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Friday, December 23, 2011

Mizuno Brand Ambassador for 2012

Yahoo!! An early Christmas present and a fabulous way to finish off the year.

Yesterday afternoon I was (very literally) dancing around the house after receiving an email from Mizuno offering me a place in the Mizuno Brand Ambassador Program for 2012.

I've been fortunate enough to have support from Mizuno since 2010, after winning the National Capital Marathon in Canberra. The timing back then was serendipitous - I was desperately looking for new shoes for both racing and training because the brand I had worn for many years completely changed the models I wore and they were causing me no end of trouble. I thought it may have just been me, especially after being told by a fitting specialist there wasn't a significant change in the shoes, but my husband and a couple of friends were also having problems with their arch support and archilles, so it was definitely more than my imagination.

I had never tried Mizuno before (simply because I was lazy and it was easy to stick with something else while it was working for me), and I was thrilled to find they were exactly what I was looking for. I was recommended the Nirvana for training and the Elixir for racing, and both proved to be spot on.

Not only did Mizuno support me by providing me with shoes, they also gave me a clothing allowance so, for the first time, I started to get outfits that not only fitted really well, but actually matched! So exciting!

I was invited on board again in 2011, and I was just so grateful (and surprised) that an international company like Mizuno would actually consider me worthy of representing its brand. Again, I got some fantastic kit, including the coolest looking shoes I've ever had to date - the Elixir 6 (pictured left). Love, love, love them. Everyone does.

A little while ago all the 2011 Brand Ambassadors received an email thanking us for the year and explaining the program was going to be consolidated for 2012 and only those selected for 2012 would be receiving another email. I very honestly thought that was the end of a very good (very lucky!) wicket for me. I was so sure that I actually went and purchased a new pair of Mizunos from the store because mine needed replacing!

Needless to say I am absolutely over the moon to have the opportunity to represent Mizuno again this year. It has been such a privilege, and I desperately hope I can have a few excellent performances over the next 12 months to prove their selection was warranted.

Now, I can't WAIT to see what the new range is like! Happy days!

Monday, December 19, 2011

A break!

I was flicking through my calendar (yes, I still use a paper and pen diary!) and I found myself a little surprised at everything I've done over the past couple of months. I am not a prolific racer, so the number of events I've done in succession is a little different for me - but I'm feeling quite good about it.

The Sydney Marathon debacle in September was followed by the Melbourne Marathon success in October. Usually after a marathon I'll give myself at least four weeks before I race any distance again, just because I think my body needs that time to recover.

Exactly four weeks after Melbourne I did the Horribly Hilly Half Marathon, which was a very informal and fun affair organised by the infamous Ratdog and co. That was a super, super hot morning, made worse by the fact I had neglected to read the race instructions and didn't realise there was only one point (very early) on the course that I could get water. No wonder everyone was carrying their own!

The following week was Nepean Tri, which I really enjoyed.

Then came a half marathon at SMC (first place). The next week was the Central Coast Half (second place behind the spectacular Kirsten Molloy who I became friendly with at Melbourne as we were both on the NSW team that won the state teams challenge). The week after that was the Balmain 10k fun run (first place).

Then a weekend without any racing, a really hectic week of work, followed by another half marathon at SMC (first place) yesterday.

And now there's less than a week until Christmas - my absolute FAVOURITE time of the year - and only two more days of work. Hurrah!


Sunday, December 4, 2011

A win at Balmain 10k

Believe it or not, this was my first ever 10k race - and it wasn't a nice and flat one either!


I was really pleased to come away with the win today, especially seeing as though the body is feeling a bit fatigued because I've raced for the past five weekends. Combined with it being the end of the year, which is always the busiest time for me at work, I'm feeling a bit drained and well and truly ready for a break over Christmas.


I've always avoided 10k races - and the longer I avoided them, the more nervous I became about ever doing one. However, the time has come for me to bite the bullet and do the speed work. I know I'm not going to get much faster over a marathon if I continue to neglect this shorter stuff, so the year ahead will bring some shorter races. Fast twitch muscles I will find you in there somewhere!


I was very surprised at how hilly (i.e. tough!) the course was. I have trained around the Bay Run a bit, because work is nearby, so I thought most of the run would be pretty flat. Err, no.


Ended up finishing first woman home in 38:47, which I found out later was a course record by about three-and-a-half minutes. Was I happy with the way it went? Well, the time was slower than the 10k I did off the bike at Nepean (37:46), so that was disappointing, but I was happy to win and even happier to finally get the 10k monkey off my back. It was a very low key and friendly event, and I'll definitely be back again next year.


One thing I really loved was watching the kids run/walk the 2k event - especially the really young ones. They were so determined and looked so happy when they crossed the finish line.


While I was waiting for the presentation I did another 9k around the bay and some side streets - it's such a nice place to run.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Nepean Triathlon

It's funny, but it took a triathlon to really make me feel like a runner.

I did my first Nepean Tri yesterday. It was my second triathlon ever (my first was a women's Trishave sprint in early 2010).

One of the greatest things about this race was my complete lack of the usual race nerves. There was a little concern that I might crash the bike, but the horrible nerves I am plagued with whenever I have a running race were conspicuously absent. It was lovely, and I put it down to the fact that I knew the tri didn't matter. No pressure, no demands for a certain time. Super way to go into it.

The wonderful people at Panther Cycles had squeezed my bike in for a last minute service, so she was all ready for her second race outing. I had a new two-piece tri suit that was not only comfortable and fit me really well but matched my bike too. Thanks Zoot!

The time
I guessed I'd do around two hours, given my lack of bike skills, and I was bang on - 1:59:52.

Swim - 19:00
I thought I'd go a bit quicker in the swim - 19 mins was slow compared to what I do in the pool, but maybe I underestimated how much the kicks and punches to the head and body would take! I copped a few good ones over the first 250 metres (especially from one girl who seemed to be making a sport of it!), but I gave a few too. I felt fine during the swim, breathing every stroke and using other people as guides rather than trying to sight the buoy. It was comfortable - is it supposed to be comfortable? Triathlon's a whole different beast and I have no idea how the pacing thing works.

Bike - 1:03:05
Yes, OK - I know this is bad!! The first lap gave me a chance to feel things out and see how aggressive other people were going to be in the technical sections - I didn't want anyone too close as I was cornering in case I decided to be unintentionally unpredictable! I lost LOTS of time, and again, maybe I should have worked harder. The second lap was better than the first because I knew what was coming - still, people motored past me like they were on motorbikes and I was riding a shopping trolley. Funnily enough, it didn't worry me and I was enjoying myself. I found myself looking forward to the run because, as I said to myself, 'My body knows exactly what to do."

Run - 37.46
Yeah baby, that's right - 37:46. I had no idea I would run this well off the bike. I actually felt awful for the first four kilometres, I thought I was going really slowly despite the fact I was passing lots of people. My legs felt heavy and I had to concentrate to get myself moving. I took a few seconds in the transition area to drink some Gatorade, then popped a gel as I ran out, and by the first water station I was wondering how the hell people do IM!!

By the second lap I got a bit of rhythm, but I certainly felt like I was working hard. Part of me was thinking, 'Oh god, please don't let me run over 40 minutes because this is feeling harder than that." When I finished I had no idea of the split, and I thought I'd done about 39 mins. I hadn't been keeping my eye on my watch so I wasn't sure what had gone down.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that I logged on to the results to see my run split. To say I was pleased is an understatement. I was over the moon! I haven't got a 10k PB - I've never raced a 10k before, so I've only been able to guess what time I'd do by looking at splits from longer races. And this is where we come to me not feeling like a real runner.

There's a part of me that (very honestly) doesn't feel like I am a runner. I know I can put together a decent marathon, but I think there's a big difference between being able to run long and being able to perform well at the shorter distance races. 10k has always scared me because I think it would be a confirmation of me not being a 'real' runner. I know that 37:46 isn't a super time in the top Australian women's scheme of things, but whenever I hear of someone who runs about that time I think, "Wow, that's good." And if I heard they'd done it off the bike, I'd think, "Wow, that's even better."

So now I have a 10k time that I would have considered 'good' before I'd done it. And I'm really, really pleased with that. And I feel like a runner. (Which is good because I'm certainly not a cyclist!!!).

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Wanna, Wanna, Wanna

Clearly, now my PB is closer to 2:50 than 3:00, all I can think of is getting a time that begins with 2:4X. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Melbourne Marathon - 2:54:56!

20k, Melbourne Marathon.

Well, I've had a roller coaster few weeks, but I've ended up in a really good place.

Long version or short? Probably long, because I've avoided the blog for a while, so I'll need to fill things in.

Lets go back to the last blog entry - I think it was just after running 2:56:02 in Cities M7 and it said something like, "I want to go faster."

This was in anticipation of my 'A' race of the year - the Sydney Marathon. I had based my whole year around doing well in this race (even giving up a free trip to race in Noumea), and three weeks before it I was feeling on fire. Then, two weeks before it, I got the flu.

I missed the NSW half mara championships, which I wanted to do as a good hit out before Sydney, because I was flat on my back in bed feeling like death warmed up. It hung around for a while, then when the main symptoms had abated, the cough and congestion on my chest remained. The week before Sydney I knew things weren't perfect - I felt lethargic and my breathing (especially when swimming) was all over the place. Still, I went to Sydney thinking it might be OK, and maybe I was just being a little sensitive because I was nervous.

