SMH Half Marathon 2005

Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon
22 May 2005
Race Report

The morning was crisp, the sky a milky blue – hazy with the dawn’s urban smog.
After knocking back some oaty date cookies and a sugary hot choc, I strapped on my running shoes, roused Gareth out of bed, and hurried himself and myself out the door. His parents were visiting and getting up early on a Sunday after an olive oil-laden meal at a Greek restaurant the night before, was not high on our wish list.

It wasn’t long before I was in the holding pen, waiting for the signal. The Australians are lot cheekier and I chuckled at the way the man on the loud speaker tried to coax the ‘preferred runners’ to the start of the pack…”Do yooooues have wax in yer ears or sometheeng – would preferred runners make their way to the front…ploise!”

Waiting, waiting…tops coming off and flying overhead out to support crews on the sidelines. Mothers clutching prams and holding toddlers close! Go!

It took a good few minutes for all 5,000 of us half marathoners to make it over the mark. There was just the one half marathon running event – and now I know why. Sheer numbers. I felt I never broke free, the field was thick the entire way through! The double 10k lap consisted of a run through the Rocks, up Hunter St (killer hill) onwards to a loop in the Domain (I never thought a place so pretty could now carry so many painful associations for me!) and back through town, up another hill at The Rocks and looping back to the start. Ouch – I’ve discovered I don’t like double circuit courses! Mentally very challenging – I felt spent after 5k!

Anyway, I made it to the end in 1.40 – a respectable time more than a year after my last half marathon, but also one which is hard to swallow when it’s 7 minutes slower than your pb – but that’s running! Time chasing is such a tenacious game. Things come when you least expect it, and it is my philosophy not to impregnate events with expectation. I find it hard not to get caught up in it over here though. Things are a lot less competitive at home in NZ, a bit more free-spirited.

I look forward to running on home turf again soon – see you all on June 26th.