284 replies to this topic

[mosmanmum]

Rugbygal1978, on Sep 25 2008, 01:46 PM, said:

Better late than never I suppose! I think I got so caught up reading everyone else's reports that I forgot to add my own.

Ran in my first half on Sunday, the longest distance I'd ever run before. I won't go into too much detail about the night before and morning prep, beyond saying I didn't sleep a wink and accidentally left my hat in my lift's car. Arrived at the start line at about 5.30pm and was quite horrified to discover the porta loos were still locked as the "key master" had slept in. I couldn't face standing in line until I knew the lines would be moving so I did a little warm up run, stretch etc with some of the Can Too folk. Rejoined the now HUGE lines at 5.45am and basically stayed there until 6.10am when - still seven people from the front of the queue - I decided I'd have to wait!

I ran with the Can Too 2hour pacers pretty much the whole way and yep, they did a good job as I got home in 1.59.51! I loved running over the bridge, in the middle of the road, but I must say I HATED the City West Link stretch - it was just soul destroying, nothing to admire etc. I found the 2 hour pace a little uncomfortable at times, but I really couldn't be 100% objective as I spent most of the race wanting to go to the toilet but I was too nervous I would never catch up with the pacers if I stopped, and felt like if I broke my rhythm I'd be gone.

Hit a bit of a wall at about 13km or so, but a gel perked me up pretty well until I saw the 17.5km sign and thought "noooooo". Thankfully (???) the night before my BF had forced me to watch Rocky III for reasons unknown to myself, and a line from "Apollo" popped into my head which was "there IS no tomorrow". So that basically became my mantra until I finally saw the Opera House and heard the finish line cheers, when I actually teared up a little bit and started thinking about my journey. Three years ago I was about 30kg heavier, a smoker, a drinker and so unhealthy it wasn't funny ... it's been a loooong journey. I then tripped over a kerb and nearly face-planted, so that brought me back to reality pretty darn quick!

Whoo hoo! Felt pretty well stuffed at the finish line ... but was soon swamped by some more bright orange Can Tooers, family and friends.

I felt like my training was pretty well spot on, the heat of the day got me a little bit and I wasn't too happy to have missed out on water at some vital stages. Ultimately, however, my number one lesson is to GO TO THE TOILET before the race.

Next time I am definitely wearing a Cool Running singlet though, loved running past the Cool Running cheer squad and hearing support for everyone. I watched the marathoners between 3h and 4.30 or so and seriously, total respect. I was stunned at how easily some seemed to be doing it, running next to some seriously broken units.

I'm definitely signing up for another half ... but before that I've decided I really need to lose an extra 7kg or so to really get myself in running shape. At the moment, very vague pipedream is to be running the full 42.2 this time next year. eeek!

Wow! What a super inspiring post. I have no doubt you'll do the big one this time next year. ps: I suspect that I was one of those seriously broken units you mention!  

[Whippet gal]

StellaBella, on Sep 25 2008, 02:13 PM, said:

I got sent my finishing video but I can't get it to work... all the blackmores crap plays but I think the bit that's meant to be me is the bit where it's a black screen and seems to be scanning!

This is probably not such a bad thing... but I'd like to see it just once!

I get the same thing - just a black screen and then the Blackmores stuff. I'm using Firefox on a Mac - Does it work on a PC?

[Vurt]

Whippet gal, on Sep 25 2008, 07:05 PM, said:

I get the same thing - just a black screen and then the Blackmores stuff. I'm using Firefox on a Mac - Does it work on a PC?

I have tried on both and get a black screen.

It was working this morning but it was not skipping forward to my finish. It was starting from the half marathon winner.

actually it is working here kinda : http://webcast.trcsa...er.php?id=xxxxx
replace xxxxx with your bib number

[Fred]

Unfortunately mine did work....or maybe....some fat ugly lady with a squinty up face must have stole all my clothes and my bib number and sort of wobbled her way across the line pretending to be me.....

[Ellie80]

Fred, on Sep 25 2008, 09:05 PM, said:

Unfortunately mine did work....or maybe....some fat ugly lady with a squinty up face must have stole all my clothes and my bib number and sort of wobbled her way across the line pretending to be me.....

are you sure that wasn't me??

[StellaBella]

Fred, on Sep 25 2008, 09:05 PM, said:

Unfortunately mine did work....or maybe....some fat ugly lady with a squinty up face must have stole all my clothes and my bib number and sort of wobbled her way across the line pretending to be me.....

I just tried mine again and it worked... maybe was over congested this arvo.

Well... I was expecting it to be a close up shot and it wasnt so that's good... it was a bit of an anticlimax but my double fisted air pump is certainly effective  

[Fred]

No silly, you looked great.  If you can't get yours to work, I can email it to you.

