Goldcoast Marathon 2011

What I really did not expect of this marathon was for it to be totally flat. And mind you, it wasn't, but the teensy tiny uphill sections were really unnoticeable. I entered this marathon hoping and praying for divine intervention to get me to the finish line unharmed, unhurt, and with my dignity intact.

Divine intervention did more than that, and I got to the finish line in a decent time, i.e. 4:05. I am not rejoicing because I felt that i could have done a sub-four marathon, which is what I am sekretly hoping for every time. But I also do not want to sound ungrateful and as such I will not complain. Much.

The longest run i managed to put in for this marathon was 15km. This makes it the worse so far in terms of training and I swear here and now that i won't let this happen again, and I won't enter a marathon without at least a 30km run under my belt. They say that the longest distance you train will be quite easy peasy come race day, at it was like that. I finished 15 km in 1:20 minutes which is a good time considering. One hundred meteres after 15 km my knees bulked and I knew that I was feeling the lack of training beyond that distance.

However, i did not cramp and managed a more than decent 30 km in 2:51 minutes. A sub four marathon was still possible from here, and it was even possible at 35 km (3:20), but that is when my muscles decided to say good bye and cramp up. I did not have any heat rub or smth similar on me so i just had to run through it (stretching would have probably killed me). I spent the next 7 km wobbling to the finish line.

I probably would not have done it without my friends who were there to support me at the finish line, and at 30 and 32 km marks, because I really struggled to look good (and not a pathetic fat wuss) for them. They took some great pictures too! Here's me at 30 km, still looking fresh (before the hell cramps)


And a pro shot: