stress. Waking up at 4:45am, clearing my bowels, what to eat before...I have practised as much as I could think of what race day would require.

Obviously I wasn't the only one who was on nerve overdrive (well all except one person, an army dude who exhibit calm even in a real life war...), as my friends were also pacing up and down the apartment and tried to start an awkward conversation but it only came out as nervous breathing. At 5:59am sharp I said: “One minute one minute. Move move move! Out out out!”. For a moment all nerves came out but was quickly regenerated when we saw fellow runners at the tram stop.

Loads of runners getting ready to
squeeze in...we know we are on 
the correct platform.

The tram was full to the brim. Luckily two of us here have lived in Hong Kong so this level of crowdedness feels like home. Transport is free between 4am to 3pm by the way (I only noticed it when I removed my bib later in the day...) but in the morning we just took the word of a fellow runner. I don't think a ticket inspector will be able to get inside the tram to check all our tickets.

Eventually we made it to the start, But not without a few obligatory selfies at the start line and in our club tent to ease our pre-race nerves.

Breath in...

    

Once we reach our tent we made a beeline to the toilets. This year the toilet were not as clean or ample or pink – there was a long queue at the main race precinct so knowing there will definitely be more loos in other parts of the ground, so we venture to the left and right for loos. Bingo! And zero massive queues.
On the way back I did a small warm up jog and took some photos as the sun rise further to increase the start line temperature. Temperature was a lovely 10C and a light breeze. Just the way I like it.

Does my back look big in this?

The gun goes off at 7:20am and the first wave of runners was off. There were three waves of entry, all around 3 minutes apart. I have self-seeded myself in the first wave so I can stalk the 3:30 pacer. My goal today is to get a BQ so anything better than 3:35:00 will be perfect - enough to squeeze into the third wave of registration. If I felt good I will try to push for a 3:30 but knowing marathons, I will make a call at 32KM.

0-5km: I placed myself well behind the 3:30 pacer. As a pacer myself ironically I don’t really like to follow the pacer, but I like to stalk the pacer. In a race I find it less draining when I am in my own world. Some people like to follow one from the start but I prefer to run on my own for any race greater than 10Ks. The start felt great and I stayed with my race plan of cruising through the first 14km. It felt as if I was moving through slow motion, so I know I am in a good place. There was a drink station very early on at around 3km, so as a rule I stopped and walked through. Most people at this stage will run through but I thought – if my race plan is to walk through every station then I will stick to it. 
5km split: 25:05

6-10km: At this point I have started to get into a comfortable rhythm. I continue with my “walk the entire drink station strip” strategy, as much as I wanted to just run pass it. The crowd is still relatively thick due to the narrowness of the course at this point but I have started to overtake people. My average pace has slowly picked up to an average of 4:58min/k.
10km Split: 24:54

11-15km: As we head to the turn this body of mine decided to finally fully warmed up. Wakey wakey. As I turn I saw my running bestie around 500 metres behind me. Wonder if he will catch up…
15km split: 24:53
16-20km: Soon after the turn I am also starting to hear my friends on the right side calling my name. It was a weird as I can only hear them but it felt like a distant echo. Later on over lunch they said they were slightly worried as I was looking a bit grumpy and was so far away from the 3:30 balloons. I must have my racing b*tch face on…(the photos from marathon-photos have confirmed my suspicions). Pace wise I have kept it well and stayed at an even 4:58 average.
20km split: 24:48
21-25km: As we head away from the Esplanade, I am enjoying the most comfortable segment. I think it is because the gels finally kicked in (already taken two and reaching out for a third). At this point everything felt beautiful, my average pace has hit 4:57 and I even got a chance to glance at the beach on my right. However, a couple of Ks after passing the half way mark my mind and legs have started to wander...
25km split: 24:58
26-30km: I am starting to feel my hammies! But I kept going and did what I was doing many Ks before. Run and then walk the entire strip of the water station. Around this point runners run past the finish at Anzac park. It was kind of good that we are on the farther side so we cannot see the finish. The commentator at the tower called out my club's name "Here comes another Sydney Strider visiting the Gold Coast". His voice gets repeated over the next speaker so it was kind of funny. 
30K split: 24:58
31-35km: I was getting tired (duh!) and my legs are starting to feel stiff. I knew it wasn't the wall but it was just sheer fatigue. Oh dig deep dig deep I muttered... The pain will pass. My mind was starting to fall asleep and suddenly I heard my two friends from my paddling past called out my name! (They have long finished their Half). My mind suddenly woken up and then next moment I can see the refreshment station.
35K split: 25.49
36-40km: I am still running fine but forcing myself to take more time to walk through the entire drink station strip.
40K split: 26:01
41-42.2km: I had to take a drink at the last drink station. I chucked some cold water on my legs and face to wake myself up. It was strangely welcoming...! I can also feel my hamstrings twitch from fatigue. I forced myself to walk 20 steps every 300 meters. My pace has now dropped to 5:01/km which means I will finish at a 3:32.

And I did. Once we passed the finish I headed over to the railings on the right side and quietly sobbed. Plus I wanted to rest my poor fatigued legs before heading over to the shirt and medal stand. I don't know how long I squatted down there, but a kind volunteer unscrew the lid of a bottle of water and handed it to me when I finally stood up.

I am happy with the result, not only it is a personal best time by almost 17 minutes but also a Boston Qualifier by a more than 7 minutes. It should be sufficient to qualify.

And so we all achieved personal best times.

Back in our apartment where we used our sunny window sill to dry our Endura-drenched shoes and bib...

p.s. I saw this banner on the next day. We noticed a "3" was stuck on the "5". I really like how they reused this banner...