Rotorua Marathon 50th

Hard day walking the 50th Rotorua Marathon, recording my slowest marathon walk time to date.

I started with a plan for about 7:07/km, which would bring me home in 5 hours - not my fastest, but not my slowest either. Positioned myself at the front of the field to get a good start, and quickly settled in with Cliff Harrison. The early kms were way to fast for my level of fitness, with the first three being 6:28, 6:43, and 6:31. Oh well, I might as well go with this and see how it would turn out. Through 10km in 1:06:28, a good 4 minutes faster than target. The hills after 10km were generally welcome, providing variety, although they seemed bigger than I remembered them!

Through 20km in 2:16:43, still 4 minutes faster than target, indicating that the last 10km was pretty much at goal pace. A quick toilet stop but I didn't lose much time from that. Down the hill, through the drink station, and turn on to the main road at around 25km. And all of a sudden it started to get hard. My pace was consistently slower than 7:00/km now, and slowed further going up the hill. I still felt ok heading up the hill, but didn't have the fitness to maintain my walking style. Down the other side of the hill I picked up pace again, but was unable to regain my style and slowed drastically.

Through 30km in 3:30:42, I was now on goal time for the 30km, but that meant I had lost roughly 4 minutes in the last 10km (24s/km slower than target). While "on goal time" sounded good, the reality was that I was feeling anything but good. Before long I was slower than 7:30/km and was getting quite sore. A stop for a glute stretch provided temporary relief, but before long I slowed again and ended up walking with my arms down. Another stretch at 36.5km , have a Gu and refuel at the 37km drink station, and stretch again at 38km.

From here everything slowly started to come right. Initially it was just mental, making myself walk with better form and at whatever speed I could manage. But the more I did that the faster I got. Back out on to the main road in to Rotorua, and I was able to accelerate the whole way up the gentle hill and all the way to the finish line. My finish time was 5:15:11, my slowest ever walking marathon.

Pace and elevation chart

In retrospect it seems obvious that going out too fast was a significant contributor to my performance. I had also been having issues with various muscles (lower back, piriformis, glute med) prior to the race, and these were the muscles that required stretching later in the event. But also of note was my significant loss of pace from 32km-38km. I was due to have a Gu just before the 32km drink station, but instead had a small amount of another product, intending to have more later. It looks like I was already fatigued and possibly needed to have an entire Gu right then, but I didn't. The next Gu wasn't until 37km, and I started to come right 1km after that.

Rotorua Marathon

My initial - and publicly stated plan - was to run to 5k, then walk for 5 mins, run to the next 5k marker (i.e. 10k) and repeat until done. In practice I adopted an entirely different strategy... I started running with Heather, keeping a nice controlled pace, and when the 5k mark came around I just kept on running. In the end we stayed together for the entire event.

We walked the hills around the back of the lake, and went through the official half way mark in about 2:16:50. However, after dropping back down on to the flat things started to unravel for both Heather and me. For my part my lack of training was starting to show: I had sore feet, tight calves, sore quads, sore glutes, and my hips were also starting to get a bit sore. Apart from one recent 21km run/walk in the hills, all my runs had been 7km-12km on trails. Apparently 12km isn't really enough if one is planning on doing a marathon! But I had the experience and mental strength from all my ultras, so I was able to keep on going.

Coming back to running after a long break a few lessons were re-learned. One key one for me is that I will blister on the end of my 2nd toes unless I have taped properly or have gel sleeves on those toes. This was always a problem when I used to run marathons, and so it proved to be again!

Our official time was 4:47:54, which turns out to be exactly the same time that Heather recorded last year! Thanks Heather for running with me, it was very enjoyable to have your company for the run.

Postscript: Our GPSes both recorded the course as about 300m long. It's not entirely clear though whether this was a fault in the course measurement or a fault in the way the runners of our speed ran the course: at the 2km everyone stayed in the right hand lane, going wide around the corner, whereas in previous years this corner has always been cut. There wasn't any cones or other markers to keep us in that lane, that's just what everyone did. It's hard to see that it would have accounted for all 300m, but it must have counted for something.

Rotorua Marathon 2008

New PB! 4:52:20. Went comfortably through half way in 2:27:41. From 28km I picked up the pace and raced to the finish, passing at least 10 competitive walkers (and many runners) along the way. Although 8 minutes faster than last year, I still finished in exactly the same place - 7th male walker.

Rotorua Marathon 2007

For the first time in its history, this year the Rotorua Marathon had a category for "competitive walkers" - walkers in this category would be judged to ensure that they were genuinely walking and not running. To assist the scrutineers, walkers started in a separate wave after the runners.

