The one that got away

Last weekend it was that time of the year again. The first Sunday after Easter and we all know what that means, right? Well, all the local runners do!

Not long to go!

Yes, The Geelong Half Marathon was on again with a record-breaking field of over 900 runners, or so I heard. But this time, for the first time in five years, I wasn't running. Having been sidelined by a degenerative knee issue, I haven't been able to run for over six months.
On the plus side however, it does mean that for once I finally got to play photographer at the start of the race. The day before, I took a stroll around most of the course. The signs were up, the kilometre marks had all been freshly painted on the track as per usual and all was in readiness.

The calm before the storm

All that was needed were the runners. And by 8am Sunday morning they had arrived in droves.

Ready...

As I took up a prime position on top of the Moorabool Street Bridge, the competitors milled around, completed their warm ups, checked their watches and made any last minute preparations.

...set...

Then finally, some five minutes late, the horn blared out and the race began. Spectators cheered and yelled encouragement and those of us on the bridge snapped away.

...GO!

The field already beginning to spread out

After a few minutes of frenetic photography, I was able to make my way off the bridge and onto the banks of the Barwon to watch as the runners made their way under the Moorabool Street Bridge, around Belmont Common and off towards Breakwater.


Heading to Breakwater about 2.5km in

The weather for the race was perfect. A clear, crisp 10°C. A little chilly on the starting line, but much more conducive to a comfortable run and a good time at the finish line. And of course, as I watched the runners pass, I spotted this guy:

There's always one!

In previous years we've had runners in camel costumes and various other novelty costumes, this year it seems was the year of the Viking. I don't know who he was or what his agenda might have been, but he certainly added some interest to the field.
At this point I was able to wait just long enough for the lead runners to appear on the opposite side of the river headed towards Fyansford, before I had to depart for other duties. As a result, I do not have any finishing photos or any of the results however the latter can be found on the Geelong Cross Country Club's website.
And so that was it for another year. I have discovered that I really don't like being a spectator and with a little luck by this time next year I may at least be running again.

 

 

Doing things by half

Last Sunday was that time of the year again - the first Sunday after Easter, which means it was Geelong Half Marathon time again. And yes, once again I bit the bullet, signed up and spent the week prior trying to forget what I'd done and what I would have to do.
Preparation-wise I'd done most of the right things. I trained, I tapered (I could really get used to tapering), I collected my race number, I ate carbs the night before, I had the right breakfast and I arrived at the river in plenty of time. Fearing a repeat of last year's event when they were dropping like flies in the heat (see The hotter half), the organisers had decided upon an earlier start time of 8am. So, a few minutes after the hour I, along with 918 new-found running companions, headed out from under the James Harrison Bridge, around the common and along the Barwon aiming for Breakwater before the long haul up to Fyansford and back.


Yes, I am in there!

The weather was a sunny 15.8°C and rose no more than about 5 degrees for the time I was on the course. A little too warm to be ideal, but it did mean a much more comfortable wait at the starting line. I wasn't at all sure what my pace would be, but I was aiming for a time under 1hour 45minutes, so I made sure I found the "1hr 45min bus" (the pace runner guiding anyone aiming to finish in that time) and kept him under close surveillance - a strategy which got me through the hoards during the first 5-6km of the race at somewhere near my target time and feeling comfortable.


Running with the "pace bus" to the left and wearing an Aussie flag

From there, I picked it up a little and set my own pace. So far so good. There was enough shade to keep things bearable and I managed to drink rather than inhale water at the drink stops - I've never been good at simultaneous running and drinking.


Just past 7km and heading for the drinks station

Then somewhere near the 12km mark a slightly curious thing occurred. I moved to pass a couple of slower runners. As I did so one of them - a guy - encouraged me to "push through it". In 2010 when I ran my fastest time, I was passed near the 9km mark by a quicker runner - also a male - who encouraged me to stay at a comfortable pace (or words to that effect). I did not know either man, did not see them again and would not recognise them if I did, but on both occasions, their encouragement ringing in my ears, I went on to post good times. Whoever you were - thanks! 

Having passed the halfway mark, it was a matter of trying to make the most of things before I hit the wall which I knew was likely to be waiting for me around the bend on Red Gum Island, just before the 15km mark. It's always been there in the past and this time was no different, except perhaps that things started to become a little less pleasant around the 14km mark. Knowing what I was likely to be in for, I continued to talk myself out of that particular mindset for a further 3-4km, leaving only a 4km grind to the finish line.

