514 replies to this topic

[Mick]

frankie17, on Feb 19 2010, 12:04 PM, said:

http://www.mapmyrun....ydney/428020857

Thanks Frankie, just what I was looking for as I was interested in gradients and pacing.

Looking at the elevation profile it looks like most of the hills are around 2-3% and last about 1.5-2.0km.

Probably over thinking things and should just "run" ...

[virtualkerri]

Final-week-over-thinking "in progress".
Along with re-assessing goal times and panic attacks that I haven't trained enough. Almost ready to race. Eek.  

[plu]

Hi all,

To borrow a saying from Spud.  GiddyUp - I am looking forward to this one.  

I want to catch up with all the regulars and anyone I have not met. I will be running in the 1:52- 1:57 time range - make sure you say hello.

I will be wearing my special  green Cool Running socks:




cheers  Plu

[Ellie80]

Anyone else in the cheer squad this year?

[Thalia]

please let me know if there are any

[Eagle]

Plu
You have lost weight since I last saw you.  

Best wishes to the runners in particular Johnny Dark running #19 (that all of them) and a great achievement. Barefoot is another to have run all of them and I think 22 runners in all in that very exclusive club.

[slowmo]

plu, on May 11 2010, 10:43 PM, said:

I will be wearing my special  green Cool Running socks:

Nice green   Hope to see you to say hello properly for the first time.

I'll be wearing my, er, see-through socks...
 afoot.jpg   35.98K   29 downloads

...and hoping to run 2-ish hours (though may be much slower, having now joined the ranks of the snot-ridden along with other parents here).

slowmo

[doddsy]

slowmo, on May 12 2010, 01:55 PM, said:

Nice green   Hope to see you to say hello properly for the first time.

I'll be wearing my, er, see-through socks...
afoot.jpg

...and hoping to run 2-ish hours (though may be much slower, having now joined the ranks of the snot-ridden along with other parents here).

slowmo

I was considering running in my invisible socks and shoes so as to do my first official barefoot half but the wife seem to have talked me out of it and I will run in My VFF's her reasoning and it is a good one is that as I am running comrades in 2 weeks last thing i need to do is do cut my foot or worse. Although I know I won't I fear she will ahve jinxed me, so i need to avoid the "I told you so"

I'll be sure to give you a shout if I see you slowmo, I should be running somewhere in your part of the pack.

[MichaelD]

watch out for the red shorts at around 1h 45m. Michael

[CountryMuzz]

Seems like there are a few of us chasing the 1:45 target. I have not done much racing with pacers or groups - so where and when do we meet to catch the bus - or do I just look out for a bunch of people who seem to be running about 5:00/k and have a chat (whilst I am capable of talking during the first 10k)? I'll have my coolrunnings hat and my nice new PCRG singlet.

[bobbys]

I unfortunately won't be in any group.

I was hoping to still run with some pain relief however the leg is still very sore just walking and it isn't worth the potential damage (it's already a stress fracture so it can't get worse can it)?

Good luck to all and if I can, I'll try and come out to cheer.

BobbyS

[craigus]

I'm another hoping to jump aboard the 1.45 bus, but will be more than happy to match the PB of 1.47.  This will be HM number 3 for me and I'm getting really excited (or is that really nervous???) about Sunday.

[CountryMuzz]

Craigus - much the same for me - only HM no 4 - current PB just under 1:49 - but coach assures me that 1:45 is the target. I am really looking forward to this one.

Sorry to hear about the bones Bobby - I was looking forward to another run - only this time it would have been me chasing you. Hope you mend soon - keep us updated.

[Gento]

A fair few people seem to aim for 105mins
I think Supersam1979 is going to voluntarily pace for 1hr45.
Read the "SMH half self seeding/cut off" for more info.
Half marathon no.3 was a dnf and given hobart had no split time, can't exactly guess what to expect :s

[superflake]

Forecast still good for sunday.

Sunday  
Fine. Mostly sunny.
City:  Min:   11  Max:   22

[henryjoseph]

Getting pretty excited!!

[RunRabbit]

This race is usually blessed by the weather Gods!

[vonzipper]

Hi all,

Add me to the list of people look to do 105 mins. My 3rd half. I live it Surry Hills, so I usually run to the start line and do a lap each Saturday morning. 2 weeks ago I did a test run of the course in 104 mins, so on track. Started carbo loading already and off to Rosso Pomodoro (best pizza in Sydney) tonight.

So 105 mins or under, and then a few beers and a Souths win at the SCG will make my weekend :-)

[CountryMuzz]

How does that work? You did a test run faster than your target race time?

[AaronR]

CountryMuzz, on May 12 2010, 08:43 PM, said:

Seems like there are a few of us chasing the 1:45 target. I have not done much racing with pacers or groups - so where and when do we meet to catch the bus - or do I just look out for a bunch of people who seem to be running about 5:00/k and have a chat (whilst I am capable of talking during the first 10k)? I'll have my coolrunnings hat and my nice new PCRG singlet.