It was raining heavily before the start, so rather than lining up behind the runners, I waited under the comparative shelter of a tree and joined the throng after the runners started and the walkers moved up to the line. The rain continued for the first 11-12km, sometimes heavy, and sometimes relatively light. However there was only the gentlest of breezes, so the rain fell vertically and the temperature was pleasant.

David Sim, Peter Baillie, and another walker moved to the front of the field within the first few metres. I was in fourth, but was very quickly joined by a walker from Taranaki Race Walkers (3154, Wayne Loveridge). Within 500m we had caught the back markers from the runners start (most of whom were walking), and other walkers began to overtake me. Over the next 6km I counted as I progressively slipped back from 5th to 8th to 10th to 12th. Being passed was a little disconcerting, but I was determined to walk at my target pace and not race too early. I told myself that many of those passing me were probably going out too fast would come back to me later in the race, and I just had to hope that this was true!

Chris Aroa passed me between 1km and 2km, together with a couple of other walkers. Things then settled down for a while as I passed a number of the slower runners in front of me. I heard Peter Green and Alan Clarke chatting not far behind me a bit before the 6km mark, but it wasn't until about 9km that they moved up to join me. Alan got ahead on the hill, but then Peter dropped off and I caught Alan. David Jones from Palmerston North then charged ahead of us, but when he was only a short distance ahead he slowed to almost the same pace that we were walking, barely gaining any additional ground. I walked and chatted with Alan for several km. Chris was slowly coming back to us, and eventually we caught her. Alan stopped to attend to an achilles niggle, and Chris and I continued on. At some point Chris dropped off, possibly at a drink station, and I continued on.

In to the hilly sections, I was trying not to push too hard either up or down hills. I wanted to save my quads on the up hills, and I was concerned that the pressure on my heels going downhill might contribute to blisters like I had last year. My pace was a fraction slow, but I was feeling good and kept telling myself that I could make up the time later on. By 20km we were on the more serious of the hills, and I was looking for a suitable location for a toilet stop. Evetnually I found a suitable bush, and while I was stopped at least 4 walkers passed me, including Alan and Chris.

The split time at half way was a bit of a shock -- I had been targetting 2:27, would be happy with anything under 2:30, but actually did 2:30:52. Sub 5 hours was still possible, but I would have to focus.

At about 24.5km we turn the corner on to the main road in to Rotorua. I had three walkers to target in front of me: Richard Davies (3052), Keith Still (3254), and David Jones. Distances were remaining relatively constant, and it looked like it would come down to a question of who had judged pace the best.

Soon we were heading up Rotorua's Heartbreak hill, but I was feeling good. At each km marker from 31km onwards, I would do the mental arithmetic to see if I could finish in under 5 hours. My finish time slowly drifted from 4:57 to 4:58 to 4:59, but I was still in with a chance. At the 32km mark David Jones disappeared into a Portaloo, giving me an easy gain of one place. From 35km I started to pick up the pace, and started to talk to myself to help my concentration. By this time Richard Davies and Keith Still were less than 150m ahead. I was closing in, albeit extremely slowly. At about 38.5km I moved in behind Richard. I sat there for perhaps 25m gathering myself and eating my last Gu, then tried to put in a burst as I went past.

Keith was still some distance ahead, and time to catch him was running out. Through 39km, and then 40km as I very slowly pulled him in. At around 40.5km I caught both Keith and another competitive walker (3083, Doug Gartner) who appeared to have hit the wall. I passed them both but Keith put in a spurt to draw level with me. He dropped behind as we approach a puddle across the path. Around the corner into Hinemoa Street and past the 41km drink station. I grumbled to myself as we were directed down the footpath, as the culverts at each of the road crossings were quite large. Turn the corner and through Princess Gate and its the final push to the finish line. I crossed the line in 5:00:33, not quite under the 5 hour mark, but my best road marathon.

Rotorua Marathon 2006

I went in to this hoping to walk my second marathon in under 5 hours in the space of a month. But a touch of over training and a very busy period at work conspired to thwart my ambitions, and I eventually recorded 5:07:57. Although I placed 10th male walker, the official placings are meaningless because the race organisers advised walkers they were allowed to run, and the first two walkers definitely did run.

The first third of the race went very well, although I probably raced a bit too much. The first couple of kilometres were a little on the fast side, but then I settled in to a good pace. Peter Green from Wanganui caught up to me soon after 2km, and we walked more or less together for the next several kilometres. I would pull ahead going through the drink stations, as I would just use my camelback and Peter would take water from the drink station. By 10km I pulled ahead of Peter and wouldn’t see him again until around 32 or 33km.