Around 2km to go and about to be caught by runner #712

It wasn't pleasant and it wasn't pretty (photographers should probably be banned past the 15km mark of the route) but I finished faster than I'd started and was almost a minute clear of the pace bus with a time of 1:44:07. Not my best time, but not too far off and well within the 1hour 45minute target I was hoping to beat.

Finally!

Not a bad morning's work and then I was able to stand around and analyse the whole affair over a free sausage with the crew from Geelong Runners, some of whom ran and some of whom supported and all of whom had a ball.


Geelong Runners!

This year's half marathon (my 5th run in this particular race) was a milestone for the Geelong Cross Country Association as it marked the 25th running of the event for which we all received commemorative medals. When I first ran in 2009, the field totalled 495 and for several years before that, numbers had hovered around the 400 mark (if anyone knows how many lined up for the very first race in 1989 I would love to know). Last year, following progressive increases, 953 runners competed and this year, although only 919 runners completed the course, the event was sold out with a record 1200 entrants.
Before the race we were informed that around two thirds of this year's participants were from out of town - clearly word is spreading! Not surprising really, as this is a good, relatively flat course, with only a couple of kilometres round the common which are not sealed and great views of the Barwon to help keep your mind off your lungs and legs!

 

The best view of all - spectators at the finish line!

Which brings me to another point. I have spent many hours running and racing along the Barwon through Geelong and have even run at Barwon Heads, right at the mouth of the river, but it occurs to me that perhaps I should expand my repertoire to include some formal races along the river where I have not run before. One opportunity would be the Barwon Heads Sheepwash Classic over 4 or 8km beside and across the river mouth which run on Easter Saturday each year (guess that one will have to wait until next year), whilst the towns of Inverleigh and Winchelsea both host fun runs.
However, another rather intriguing alternative has been announced and I have the chance to get in at the ground floor with the inaugural race scheduled for the long weekend in June. Run Forrest will be raced over either a 10km course from Forrest township along the Barwon or a 21km loop course from Forrest to Lake Elizabeth and back.

The Lake Elizabeth track...in summer...

The weather would no doubt be freezing, the hills would be murder (I wouldn't be setting any PBs here!) and I haven't tried trail running before, but the scenery would be amazing and I would have a chance to run a section of the river (along the Red Carpet mountain bike trail) which I have never seen before....decisions, decisions!!

Running on empty

My last two blog posts looked at who I run with and how I run. Now I want to look at why I run. The reason being that for quite some time I have struggled for motivation, which of course begs the question: why do I bother?
Well, that's easy to answer. Firstly, I like the benefits of being fit, secondly, I don't want to say "I used to be able to run ??km..." and thirdly, I am a competitive beast. Not particularly fast, but competitive none-the-less.

Geelong Half Marathon 2011

I also know why I started running - because I was already fit and I wanted to make sure I stayed that way. I am not a runner by nature. If I had to run to get fit, then I would never be fit. Staying fit is a struggle if all I do is run. No, I'm really a netballer (the Aussies and Kiwis will know what I mean and possibly the Poms and Jamaicans). For several years I have routinely played multiple games of social netball per week at a variety of levels.
About four years back I decided that some distance running would improve my endurance on the netball court. I was right, it did. It still does. It helps me run the legs off the guys when I play in mixed competitions and the women half my age in most of the other comps. I can't be taller and I can't be younger, but I can be fitter and faster and maybe occasionally I can be a bit smarter.
I play netball five days per week and squeeze in a run (or maybe two) somewhere in between.
At the start, the running was a nice change and didn't take too long, but then it began to take on a life of its own. First, I progressed to short fun runs and then to half marathons. If I didn't do at least a 15km run per week, then I'd slacked off. Times mattered too - not that they were anything special.
I ran my fastest half marathon in April 2010, then promptly tore my calf playing netball and four weeks later broke my hand. The injuries recovered but my times never quite did, nor did my motivation.
Whilst I was researching running cliches for the title of this (and probably subsequent running-related posts), I came across the following t-shirt slogan:

Garmin running slogan

Okay, so I don't wear a Garmin, but the same goes for my Nike Sportband. I wanted to know how far and how fast and anything which affected my time was not welcome! And assuming I was running a reasonably familiar course - say, oh...around the Barwon... after the run I could tell from the change in pace on my Sportband roughly where I was at any given point.
The problem with all this was the expectation it created. If I didn't run fast enough, I wasn't happy. So, I decided it was time for a change. But what to change?
Well, I could change my route. That was reasonably easy. I could still incorporate some sections of the river, but also include other trails like the Bellarine Rail Trail, the Waterfront and Eastern Gardens, the linear trail along the old train line from the Fyansford Cement Works to North Geelong, even a couple of laps around good old Kardinia Park. Perhaps one day when they complete the loop I'll even run out to Corio on the Ted Wilson Ring Road Trail and come back via the Waterfront. Incidentally, I've marked most of these routes using Google Maps at this address which is listed under the "riding/walking trails" option in the "links" section of this blog.
Distance? Well, that was another easy change. One long run became a couple of shorter runs each week. Running 5 or 6km to my coffee shop of choice seemed like a reasonable incentive. Running to meet the family for a picnic here and there worked too.