SYDNEY

On the start line I had the driest mouth ever. I was so thirsty, but there was nowhere to get a drink before the gun went off. I started OK - the front women formed a pack and were running at what would have been a comfortable pace for me, but I was feeling like shite and knew things were going to go pear shaped. By 10k I was about 40 seconds behind the pack and it kept going downhill from there. My breathing started to sound like Darth Vader and my chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. I walked - a number of times. I got to the top of Macquarie Street - about 31k - and it was all over red rover. I stopped, asked myself if I was actually about to get my first DNF, then walked off the course.

There were tears during that long walk down to the Opera House to find my husband.

Two days later, I decided I wasn't going to let it beat me. I contacted Athletics NSW and asked if I could be on the NSW team for the Melbourne Marathon. I've made the team the past two years, but didn't apply this year because Sydney was the goal. The race had sold out, so all I needed was an entry. They said yes, and I had three weeks to get my chest, as well as my mind, in the right condition to run well.

MELBOURNE
I kept it very low key - didn't talk about it much, tried not to think about it - I wanted to avoid all the nerves. My headspace wasn't right - I think I had told myself that Sydney was the last big race of the year, so it was hard to have to readjust everything when it went to pieces. Even as I arrived in Melbourne (on my own - no husband in tow) I really didn't want to be there.

Had the elite athlete briefing at the MCG on Saturday, and started to feel a little more motivated, and a little more nervous. By Saturday night, I just wanted to get it over and done with.


MCG - pre-race.
Warming up under the MCG.

Woke up at 4am. Breakfast (baby food and rice - works a treat and doesn't make me puke when racing). Electrolyte drink.
Checked a friend's progress in Kona - thanked the gods that I was only doing a marathon when he was doing Ironman!!


Checked in at the elite athlete room at the MCG at about 5.30am. Stuck mostly to myself - a couple of quick chats with friends, but I was mostly trying to get my mind in the right place.
Warm up under the MCG (very cool).
Walk to start.
A bit more chatter with the ladies - this was good as it kept things relaxed.

Bang.

Felt smooth from the start, which was a relief. I got into my rhythm early and it felt good. Temperature was great, it wasn't too crowded (until the dreaded merge) and I was consistently hitting 4 min/k pretty easily.

At 6k I heard someone come up behind me, "I'd recognise you anywhere!" - It was my Canberra Marathon buddy Keith. For the past three years we've ended up running together for a substantial part of the Canberra Marathon - although he'd caught up tp me early in this race, so I assumed he must be in good form. We kept each other company for a while, going through 10k in just under 40 minutes - a split I was very happy with.

Then, the dreaded 'uh-oh' moment. I needed to go to the toilet.

My pace slowed a little bit, and Keith pulled slightly ahead (great run Keith - I know you'll read this eventually. Congratulations!). I sat with the 2:50 pace group and our pace felt good, but I knew I was going to have to have a pit stop. So, just like in M7 Cities, I pulled off the course at 18k (yes, exactly the same marker as in Cities) and did what had to be done.

The bugger was that I lost the 2:50 pace group, which would have been really handy when we hit the head wind because I would have been able to tuck in behind the bigger guys and conserve a bit of energy.

Once I got into the headwind (25/6k maybe? Not sure), I hit a bit of a low patch. At this point I thought of my friend in Kona, and the conditions he would have been facing there. I had it easy in comparison!

The wind did feel pretty tough, and I began to worry it was really going to slow me down. I was feeling OK, but I wasn't sure how much time I was losing.

The merge with the half marathon runners was a pain, and is the only negative (and a big one at that) in what is otherwise a brilliant race. Many of them were wearing iPods, so they didn't hear you coming up behind them, and some stopped right in front of me. I copped a cup full of sports drink at a drink station when an iPod wearer stopped running and grabbed a cup as I was running through trying to get one. The worst one was the woman who stopped to pose for a photographer, causing me to nearly crash. At least I had it better than Kirsten, who won the Australian Championships. As she was coming through she was yelling out asking people to move aside (as you would if you're on your way to winning a national title) and one person turned around and told her to f*** off. Disgraceful.

But I digress. As I got closer to the end (and we lost the half runners for a while) I started to feel quite strong, and began passing a few runners. The next time I hit the half marathoners it was mayhem. This lot were running at a much slower pace so it was very difficult to move around them, and I've no doubt this cost lots of marathoners some valuable time. It wasn't their fault (although the iPods didn't help) - this aspect of the race just needs to be addressed.

Almost before I knew it, the finishing chute was upon me - in the last few seconds of the 2:54s. Cadence increased - I wanted 2:54, not 2:55!!

Finishing time: 2:54:56
Tenth place
Eighth (or maybe seventh?) in Australian Championships
Gold medal for NSW team with Kirsten Molloy and Magda Karimali-Poulos.

I've seen the finishing photos, and the relief at achieving what I'd originally planned for in Sydney is written all over my face.

Yep, pretty pleased right now. THAT was the race I wanted for my last marathon of 2011! 

Relief and elation!





Monday, October 3, 2011

New blog

This is a continuation of a blog I've had for years on Coolrunning. 


You can read the old blog here.