I was feeling really good between about 10km and 20km, and I caught and passed several walkers that had passed me earlier. Between about 20km and 23km I played leapfrog with a lady (#53) from Australia, catching her on the hills, and then she’d catch and pass me on the downhills. She jogged beside me for a kilometre on the flat before I had to step off the road for a nature stop. I caught up with her a further kilometre down the road when she had stopped to walk.

I was feeling ok, though not 100%, at 25km, but then rapidly started to deteriorate. As my pace slipped I was passed by two walkers that I had passed earlier. The camber on the road was quite pronounced and my feet were slipping a lot in my shoes. Large blisters started to develop on the medial side of both heels. Betraying my growing fatigue I put off retying my shoes for several kilometres. Definitely a bad move, as this allowed my feet to continue to within my shoes and the blisters got worse!

I may not have been feeling the best, but I had been chasing down a male walker from Hawkes Bay Marathon Clinic. I caught him at about 31km, but then promptly had a couple of very bad kilometres and he got well ahead of me and I completely lost touch with him. At around this time Peter Green caught and passed me, observing that neither of us were doing terribly well at our target of 7:00/km.

The last 10km were much harder work than I had expected, but I concentrated on trying to keep good form. From 39km to 41km seemed like an exceptionally long way. I was well and truly ready for the race to be over. Then we were in to the Government Gardens and past the photographers. A few hundred metres more and down the finish chute.

Rotorua Marathon 2003

New PB - by all of 11s! Had a very good run to record a new PB of 3:15:40. Felt good on the hills.

Rotorua Marathon

Crossing the roundabout 200m from the finish.

New PB of 3:15:51. I had a fantastic race, passing a large number of runners over the last 15km. Had enough in reserve that the last 2km were the fastest in the race.

The day was overcast and cool - only 11 degrees. I went through my pre-race routine of baked beans for breakfast, writing my target splits on my hand, and taping my feet. I was confident of a good time and a new PB, although I thought that the 3h:15m target might be a bit tough.

I was staying with a group from Trentham Harriers. Everyone in the motel unit was ready to go, so we walked down to the start area. A leppin and a drink of water at 25 mins to the start, and time for a team photo. It was still very chilly, but it was much warmer as everyone lined up close together at the start.

The announcer was just saying 5 seconds to start and “boom” … the starting cannon went off. After a short shuffle to make it across the start line, we were off at an easy clip. I had lined up just a little back from the 3h:10m marker, but I was already being passed by a lot of people. I was trying to hold myself back, but I still went through the first km a good 20s faster than planned. Trevor Murphy came flying past, apparently trying to catch a bunch of runners he planned to run with. At about the 2km mark, I was passed by a runner who said he was targeting 3h:30m. I had also run the second km 20s faster than planned, so I expect that he is going out way too fast. Not an uncommon story on the day … I am passed by a lot of runners in the first 5-10km that I will recognize as I pass them around the far side of the lake.

Craig Barret, New Zealand’s best race walker, passed me on the hill at about 10.5km, but he stayed within view for the next few km. The trip around the back of the lake was largely uneventful, although I took it easy on the hills and got a rude shock when I found that I was 20s slow at half way. I must have slowed dramatically. Still, it was largely downhill from here, so I should be able to pick up the pace. As can be see from the graph of race splits, for some reason I slowed right through the first half and then managed to accelerate right through the second half.

Notes: Slower kms are a result of walking through drink stops at 11.1, 15.7, 21.1, 24, 28.2, 32, 34.6, and 37.2kms. Gels were taken at the 11.1, 21.1, 28.2, and 37.2km drink stops.

Coming ’round from the back of the lake on to the main road, there was a large crowd of people. I was feeling rather good and decided to start picking up the pace and start passing other runners. I concentrated on running in time with my breathing while focusing on reeling in the next runner in front of me. There was still 15km to go, but I was already catching and passing runners who looked like they had hit the wall.

Mourea hill, Rotorua’s “heartbreak hill” appeared, looking a little intimidating. However, I’m feeling great. I’m running at a good pace and I’m passing increasing numbers of runners. There’s just the slight worry at the back of my mind that maybe I won’t be able to keep this pace up to the end.

The small contingent of Trentham supporters were positioned along the last 10km. Christine was somewhere around 32km, and Jake and Dave Logan were just before 36km. I was still going strong when I saw Jake and Dave, but started to feel quite fatigued about 700m later. There was a drink stop coming up at 37.2km, and as I got closer I opened the “double caffeine” tangelo PowerGel that I had held in reserve for when I was starting to flag. I walked through the drink station, having a cup of water with most of the PowerGel. Soon after I started running again another runner caught up and passed me. I ran just behind him for a couple of hundred metres, then as the PowerGel started to kick in I drew level with him again. We ran together until about 250m before the 39km marker. At this point I pushed the pace just a little, and within 100m the other runner had dropped off behind.

