Yesterday I ran my 50th marathon at Bibra Lake. I finished in three hours and twenty-two minutes which was the best time I could have hoped for after zero marathon training all year, in fact for many years.  These days I run ultra marathons where to complete you just need to be able to get out of your comfortable chair and keep moving forward. The ratio of mental to physical fitness is certainly more mental than physical. In a marathon it is the opposite; to do well you need to have put in the work and this, together with a strong mental attitude, gives you the best results.  I had no right to really be at the starting lineup with my complete lack of marathon specific training.  No speed work and certainly not enough distance with no long runs at all bar the three ultras I had completed this year.  The only reason I entered was after one fourteen run, at marathon pace, had filled me with confidence and after a coffee or three, I hit the enter button.

EDven driving down to the event I was second guessing myself and thinking of ways I could DNS (did not start) without losing any face, I couldn’t think of any? So, I got ready and did a two kilometre warm up where I felt horrible. This did not help my mood at the start of the race. When the gun went off, I settled behind the three-hour fifteen-minute pacer but struggled to hang on, my legs just left so heavy. There’s a six kilometre out and back at the start and by the time we returned to the start line I had to duck into the toilets, I came out and my three-hour fifteen bus was gone. The next few kilometres were hard, really hard. Again I just wasn’t in the game and now my shoes, Saucony Elites, were taking the blame. They didn’t have the bounce in them I was hoping for and I decided to swap shoes at the end of the lap. (For context Bibra lake is a short out and back and then six lap of around six kilometres)  Luckily I had parked my car just off the course so swapping shoes wouldn’t cost me more than a minute.

So after around thirteen kilometres I swapped into a pair of Nike Alphafly 3’s and boy what a difference. As you can see from the splits below I started to steadily improve and consistently run in the four forty’s a kilometre or high three thirties for rest of the race.  The slighty slower kilometre every six  is the one drink station where I would take a Bix 30 Gel – salted strawberry  ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/en-au/products/bix-gel-strawberry ) and a cup of elctrolytes or water.  The Bix gel is a game changer and I’m putting my performance down to this as much as my stubbornness to finish.

The half marathon started five minutes after us but had a smaller out and back which meant we caught the back of the half runners on the first lap, this was a good confidence booster as I was running past people constantly, albeit they were in a different event. I would catch and pass the odd marathon runner and after lap one no one passed me in the main event. Lap two was better than lap one and mentally if I could run one more lap, I was over halfway and could start to see a finish.  Head down and just keep hitting the kilometre pace, metronome style. This is what I did bar a small blowout at the aid station where I fumbled for my gel and poured water all over my face, as is the marathon way.

I was feeling better and better every lap and started to believe I was going to finish my fiftieth marathon after being so close to pulling out hours earlier. I normally finish a marathon strong and when I get to the wall-stage (thirty two kilometres for us Southern hemisphere runners) I actually run better as for me the warmup is over with and its’ a ten kilometre sprint to the finish.  This marathon was no different and my last lap was my fastest although I was glad to see the finish line.

So, what have I learnt from this one?  Maybe don’t enter a marathon on a whim with no real training, as I’ve always said running is the most honest sport in the world and you will get found out.  The only thing that got me to the finish line was experience and a high level of general fitness, a combination of running, gym and pilates every day.  It wasn’t enough to get me a seat on the three-hour fifteen bus, but this run has given me fresh enthusiasm for the Perth marathon in October.  Maybe I’ll train for this one, maybe.

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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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