Training Log Archive: devil

Event: City to Surf
 

Got to the start at about 7, but by the time I'd queued up for toilets it was close to 7.30. Luckily I had a preferred start so worked my way through to the road out the front of the race and ran up to the tunnel and back with bourney. So after a quality prance it was time to pack into the start for the race.

The first time I've done the city to surf, so wasn't really sure what to expect along the course apart from stueys tip of going through the left hand tunnel. The main aim was to get under 52, which is the preferred start cut off, but thought going under 50 would be a big ask. I was near the back of the start group with daveo and humpty, but got up to speed pretty quickly. The start is a bit downhill, so there's a temptation to go off very fast. I didn't look at my watch until the first drinks which was abut 4km, saw it was just over 14 mins which seemed good, and I had a steady pace going. Purple shorts guy was running near me, as well as someone in a full suit and tie. About the 5km mark I thought I heard someone shouting 'devil', turns out it was lucymcg who wasn't running. There were a few little hills early on, so I tried to use the downhills to speed up. Then it was onto heartbreak hill, this was long and steady, rather than a tough climb, which gave me my slowest km but didn't take too much out of me. I did drop purple shorts and the suit man here though. I was expecting a bit of downhill after that but it was more undulating, so kept on with trying to get a fast turnover on the downhills. The weather, which had been windy then got a bit wet on the last climb before bondi. Then it was downhill into bondi, there was a stiff headwind going along the top of the beach, but I was feeling pretty good still so don't think it slowed me too much. Seemed like a long last km before the turn into the finish where I managed a bit of a sprint. Gun time was 51.15 so took 12s to get over the start line, 159th overall. Pretty happy with that time, not tapering seems to work pretty well.
Saw scotty after who'd done 54 out of the red start, lucymcg and a few actrunners and bilbys. Good race to have done, organisation is amazing to get 85000 people over the course, shame it wasn't a sunny day as i missed out on the post-run swim.

C • 159th 2