I was feeling the full effects of the PowerGel by now, and pushed the pace a little more as I went through the 39km mark. According to the splits on my hand I was about 2 minutes down on my target pace, but I had just put in 4:27 for the last km, which was a good 20s faster than what I had planned for.

I was clearly in much better shape than any of the runners around me. While they were clearly struggling, and probably running much slower than 5 mins/km, I was running at an ever-increasing pace. I went straight through the 40km drink stop without having a drink or sponge, continuing to pass more runners. At this point the road starts to curve to the left, and cones were set out to reserve the lane at the edge of the road for the runners. The other runners were reduced to the point where they were no longer thinking - just plodding along the dashed yellow line on the outside of the curve, while I ran the shortest line right next to the cones.

Past a sign indicating 41km, then a right turn to head down the straight towards the Government Gardens. I picked up the pace still further, and was still feeling extremely good. ‘Round the right turn into the Government Gardens and it was down the last straight to the finish. I knew now that I still had a chance to possibly make 3:15. I was starting to feel a little tired again, but I pushed the pace a little as the announcer counted down the seconds to 3:15:00. I had not quite reached the round-a-bout when the count reached zero. The finish was only about 200m from that point, so I kept the same pace and ran through to the finish. 3:15:51! I was rapt. So much for being 2 minutes slow at the 39km mark - I had run the fastest part of my race over the last 2km!

My legs were sore for a few moments, but within a minute or so I felt great. I could have run faster (or for more kms), but I didn’t realistically think at the start of the race that I would have been able to. Clearly a testament to cumulative effect of 18 months training and the long grueling mountain races from earlier in the year. I felt great for the next two days. I had run a marathon without hitting the wall, and had raced the last 15km. Bring on the next one!

Rotorua Marathon

The day dawned cool, clear, and still - perfect running weather for my first ever marathon. There was a great atmosphere at the start line: thousands of runners waiting in anticipation, various television cameras, and a helicopter overhead. A shot of me talking with the Trentham Harriers Club captain, Bruce Grant, even made it on to the television coverage the next weekend.

The course was closed to traffic at the back of the lake between the 15km and 25km marks. This coincides with the hilliest and most scenic part of the course. There were also intermittent fog patches starting from about the 10km mark and continuing throughout this stretch, which was really quite pleasant. The bush around the back of the lake was very picturesque, and it all seemed like a very pleasant training run.

As can be seen from the graph of race splits, everything was going pretty well for the first 30km, with even the hills making little impact on my pace. I had intended to run the first 5km at slower than 5 min/km pace, and then pick the pace up a little from there. However, the first 2km were completed at faster than 5 min/km pace, and then I seemed to slow. For some reason, it didn’t seem to be able to increase pace after the 5km mark. However, the time for the next 20km was OK, and I assumed that I was just a little slow as a result of the cold that I had had all week.

At the 30km mark I was on target for a time of about 3h:30m. However, between the 25km and 30km marks I could feel my legs becoming progressively more painful - calves, thighs, hip joints, the works. The pain from the 30km mark was much greater than I had expected. The slower pace from this point onwards was due entirely to walking breaks each kilometre. The only problem with walking, however, was that it hurt just as much as running, and it didn’t get you there as fast! The 38th km was particularly slow - this was on the deviation from the main road at Owhata. At this point I was looking for reasons to walk. A Portaloo just past the drink stop at about 37.6km provided a welcome, though short, break.

After battling a cold for most of the week, I was a little slower than I had hoped for, but still managed a respectable time - officially 3h:48m:50s, although you can deduct 6s from that for the time that it took to actually get to the start line after the cannon fired! I placed 587 out of a total field of 2,465, and 219 out of 579 in the open men’s division. And for finishing, I got the finishers’ medal, the finishers’ T-shirt, the finishers’ certificate and souvenir results booklet, and a photo taken as I approached the finish line (which had to be purchased as a separate item).

Will I do it again? Definitely. But, but not until about October, and next time the long runs might need to be longer. The training schedule shows one long run of 29km, two of 30km, and two of 33km. It seems more than just a coincidence that the race became very hard at the 30km mark. Although this coincides with the “wall”, and the point at which glycogen supplies start to run low, longer training runs should help mitigate the pain and need to walk in future races. A bit of speed training might also help, as completing the first 30km in less time should leave more in reserve for the last 12km.