You can actually see me mouth the words "can we stop now?" to you at the end!!!  

[Ellie80]

Fred, on Sep 25 2008, 09:14 PM, said:

No silly, you looked great.  If you can't get yours to work, I can email it to you.

You can actually see me mouth the words "can we stop now?" to you at the end!!!  

I remember that!! I had scared you with talk of false finish lines so you were being prudent

I don't think I need to watch the video...

[OscarZarate]

Guys,

It was just me or the KM marks were all wrong?

Looking into my partial time it sounds like a was pretty crazy (and every people around me). I did the Half Marathon and my partial are from 3:30???? to 4:45????

I did the HM in 1:28:29.

Cheers,

[silverfish]

Vurt, on Sep 25 2008, 07:37 PM, said:

I have tried on both and get a black screen.

It was working this morning but it was not skipping forward to my finish. It was starting from the half marathon winner.

actually it is working here kinda : http://webcast.trcsa...er.php?id=xxxxx
replace xxxxx with your bib number

good that some people managed to see their video in the end.

For some reason, the video thinks that I did the HM or Marathon instead of the Bridge Run.
It is filming the wrong area at the same time that I am coming in!

I can see my arm and leg on the side of the left screen, but that's about all!

[nite_time_runner]

I watched my video...i was only on there for a few noneventful seconds at the end, but there was a person in a world of disoriented pain and dehydration just before me. Ouch.  http://webcast.trcsa...yer.php?id=6155

Sunday wasn't a hot day, but as one of the hottest days almost all of us have run long runs on in a good few months, it really took a toll way above its temp.

[TehAxe]

OscarZarate, on Sep 25 2008, 10:17 PM, said:

Guys,

It was just me or the KM marks were all wrong?

Looking into my partial time it sounds like a was pretty crazy (and every people around me). I did the Half Marathon and my partial are from 3:30???? to 4:45????

I did the HM in 1:28:29.

Cheers,

pretty sure between 2k-4k was out of whack.
I did 4:17 for 3 then 3:30 for 4
apart from that they all seemed ok, though I missed the markers for 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 19, 20 but on average my splits reflected my perception of how I was running.

[TehAxe]

silverfish, on Sep 26 2008, 10:41 AM, said:

good that some people managed to see their video in the end.

For some reason, the video thinks that I did the HM or Marathon instead of the Bridge Run.
It is filming the wrong area at the same time that I am coming in!

I can see my arm and leg on the side of the left screen, but that's about all!

the 9k had people finishing in both chutes. On the Blackmore's video (http://www.byourbest.com/Finish/) you can choose which side you want to view either "camera angle 1" or "camera angle 2". this might help??

you did bloody well to spot your arm & leg by the way

[paigebaby]

well i had a look at mine, thank god it was a wide angle shot.
I look like a large pink blob.  More running less wobble needed.
The 9kmer's will need to go to camera angle 1.

[tonedbutt]

Nutta, on Sep 24 2008, 10:41 AM, said:

Perhaps a timing mat at the city west link turn around would fix that problem.

After doing the 9km last year, I thought there were timing sensors at each Km marker.  I was always to scared to take a shortcut across Mrs Macquarie's chair in case my chip didn't register somewhere and I'd be DNF.     
Anyway, as so wisely stated before, you are only cheating yourself.

Edited by tonedbutt, 26 September 2008 - 03:04 PM.

[Professor]

nite_time_runner, on Sep 26 2008, 11:00 AM, said:

I watched my video...i was only on there for a few noneventful seconds at the end, but there was a person in a world of disoriented pain and dehydration just before me. Ouch.  http://webcast.trcsa...yer.php?id=6155

Owwww!! NTR, you've just given me some awful flashbacks to 2 of my marathoning disasters, 1 being Sydney '06. (Just ask Jenruns and Gnome!) I thought, hoped, those memories were locked away deep in the dark recesses of my head....but seeing that reminds me just how much those leg cramps hurt.

God bless Endura!

Prof

[tonedbutt]

Oh dear God, not the video,  I can't bear to look.  I finally got to look at my finishing pic and they have squashed me so I look more like a slow moving CR billboard than ever.  So much for my streamline new avatar.

[TehAxe]

brewer, on Sep 24 2008, 11:59 AM, said:

If the individual in question is cheating, well he really is only cheating himself. Tosser.

an update... After checking some results & marathon photos, I believe this tosser runner has, at the very least, cheated at the:
SMH Half 2008
Sydney Half 2006, 2007, 2008

result links are dead for SMH 05, 06 & 07 and Sydney 05, but I'd say at least 2 of those could be added to the list

[emruns]

Big thanks to the cheer squad along the half marathon course on Sunday! it was my first and I really appreciated the cheers out near Dobroyd point! Thanks to the people who said 'hello' back when I said hello to them. All in all it was a great day. I've been running maybe a year or so and to be honest wasn't sure I could do the half. But I did!! Yeah!! And, it was great, I really really enjoyed it. Next - my name is down for Melbourne (id paid for it first) - maybe too soon but I'm hoping. I seemed to have pulled up OK after sunday and have had this week off doing anything much. Definately doing the central Coast half in December though.

