Melbourne Marathon 2011
Back to Melbourne Marathon missions central
I am number 49...
...6000+ marathoners charging at the start behind us...
The eventual winner in 2.11 again (back to back wins) is number 1.
My west australian teammates Kevin, Dan and Grant are also in this photo.
Kevin, myself and Japhet (number 1) shared the lead for the first 500m.
...
Dan and I keeping the NSW runner honest early on...
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Pb is gone now at 41km, I am just angrily passing other runners in the last few km, whenever my severely cramping calf allows me to...
...
quad cramps on me right at the finish...
My best ever Melbourne Marathon time in 4 finishes and my 4th best marathon time in 15 finishes.
2004 Perth in 3.55, 2008 Perth in 3.55 and 2005 Perth in 4.02 the only faster ones so far.
My Melbourne Marathon 2011 time was 4hrs 2 minutes 49 secs.
Half splits 1.47/2.15. Got to 1km in 4.07, 2km in 8.42, 3km in 13.10, 6km in 27.40
10km in 47.35, 14km in 68.31, 20km in 1.41.06, Half in 1.47.35,
28km in 2.26.56 and 30km in 2.38.49.
Due to too big a gap between drinks at 25km and 37km, and need for an extra gel into the headwind,
I badly faded out to 7min 30 K's using a walk jog strategy to survive to my drinks at 37km in 3.31, and then came home ok although battling severe cramps after getting to 39km in 3.45.
PB chance wasted! very disappointed, but a good run still.
Pleased I explored some maybe uncharted territory in first 6km and almost again at 28km to 30km, which may help me if God gives me another opportunity to try and smash the PB...
So a good race to have done, although 8-33min short of what I was aiming for...Frustating that my 2004 PB is still intact...but a special race for many reasons.
First time I have represented Western Australia in non Masters championships since 2000 (11 years ago), and the moments in the lead I will never forget.
Back to Melbourne Marathon missions central
I got my hotel room for $110 and I booked it on an internet terminal at Melbourne airport at 1215pm...my flight arrived in Melbourne at 1205pm saturday afternoon...
Kevin took this photo is in my hotel room the night before the race...
could see ships in the ocean on the other side of albert park from this window in my room on the 5th floor ...
only managed 2 hours sleep on friday night and the same on saturday night. To get to Melbourne I used a cashies loan to pay for $300 flight over there, and then there was the $60 bus ticket for an 8 hour bus trip (2000hrs to 0400hrs) from Melbourne to Canberra, so I could use my frequent flyer points to fly home...
Warning....everything below this line is highly obsessive runner stats stuff; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparisons of my 4 best marathons 28km, 30km, and 39km splits
(1. 2004 Perth 3.55.02, 2. 2008 Perth 3.55.10 3. 2005 Perth 4.02.29 4. 2011 Melbourne 4.02.49;) Here is a very rough paste (still under construction will have to come back to this and edit it properly...) of some blogging thoughts;
re: comparing my best 4 marathons 2004 Perth 3.55.02 2008 Perth 3.55.10 2005 Perth 4.02.29 2011 Melbourne 4.02.49;
Particular emphasis on 28km, 30km and 39km splits, but for the 2005 Perth Marathon I was only able to find a 30km split at this stage from my online stuff...
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This is a reproduction of part of my blog of my 2008 Perth Marathon where I ran my second best marathon a 3.55.10 (8 seconds outside my PB)...
Also some info and splits from my writings about my Melbourne Marathon 2011 in 4.02...
In brackets and bold I have started adding Melbourne Marathon 2011 splits and also my 2004 Perth Marathon PB of 3.55.02 (linked to race report) 2004 Perth here.
It has confirmed my suspicions that my 28k and 30k times in Melbourne Marathon 2011 were my 2nd fastest splits ever in a road marathon, and at 30km I was well and truly in the ballpark to PB at that stage.
At this point I was 2minutes behind my 2004 Perth Marathon splits (where I ran 3.55.02)for 28km or 30km in a road marathon, and 3 minutes ahead of my 2008 Perth Marathon splits for 28km and 30km where I ran 3.55.10
Here is a very rough paste (still under construction will have to come back to this and edit it properly...) of some blogging thoughts;
re: comparing my best 4 marathons 2004 Perth 3.55.02 2008 Perth 3.55.10 2005 Perth 4.02.29 2011 Melbourne 4.02.49;
Particular emphasis on 28km, 30km and 39km splits;
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This might seem inconsequential for some, but for me its useful analysis for the future hopefully...
Melbourne Marathon 2011;
final time was 4hrs 2 minutes 49 secs.
Half splits 1.47/2.15. Got to 1km in 4.07, 2km in 8.42, 3km in 13.10, 6km in 27.40
10km in 47.35, 14km in 68.31, 20km in 1.41.06, Half in 1.47.35,
28km in 2.26.56 and 30km in 2.38.49.
Due to too big a gap between drinks at 25km and 37km, and need for an extra gel into the headwind,
I badly faded out to 7min 30 K's using a walk jog strategy to survive to my drinks at 37km in 3.31, and then came home ok although battling severe cramps after getting to 39km in 3.45.
PB chance wasted! very disappointed, but a good run still.
Pleased I explored some uncharted territory in first 6km and at 28km to 30km, which may help me if God gives me another opportunity to try and smash the PB...
Perth Marathon 2008;
Half marathon splits 1.46.25/2.08.45
14k splits; 67/82/85
5k splits;
0-10k; 22.55/24.31/
10k-20k; approx. 25.20/27.20
20k-30k; about 29min/about 32min
30k-40k; 32.25/29.36?
1k-4.20 3k-13.18 4k 18.06 5k 22.55
6k-27.47 7k-33.35 10k-47.26 (fastest 10k this year)
Hitting about 4.30-4.55's...
12k-57.06 (fastest 12k this year) 13k- 62.10 14k-67.11 (fastest 14k this year)
settled into about 4.50--5.10's...
16k-1.18 20k-1.40.03 21.1k-1.46.25
Finding it hard physically and mentally to stay motivated from there on, but tried to work hard through Tompkins Park...
24k 2.03 25k 2.09
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28k-2.29
2011 (Melbourne 2011;2.26.56) 2004 Perth; (2.24.18)
30k-2.41.11
(Melbourne 2011; 2.38.49),2004 Perth; (2.36.00), (In the 2005 PERTH MARATHON when I ran 4.02.29, my 30km split was 2.41)
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32k-2.53.15 (fastest 32k this year) 33k-2.59.57 34k-3.06.46 35k-3.13.36
...
36k-3.19.10 37k-3.25.08 38k-3.31.11?
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39k-3.37.10?
(Melbourne 2011; 3.45) (2004 Perth; 3.34.07)
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40k-3.43.12?
Going ok though, starting to get some 5.50-6.10 per k stuff going...
had drunk all 3 gatorades, and 2 of my GU's, plus some pepsi (at coode st) which gave me a good kick in the last few km, by about 39k...
41k-3.49.11 42k 3.54.26
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