I was excited about the Perth Running Festival ( https://perthrunningfestival.com.au/ ) this year as it gave me an opportunity for redemption after last year’s poor performance down to lack of training (surprise?) and wearing a race shoe not built for an ankle injury I was carrying into the event.  This resulted in a three hour forty five minute finish time but worse was the stumble to the line on an ankle I should have strapped. I was confident I could better that time albeit that would be setting the bar pretty low.

My plan was to hang onto the three-hour fifteen bus and then drift backwards when I eventually got ejected out the back. I had ran three hours twenty-two minutes at the Bibra Lake marathon in July and since then had continued to run often and hit the gym, albeit little or no specific marathon training.  I targeted a sub three hours twenty minutes finish as feasible.  Post Bibra Lake marathon I averaged sixty-nine kilometres a week and probably three gym sessions where I’d do fifty minutes of Pilates, a five kilometre treadmill run and some weights. I’d also raced the Transcend Ultra ( https://transcendtrails.com/ ) in August and the Lighthorse 24 hour ultra ( Lighthorse Ultra 2026 | The Grand Finale 24-hour Marathon ) in September.  Not ideal marathon training as I was missing the mid-week twenty kilometre plus run at marathon pace and long runs, as well as any speed work. Actually, all I was doing was running semi-regularly ?

I got a lift to the start with Jon Pendse who picked me up at 5am. In my mind it was a 7am start so did wonder why he was picking me up so early. It was actually a 6am start which showed how much attention I had been paying to all the emails from the event. It was lucky Jon picked me up or would have started an hour after everybody.  Perth is never an A-goal race for me as I’ve never done the specific marathon training and I know that I will be deep in the pain box for the last ten kilometres when, back in the day, I’d be taking names as I always finished strong.  Every year I say I’m going to make a big effort, but truth be told I don’t enjoy the training as much as I use to and it’s the racing that keeps me in the sport, which explains my busy calendar. By adopting this approach you are going to race underdone and not hit your true potential, but you also get to do what you love more, so it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

The race itself went to plan I suppose. I ran with the three hour fifteen bus until nearly half way when I lost touch into the headwind down the Kwinara freeway. I was happy enough to have held on for so long as at Bibra Lake, earlier in the year, I was ejected off the back of this bus after four kilometres.  I reckon I had three to four minutes up my sleeve now, compared to the Bibra Lake marathon time, with half the event done. Once I turned and headed back North up the freeway, with a tailwind, my pace quickened and I even harboured thoughts of catching the bus.  Unfortunately this didn’t last long and I was soon back to running around the three minutes forty seconds plus a kilometre.

Once you come off the freeway section, around thirty-two kilometres into the race, there is an out and back loop before the run to the finish. The first few kilometres went well enough but as we turned for the run home I realised why. A headwind is never a runner’s friend but when it’s in the last seven kilometres of a marathon it is particularly nasty.  My legs gave up the ghost and the lack of marathon training was now evident for all to see. My pace edged toward five minutes a kilometre and I knew I was hemorrhaging time. This did not come as a surprise of course and I was grateful that all I had to suffer was seven kilometres , it was time to ‘stay hard‘ as Goggins would preach. ( https://davidgoggins.com/ )

I feel for the last seven kilometres I was paying the price for wearing new shoes for the event, similar to last year, what’s that about old dogs and new tricks ! I had brought the Adidas Adizero Adios fours a few days before the event and used them on the day. Overall, they have performed well but I felt they may have been a tad hard for the marathon, probably better suited to shorter races.  I could feel my legs were pretty beat up and felt like they would seize up at any minute. The day itself was humid and I hadn’t drank enough either, so many rookie errors in marathon number fifty-one, you’d have thought by now I would have learned with experience, it seems not. With hindsight I should have brought another pair of Nike Alpha Flys, they just work and do give you better protection towards the backend of a marathon.  The Alpha’s may have saved me a few minutes in the last seven kilometres, maybe?

In the end I managed to finish in three hours nineteen minutes and forty-eight seconds (net time) which is what I wanted at the start so happy enough. I’m a bit disappointed I finished so meekly though (albeit that headwind didn’t help?) but that’s down to not enough speed work, or long runs at marathon pace, actually not enough running full stop.  To be able to run quicker now I need to run more and also concentrate on the marathon specific sessions but balance these with the risk of injury.

So, Perth marathon number fifteen ticked off. Overall, a B+, could have done better but I feel undone by poor footwear choice, again, and a headwind from hell in the last seven kilometres, with no real specific marathon training and not enough training full stop. Actually, maybe I better give myself an A given my lack of preparation. The event itself was so good, and the Perth Running Festival is going from strength to strength.  If you’re looking for a scenic marathon in Australia Perth should be on your list, I highly recommend it and I’m sure I’ll be the start line next year, probably in a pair of new shoes, underprepared.

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Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

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