Congrats to all first time runners and to those who made PBs. Actually, congrats to everyone who got out of bed early on sunday, put their shoes on and came for a run.

Thanks for welcoming me into the community that is running too!!

looking forward to seeing you at the next one!

em

[yondi]

Welcome to Cool Running emruns.


Congrats on your run on Sunday. Welldone.

YONDI

[silverfish]

TehAxe, on Sep 26 2008, 12:40 PM, said:

the 9k had people finishing in both chutes. On the Blackmore's video (http://www.byourbest.com/Finish/) you can choose which side you want to view either "camera angle 1" or "camera angle 2". this might help??

you did bloody well to spot your arm & leg by the way

OMG, thanks for this!! Now I can see more of me than an arm and a leg!!

I use Firefox so the "Camera 1" "Camera 2" links had been obscured by the video. All fixed now (thanks to Tehaxe!)

[silverfish]

Professor, on Sep 26 2008, 03:00 PM, said:

Owwww!! NTR, you've just given me some awful flashbacks to 2 of my marathoning disasters, 1 being Sydney '06. (Just ask Jenruns and Gnome!) I thought, hoped, those memories were locked away deep in the dark recesses of my head....but seeing that reminds me just how much those leg cramps hurt.

God bless Endura!

Prof

That looks so painful. Good on the guy for making it to the finish line before legs gave way. I hope he recovered ok.

[OscarZarate]

TehAxe, on Sep 26 2008, 12:34 PM, said:

pretty sure between 2k-4k was out of whack.
I did 4:17 for 3 then 3:30 for 4
apart from that they all seemed ok, though I missed the markers for 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 19, 20 but on average my splits reflected my perception of how I was running.

Here you have my splits. We did run together, didn't we?


Time         Lap Time   Dist    min/km
04:15.7     04:15.7    1000    4:15 1
08:06.7     03:51.0    1000    3:51 2
12:21.2     04:14.5    1000    4:14 3
15:54.7     03:33.5    1000    3:33 4
24:16.3     08:21.6    2000    4:10 6
28:21.9     04:05.6    1000    4:05 7
32:27.4     04:05.5    1000    4:05 8
44:47.4     12:20.0    3000    4:06 11
49:18.7     04:31.3    1000    4:31 12
57:44.5     08:25.8    2000    4:12 14
1:02:01.8  04:17.3    1000    4:17 15
1:06:28.7  04:26.9    1000    4:26 16
1:10:48.2  04:19.5    1000    4:19 17
1:23:33.5  12:45.3    3000    4:15 20
1:28:17.7  04:44.2    1000    4:44 21
1:28:29.9  00:12.2    100      2:02

[sfGnome]

nite_time_runner, on Sep 26 2008, 11:00 AM, said:

I watched my video...i was only on there for a few noneventful seconds at the end, but there was a person in a world of disoriented pain and dehydration just before me. Ouch.  http://webcast.trcsa...yer.php?id=6155

Ouch indeed! I liked the way the official right next to him just stood there for about 15 seconds. Maybe he was worried that any help would be classified as outside assistance...

professor said:

Owwww!! NTR, you've just given me some awful flashbacks to 2 of my marathoning disasters, 1 being Sydney '06. (Just ask Jenruns and Gnome!) I thought, hoped, those memories were locked away deep in the dark recesses of my head....but seeing that reminds me just how much those leg cramps hurt.

Nah... He wasn't a patch on you. He staggered around, whereas you went down like the proverbial tree in a forest - one moment straight and vertical, then teetering, and finally horizontal, but still ramrod straight...  (I shouldn't be laughing, should I... )

Edited by sfGnome, 26 September 2008 - 09:06 PM.

[tonedbutt]

Oh TKR, I looked for you but din't see you.  So glad you made it.  It was an amazing day even if my hope for sub 60min blew out to 1.23.00 exactly.  At least 2 min better than last year's time and when I consider that the walk to the bus stop on run day morining nearly buried me, damn fine!

[crabby]

TKR, on Sep 26 2008, 05:19 AM, said:

Have enjoyed the posts, amazing runs given the heat, best wishes in your recovery by now most will be upright hopefully moving like Gronk's avatar!


First timer on the bridge, felt incredibly daunted by the numbers, the people sprawled on the ground stretching, people sprinting, have previously attended a couple of friendly races i.e. no need to say "excuse me or sorry" for bumping someone, no need to concentrate on fining a piece of tarmac!  
The start was an anticlimax dawdling to cross the start line and then this mass surge...gracious!


