July 11th, 2008
Gold Coast, Australia
I optimistically prepared for all my previous marathons with just one apprehension, the weather. For this run, the weather was the only optimistic variable.
This was my third marathon in six months. Having done Boston just 11 weeks earlier, I prepared with a short 10 week training cycle instead of my usual 15-18. Boston itself was only 12 weeks after Houston and I had a reduced training cycle for it as well. I had not run a complete, and varied, macro training cycle for six months.
My greatest trepidation was the journey. The marathon was just six days after I arrived in Australia. Having made this trip a half dozen times, I knew I would be fatigued after the 27 hour point-to-point transcontinental trip. When I arrived last year, my ankles had swollen to the size of Krispy Cream doughnuts after sitting rolled-up in coach for the 15 hour LA to Sydney segment. They stayed swollen for a week.
I was also concerned about the logistics. Back in February I discussed the marathon with my wife, which means I asked permission to fly up north for a weekend during our trip. To my surprise, my wife responded that it would be great; the Gold Coast has much to see and do. So much so that my wife decided she would come, with: my children, my mother, her mother and father, her sister and brother in-law, her cousin Bronwyn and husband Bob, their three children, Bronwyn's mum and dad, and uncle Richard. We could stay the whole week! There was the natural wildlife bush walk, sea world, the beach swims, and much much more! Certainly a great family outing, but not exactly optimal preparation for a 26.2 mile race.
I became so pessimistic about running a good race, that with just four weeks remaining in my training cycle I decided to switch to the half-marathon. I called my friend John who was preparing for the San Fran marathon. After listening to my lamentations, he concurred and thought I was making the right decision, "Hey, do what you have to do, wussy. Why do the half, maybe they have a two mile senior citizens walk. Perhaps a mom can make room in her baby jogging stroller and push you." Needless to say, I finished my training cycle preparing to run the full marathon.
At least I could be optimistic about the weather. Being on the other side of the equator, it would be the middle of winter. I had been web-surfing the weather in Sydney; the lows were in the 40s, and the highs upper 50s to low 60s. As the Gold Coast was 500 miles to the north, I safely assumed it would be just as cold, and probably colder. Unfortunately, the trip was DownUnder; I should have known that everything would come to fruition in the opposite.
Though I certainly was not in better shape than when I posted my 3:18 in Houston six months earlier, I felt I had maintained that condition. Most corporate sponsors have pace runners staggered every 10 minutes: 3:00, 3:10, 3:20, etc. Gold Coast had 15 minute intervals, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30. With good conditions 3:15 was a good goal as it would be a PR.
For the long flight, I bought airplane compression socks. They go knee high and fit very tightly to induce circulation and prevent blood clotting. They did the trick. My ankles were fine and I ran a nice six mile training run just two days after arriving. A couple Tylenol PM helped me get six hours sleep on the plane which abated my jet lag.
When we arrived at the Gold Coast, the sun was shining and it was a nice 72 degrees. I forgot that in the southern hemisphere, it warms as you go north. The week's forecast called for lows in upper 50s, and highs just above 70. Wonderful for a vacation, less than optimal for setting a marathon PR.
The day before the race, my wife gave me the whole day off. After three days of trekking through various site-seeing destinations, I was allowed to sit at home and stay off my feet while she and the clan hit the sites. I felt good and had no apprehension about fatigue pre-race. Saturday it rained on and off all day. The same was forecasted for race morning.
At dawn the streets were wet and puddled from the day before. It was 57, with 80% humidity, but overcast. Robert De Castella, Australian running legend and a Boston marathon winner, was the starter. After a pep-talk he warned, "It's hot and humid today, well for a marathon; go out slow for the race begins at the half way point." At that, we were off.
By mile 1 the 3:15 pacer was 30 meters ahead of me. Due to congestion this didn't bother me. By mile two, 50 meters. Coming to mile four he was 100 meters ahead. This really dampened my spirits. I felt I was running OK, but I figured I must have slow leg turnover. I hit the mile four split in 29:48, right on pace (just 2 seconds off)! I guess the 3:15 pacer ate a large vegemite breakfast and was going to run his own pace. Good for him, not much help to me.
By mile five I was right on pace, but sweating too much. It then started to drizzle and the air felt heavy. At mile eight I slowed at a water station to refill the handheld bottle of Gatoraid I had been carrying. I guess in Australia, they take water station literally, just water, no Gatoraid or any other electrolyte. This was going to be a problem as dehydration was a probability. I slowed my pace.
I past the half-marathon mark in 1:39:42, right at a 3:20 pace. However, the clouds had partied; the sun began to shine through brightly. At mile 16 I was showing signs of dehydration as my pulse increased and my breathing was shallow. At 18.5, I locked-up. I slowed to 10:00 min/ miles the last seven long miles.
I finished in 3:38:38 placing 863 out of 3630 finishers. Overall, I was ambivalent. I had a respectable time and finished in top 25%, but why off my potential. It was great to run an international event. Surprisingly, one of the most interesting aspects were these two post-race anecdotes.
While waiting to pickup my post-race bag, I stood next to what seemed like a homeless man. He had a long scraggly beard and looked emaciated. Then a young tall well-shaped Australian blond approached and he asked her with an Australian accent,
"How'd you do?"
"3:58:59, I was ecstatic. So what's that for you 168?" she asked.
"Yeah, 168," he replied.
After thinking about it for a few seconds I asked if he meant 168 marathons. "Yeah." I asked how old he was and he said 57. When I expressed my astonishment, he added, "Yeah, there is a group of six of us here that have run over 100. One guy over 200." Doing the math, that's running a marathon every other month for 30 years straight!
Secondly, cousin Bronwyn had several times mentioned her friend Talitha. Talitha was a 1500 meter runner in college and had represented Australia in the Commonwealth games. Now in her old age, 36, she wanted to see if she could to a marathon. I gave Bronwyn tidbits of advice to pass on to Talitha.Bronwyn told me something Talitha was doing, personal hydration bottles. For a $ 5 fee, the day before the race you could give race organizers up to five personal drinking bottles filled with your liquid of choice (i.e. Gatoraid). They would place them on special tables along the course, each table outlined with a color and numbered matrix to locate your bottle. I thought to myself, "The odds of your bottle actually being there come race day, less than 50%. Besides, what serious runner has time to stop and actually find it?" Little did I know.
The Monday after the race, the local paper published all the results in finishing place order. 863 David G. Jones 40-44 Male 3:38:38864 Talitha Crawford 35-39 Female 3:38:40 What are the odds!?
David Jones
