Training Log Archive: GM

Event: Wagga Wagga trail marathon
 

Wagga Trail Marathon. A PB, which was easy because this was my first. The longest I had run before this was the Cockies Christmas run last year, or the Googong half the other week if you want to count a proper race.

The original course is a circumnavigation of Wagga along many parts of the Wiradjuri track, but due to all the recent rain the original course couldn't be used as the trail beside the river was flooded in many places. The organisers decided on Friday to shift the start to the Wagga Boat Club on Lake Albert and make it an out-and-back course. So essentially they took out all the flat bits and made everyone do all the hills twice. At least that is better than running on roads which would be so boring.

I started well and was feeling very comfortable for the first 10km (48:15) but had to keep reminding myself to take it easy. A few km further on I started running with Marcus from Wagga - he is training for the Hawaiian Ironman at the moment but we were going at the same pace so it was nice to run with and talk to someone for a while. He eventually pulled out at 25km and then I was on my own.

The hills weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be, even the climb to the top of Pomingalama wasn't hard, and the views back over Wagga were great. This was a little side excursion to the top of the hill, then back down to rejoin the main trail heading West. This is where I crossed with RobW, but Frogger had passed while I was going to the top and back. I had a rough check of the time at the half way point and I think it was about 1:45 to 1:46, which means I did the second half about 13 minutes slower, but this isn't surprising. Pity, because for a while I was thinking that around 3:30 was possible, but as acejase said "32km is half way"

My calves started getting tight at about 28km so I slowed down a bit to take the strain off. I was still feeling ok passing through the 32km drinks station, but not long after I started to get a few cramps in my left calf. I was then in management mode all the way back to the finish, but only had to walk a couple of times to stretch my legs.

Coming through the drink station at 35km the guy there said "They are just interviewing the winner on the radio". "Great" I thought, but then realised it was probably Grant, and it was, so that made me feel better. For the last km I just tried to relax everything and actually felt quite good - knowing I was about to finish must have helped too.

Grant blitzed the course and the field to win in 2:49 (previous record was 3:03), and RobW was second in just under 3hrs - another excellent effort. I'm not sure of my place, especially with a lot of people running the marathon relay, but hopefully it was somewhere in the low teens. Actually ended up 10th, and 2nd in the M50-59 age group. A long way from 9th though.

I used three gels in the race, taking one each hour, plus a few Gu chews. I grabbed an electrolyte drink about 10 minutes before each hour and ran with the plastic drink sausage in my hand for about 10mins to warm it up a bit - they were very cold. I think the eating/drinking worked well - as did my SPI belt for carrying the gels and chews.


I was a bit stiff and sore as soon as I stopped, but then I walked that out for about 10 minutes, and felt much better. The hot shower at the Boat Club was wonderful too, but the sausage sandwich was awful. Luckily Grant and I stopped at Jugiong on the way back and had afternoon tea with Rob, Al, Max and Mira. The apple and walnut cake was so good, as was the coffee.

Still can't work out why people keep doing these though - they are hard work.

Nice warm up along the shoreline of Lake Albert. No warm down - couldn't face running any more.

C • Great effort Grant 12

C • wow 2