Corio Bay - not a bad view for a run

What else? Well, I had never really run with a group before, so I decided to give it a try. I didn't want a competitive environment, but I figured having a time and a place to start running on a regular basis and someone to do it with might help so I joined Geelong Runners. Once again, it did help. I am now running more, my distances are starting to creep back up and I have found some great new people to run with.
The other thing I could do was to change my pace. Now that was easier said than done and something I am still struggling with. If I was running with the group, if I chose a new route which didn't come with a time to beat then pace wasn't really a problem. But there were still the timed runs with results posted at the end for all to see.

I hate not posting a PB and the above picture sums up most of my problem! A problem I will have to face on Sunday when I run the next half marathon which is being hosted by the Geelong Cross Country Club. I have been advised that I shouldn't worry about my time and that I should feel pleased for the people who out run me - and there will be plenty. Needless to say, this was not a concept which had occurred to me before, but one perhaps with which I will need to become better acquainted on Sunday.

I feel the need...

Like most bloggers, I tend to keep an eye on my blog stats - which posts are most popular, how many hits I get in a day, week, month, that sort of thing. I am also able to get some idea of the type of search terms which lead people to my blog.
Some subjects arise fairly commonly - the presence of ghosts in historic buildings along the Barwon for example is often queried (strangely enough as I type this, the term "Buckley Falls haunted" has appeared - but as far as I'm aware, no it's not) whilst bunyips and murder also attract attention. Other topics are of interest at or for a particular time period - the recent furor over the impending axing of the ash trees along the river at Fyans Park is currently popular whilst there is always a rush of searches for pictures of the Barwon during the 1995 flood* whenever the river rises.
Another search which has cropped up a bit of late includes the term "the distance between" followed by the names of various bridges along the Barwon. That being the case, I thought it was time to answer the question for those of us who walk, run and ride along the Barwon River paths and want to know how far we've travelled.

Looking upstream at the Moorabool St, James Harrison and McIntyre Bridges

I have decided to take two approaches to the topic which may provide an interesting comparison. Firstly, today with a few spare hours I headed down to the river to walk the full circuit from Breakwater to Fyansford and back. In order to keep track of the kilometres I cover either whilst out running or on the netball court (hopefully somewhere over 50km/week), I use a Nike+ Sportband. This clever little device measures distance via a piezoelectric sensor in my shoe which transmits to a USB device on my wrist. Once finished, the data from the run/game is uploaded to the Nike website which keeps a record of my distance, pace and various other statistics. For a piece of equipment which costs around $90 and does not rely on GPS technology, it is remarkably accurate.
Today, for the sake of convenience, I started my walk at the end of Swanston Street which is roughly the closest point to my house. From there I headed towards Fyansford, crossed both rivers, made my way back down to Breakwater and from there back to Landy Field. Each time I passed under or crossed over a bridge, I noted the distance I had travelled. All up, a distance of about 18.5km.
Below is a table showing the distance between each of the bridges along the river trail as measured by my Sportband:

Bridge	Total distance (km) from Landy Field	Distance (km) from previous bridge
Landy Field	-	-
Moorabool St Bridge	0.71	0.71
James Harrison Bridge	0.96	0.25
McIntyre Bridge	1.24	0.28
Princes Bridge (Shannon Ave)	2.92	1.68
Queen’s Park Bridge	5.28	2.36
(Intersection with track to “Cementies hill”)	6.90	1.62
Foot bridge across Moorabool River	7.49	0.59
Foot bridge across anabranch	7.68	0.19
Foot bridge across Barwon River	8.10	0.42
Queen’s Park Bridge	9.42	1.32
Princes Bridge (Shannon Ave)	11.98	2.56
McIntyre Bridge	13.58	1.60
James Harrison Bridge	13.86	0.28
Moorabool Street Bridge	14.08	0.22
New Breakwater Bridge	16.21	2.13
Old Breakwater Bridge	16.60	0.39
New Breakwater Bridge	17.03	0.43
Landy Field	18.45	1.42