On the bridge ascent, felt very ordinary thought oh no haven't trained enough the legs are saying "not today..maybe later.." these are the times that one's trait of pigheadedness becomes a positive ,2k's in "ah, lower limbs have remembered what we've been working on for the last 10 weeks". Knew that family had put up with my absenteeism, afternoon naps, constant running drivel yet had stilll come in to support me so I couldn't possibly start walking could I? It was great to see them on the out and back, made a huge difference.

  Can too had pacers which was very helpful only I realised halfway that the pacer had started after me so I really needed to go solo, this is when the fun began . Found a CR runner up ahead and said a breathless "go cr" received a puzzled look as I had no colours on ( tat not visible) . Top of Macquarie St realised that I was on time and might get sub 50 { probably sl delerious } and soon realised that "hello 51 " was more likely.


end result...50.28, goal was sub 55 so very happy with one's OB ( only best) !

The question is...what next?


Happy recovery to all and have a great event in the MM and IM. Go you good things!!

TKR

Hi TKR,
Congratulations on a great run and smashing your time goal!. That's a fabulous time for your first bridge run. And it sounds like you really enjoyed it too... As for what's next?? First I suggest you get some CR gear, the support at races is invaluable... Then maybe think about the Brighton Run. Looks like a nice flat 10k. Then maybe think about the step up to a Half Mara... Central Coast??
PS It was lovely to meet you at the CR lunch..Maybe see you around Salt Pan one day??

[craigus]

Reading all the race reports have been really inspiring, so I thought I’d share mine.  I did the 9km Bridge Run hoping for anywhere under 50 mins and finished with a 45.22.  Really happy!!   At the start of the year, I couldn’t get past a 3km walk/jog, and only progressed to longer distances in May/June.  Since then, I have finished my first C2S and Bridge run.

Biggest disappointment for the day was giving my family a map of where I was running, telling them that I would be finishing down Macquarie street, but finding out that they were standing alongside the marathon course at circular quay with camera ready, wondering where was Daddy!!!  

When I finally met up with them (after the chaos that was bag collection) we threw down a picnic rug in front of the MCA, and found out we were sitting just behind the CR cheersquad.  The support you were giving the finishing marathoners was inspiring – there were goosebumps every time the cheer went up.

So it was a very inspiring day for me, and I think I have found myself a new sport.  My long suffering wife thought she would get me back after my soccer career ends.  Next year, who know’s…

[asouthan]

sook54, on Sep 21 2008, 04:32 PM, said:

A few pix of the cheersquad
http://coolrunning.s...376791148_wKdHm

OMG, just found a pic of myself with the cheesiest "nearly there" grin. Thanks cheersquad, that was a lot better than the official photo they took!
http://coolrunning.s...378376035_5GL9N

[asouthan]

rosscoproadtrane, on Sep 22 2008, 02:52 PM, said:

Asouthan, congrats on your first Half Marathon, from a "mature" CR , at the young age of 51  
I  tried to hang in there with you but u were pulling away on every hill - i finally finished in 1.56 , not near my best time of 1.46 , but i was frying out there -lol
Anyway , hope u enjoyed yr first HM  experience - it was a tuff run 1st up and u should be encouraged by yr result to run some more, and then perhaps u will be "hypnotised" by the force of the Marathon , as i was at the ripe age of 35-lol
Since then, i have run many "halfs" !-lol Shows u how much effect that Marathon had on me .
Best of Luck
rpr

Thanks Rossco, it was great fun... maybe next year the marathon... and thanks for saying Hi on the race and afterward, I've not met too many CR folk.

asouthan

[tonedbutt]

Oh dear, I have finally seen my video.  What a cack!!!!!!

[badger]

emruns, on Sep 26 2008, 03:30 PM, said:

Big thanks to the cheer squad along the half marathon course on Sunday! it was my first and I really appreciated the cheers out near Dobroyd point! Thanks to the people who said 'hello' back when I said hello to them. All in all it was a great day. I've been running maybe a year or so and to be honest wasn't sure I could do the half. But I did!! Yeah!! And, it was great, I really really enjoyed it. Next - my name is down for Melbourne (id paid for it first) - maybe too soon but I'm hoping. I seemed to have pulled up OK after sunday and have had this week off doing anything much. Definately doing the central Coast half in December though.

Congrats to all first time runners and to those who made PBs. Actually, congrats to everyone who got out of bed early on sunday, put their shoes on and came for a run.

Thanks for welcoming me into the community that is running too!!

looking forward to seeing you at the next one!

em

heard about your spectacular performance... well done and glad you enjoyed it!

badge

[greyhoundracer]

I did the Bridge run and was very happy with my finishing time of 34.59m - I was aiming for 36mins so I was pumped!