In each case, the measurement was taken from the middle of whichever bridge I was passing under or crossing over. So now everyone can work out the distance of their chosen route give or take a few metres. Remember also to allow a couple of hundred metres when crossing Moorabool Street, Princes, Queen's Park or McIntyre Bridges as I didn't cross these on my walk today so their distances are not included in the charts.
Also, for quick reference, here are the approximate distances for a few of the commonly used loops not including the bridge crossings mentioned above:

Loop	Distance (km)
Moorabool St Bridge - Old Breakwater Bridge	5.08
Princes Bridge - Old Breakwater Bridge (covers most of the 10km Troop Loop)	9.39
Queen's Park Bridge-Old Breakwater Bridge	14.31
McIntyre Bridge-Old Breakwater Bridge (slightly further than the 6km Troop Loop)	6.11
Moorabool Street Bridge-Princes Bridge	4.31
Moorabool Street Bridge-Queen’s Park Bridge	9.23
Moorabool Street Bridge-Fyansford	13.37
Princes Bridge-Queen’s Park Bridge	4.92
Princes Bridge-Fyansford	9.06
Queen’s Park Bridge-Fyansford	4.14

Secondly, having done it the hard way, when I got home I cranked up Google Earth and made a few virtual measurements. Allowing for the fact that the Google Earth images were taken in 2008, well before the new Breakwater Bridge was built - resulting in a few changes to the walking track at that end - and also accounting for the fact that the exact route of the path is a little unclear in places due to tree cover, a measured distance of 18.57km is remarkably similar to that measured by the Sportband.
So, now we have a reasonable idea of the distances involved, however if you are out on the path without a handy blog post to help and want a rough idea of the distances involved, remember, the Geelong Half Marathon run by the Geelong Cross Country Association have kilometre markers most of the way round the track - they are the yellow numbers painted on the path.

Half marathon marker

You will not find markers for 1, 2 and 14km as the route for the half deviates off the track at these points, the marker for 5km has not yet been added to the newly sealed section of track and 7km is hiding behind the shed belonging to the Barwon Rowing Club, but does exist. The 21km marker whilst present for the event tends to disappear due to wear and tear throughout the year. In any case, these km markers can be used for a rough estimate of distance. And finally, the newly installed posts for the Troop Loop can also be used to calculate distance if you are running that section of the track.

*For the record, I happened to be in Geelong at the time, but being young and foolish, I didn't take any photos of the event. If anyone has any pictures of the '95 flood which they would like me to include in this blog please feel free to contact me and I will put them up. I'm sure there will be many who are interested!

The hotter Half

Last Sunday along with around 1,100 of my newly acquired best friends, I dusted off the running shoes and hit the river. It was the first Sunday after Easter which can only mean one thing - the 24th annual Geelong Half Marathon - and I fronted up for my fourth official attempt.
I hadn't done a great deal of training over any significant distance - one 16km run about a week and a half out from the day - but had been running shorter distances regularly in reasonable times. On Saturday I trotted down to the clubrooms to pick up my running kit and strolled home in the autumn sunshine.
Likewise, Sunday morning dawned sunny, pleasant and by the time we were ready to start running, about 20 degrees, which is great when you're standing around at the starting line wearing little more than a thin layer of Lycra, but five minutes after the starter's gun goes it is a very different matter. By then - as is always the case in warm weather - I am desperate for an instant cold snap.

3km into the run and everyone was still in pretty good shape

Of course I had no such luck and the temperature continued to rise throughout the run. I always find it difficult to drink and run, but given the conditions, I grabbed what I could at the drink stations and tried to get at least some of it into me - a wise decision as it happens.

Water sachet in hand, but not sure where
on the course we were at this point

According to an Advertiser article the next day, two people were hospitalised with heat stroke and quite a number more were treated for dehydration. Luckily I wasn't one of them, however I did see one unfortunate at around the 17km mark who was in quite a bit of distress. By that stage, I was pretty much operating on pure will power which I find is always the case over the last 5km or so.

19km down, 2km to go and yes, I did catch the guy in front,
but the guy behind caught me

It certainly wasn't the day for most of us to be breaking records or beating our PBs, however there was one record broken when Stephen McAdam and Nathan Saber broke the record for the fastest half marathon completed by two men in a camel suit - yes, really! It was of course a charity run which they completed to raise money for Jim Stynes' Reach Foundation. Despite the heat, they made it home 6 minutes inside the time they required and will take their place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Two men in a camel suit, photo from
The Geelong Advertiser

I made it to the finish line in quite a reasonable time considering the weather - only my time from 2010 was better - finishing ahead of 70% of the field and ahead of 84% of the other women in the field. My official position, after a slow start trying to wade through all the opposition was 296th of the 953 of us who finished the race. I didn't manage to crack the - for me - magic time of 1hr 45min, but 1hr, 46min, 21sec will have to do.

The crowd welcoming home the stragglers

This year's event was the biggest field to date, despite the hot conditions. If the numbers continue to increase as they have over recent years, then I'm not sure how they are going to fit us all on the track next year. Whatever they do, we can only hope that the weather on 7th April, 2013 is a little cooler than the 15th April was this year!

Running the "Half"

For those in the know, the first Sunday after Easter can mean only one thing - it's time to run a half marathon. The Geelong Half Marathon to be precise, hosted by the Geelong Cross Country Association along the banks of the scenic Barwon River. This year I saddled up and participated for the third year running (pardon the pun). As usual it was a battle to find the motivation to get out there and do it and as usual, once I'd finished I was pleased I had completed it. Not as pleased as the last two years when I'd run better times, but still happier than if I had not done it at all.

Start of the Geelong Half Marathon 2011

So, what is the half marathon, where does it go and who participates? As the name indicates it is a race run over 21,097m - half the distance of a full marathon. The Geelong Half Marathon starts under the James Harrison Bridge at 9am on the first Sunday after Easter. From there, runners take the scenic route around Belmont Common before heading along the path to Breakwater where they cross the bridge and head upriver to Fyansford. Next come a couple of twists and turns around the Fyansford Pub (unfortunately the only beverage on offer in the vicinity is water and that grabbed on the run from a helpful volunteer) before heading across first the Moorabool River, the anabranch which connects the Barwon and Moorabool Rivers and then across the Barwon itself for the long haul to the finish line.
All very scenic as I have previously described, but probably somewhat lost on the puffing populace propelling themselves with varying degrees of difficulty around the course. I wish I could say that I am so distracted by the pleasant surroundings as I run, that I feel no pain, but that is never the case. By the time I hit the 14/15km mark it is just hard work and the fact that I can envisage every rise and fall between there and the finish line doesn't help either.
Having made it as far as the finish line, the successful competitor is greeted by a variety of enthusiastic supporters and a battalion of over-anxious officials keen to retrieve the timing chip you've just taken for a 21km trot. The only thing left at this point is to stagger towards the drinks table, engage in a little rehydration and hang around to watch the remaining competitors finish and the winners receive their prizes.
And so to "who". Well, anyone who thinks they can make the distance really and with a little training that probably includes most of the healthy population. Over the last few years the field has been growing as more people decide to give it a go, but at the pointy end of the field, it also provides an opportunity for the local up-and-comings to have a crack against a wider field as there are always a few decent runners from out of town. A half marathon is also a good distance for those in training for the full marathon and in particular, the Great Ocean Road Marathon which is run only a few weeks after and which boasts an international field of some repute and a view to die for.
By comparison, the Barwon may not be quite so spectacular, however it is a comfortable course with a few rises here and there to break the monotony, but nothing too soul-destroying. The trees which line the route also provide some welcome shade should the weather be a little warm for running (although there's been no serious risk of that in the last couple of years).  And when I really need some distraction from the state of my legs and my lungs, there is always the river to watch or birds to count.
So far, I haven't ventured much beyond half marathon distance which I have run many times (although only three times under competitive conditions) but for some time I have been considering running from Geelong to Queenscliff along the Bellarine Rail Trail (about 34km from the Show Grounds to the Queenscliff Station). However, that's for another time. On Sunday, 1st May, along with exactly 799 other runners, I hit the river trail and ran the "half".

So, how did I do? In comparison to my previous two runs it was a disappointment and I by no means troubled those at the front of the field, but then, I never do. I did however, finish in roughly the top 25% of women in my age group and in a similar position relative to all women (318) in the field. Overall, I came 366th of 800 runners, so I beat most of the field home - men and women. Maybe by next year I'll have improved my times again - or at least come to terms with my dwindling pace.
I should I guess express my thanks to the unknown runner who, in the last hundred metres or so, decided that a sprint finish was the way to go and thereby no doubt improved my time by some several seconds. I'd overtaken him a short distance earlier and thought I had him, but he pipped me on the line.

So, after handing over my timing chip, knocking back a water or two and catching up with a friend who'd made it home before me, there was nothing to do but wait for the presentations and head for home and a hot shower.