I was hoping i would see the big hat on the run!  

As for pace, I should be chasing 100mins flat for half No.3 but Ive been told it is crowded and be aware it can be tricky getting a clear path round that time. So I will decide in the first couple of K's if it is worth pushing or hand out with counrtymuzz and the gang, which could be fu in itself.

[vonzipper]

CountryMuzz, on May 13 2010, 03:38 PM, said:

How does that work? You did a test run faster than your target race time?

Last year the course was really busy and it's pretty tight, plus unfortunately I am working a lot of the weekend on DR testing, so I don't expect to run a PB

[Hamburglar]

Flakey, I'll race you for a six pack?

[Mick]

Hamburglar, on May 13 2010, 05:20 PM, said:

Flakey, I'll race you for a six pack?

What time are you thinking ?

Or is that a closely guarded secret ?

Both preferred ?

[Hamburglar]

Mick, on May 13 2010, 05:27 PM, said:

What time are you thinking ?

Or is that a closely guarded secret ?

Both preferred ?

Missed out on a preferred by 11secs (85:11) from last year. I am pretty sure flakey wouldn't have one, but I may be wrong. Anything less than 85 and I will be a happy man (I.e. Within 3-4mins of you!)

[MichaelD]

where in the pack would a 105min get with self seeding, 1/4 or 1/3way from the front

[inhisshadow]

Hamburglar, on May 13 2010, 05:42 PM, said:

Missed out on a preferred by 11secs (85:11) from last year. I am pretty sure flakey wouldn't have one, but I may be wrong. Anything less than 85 and I will be a happy man (I.e. Within 3-4mins of you!)

You're fine for an 84:50 HB - just behind my 84:49  

[Hamburglar]

inhisshadow, on May 13 2010, 05:48 PM, said:

You're fine for an 84:50 HB - just behind my 84:49  

You're more than welcome to throw your beers in as well shadow. I've got you covered.

[Mick]

Hamburglar, on May 13 2010, 05:42 PM, said:

Missed out on a preferred by 11secs (85:11) from last year. I am pretty sure flakey wouldn't have one, but I may be wrong. Anything less than 85 and I will be a happy man (I.e. Within 3-4mins of you!)

Thanks for the buildup, but no 82s for me this time. I'm on a pacing mission and will be setting virtual partner at 4:00 and after a similar time to you.

As the signature says, it's all about GCM, nothing else matters.

See you out there.

[superflake]

Hamburglar, on May 13 2010, 05:20 PM, said:

Flakey, I'll race you for a six pack?

After seeing your 10k a couple of weeks ago I may be in for a flogging. But I can't resist anyway.

No preferred start from me as I was still learning how to run again after the PF episode last year. I'll just be happy to break my race PB which I think is 86:40?

[Gento]

Slightly off topic but sub 85 for preferred? So does this mean if i can do sub 85, i can use this to get a higher place bib for city2surf?

[walshy2]

Word of warning

be very careful of placing bets with the "Burglar"

This Northern Beaches Silvertail has been spotted running some very impressive fast intervals in training and is in tip top condition

[bobbys]

As a now non starter, I would like to impart my knowledge from last year.

If you are looking at a time around 100 - 105 minutes, the best place to start is in the first 1/4-1/3 of the pack (the St Marys Cathedral end).  Whilst the start gets hectic and is a virtual sprint until the bottom of Hunter St, the left turn into Argyle St is narrow compared to George and Pitt St.

In addition, if you are in the back half, when you get into the rd leading into Mrs Macquarie's chair, as it is a narrow rd, there is no overtaking as it is congested. You are basically boxed in for a good 2-3km until you get to the turn around pt on college st. If you are planning on a drink stop in this area, be prepared.

If you use a GPS watch, your signal will cut in and out - my profile after the race had me cutting through buildings.

I love the course as it is challenging - Hunter St is the best bit.  The loop means that you get to see the leaders and also the rest of the field so make sure you give several GCR's.

And remember, if you have to race with an MP3 player, please pay attention to race officials or vehicles that may be trying to get past.

Enjoy the day  - really wish I could run (wish I could walk without pain atm).

BobbyS

[inhisshadow]

Hamburglar, on May 13 2010, 06:01 PM, said:

You're more than welcome to throw your beers in as well shadow. I've got you covered.

Despite the warning I'm in....... I prefer the low carb stuff thanks HB  

[Mick]

bobbys, on May 13 2010, 09:07 PM, said:

If you use a GPS watch, your signal will cut in and out - my profile after the race had me cutting through buildings.

Sounds like using a Garmin for pacing might not be such a good idea then. I like to look for the km markers and compare against watch as a bit of a check, but if it is going to be way out it might be best to treat it as a stopwatch only and do it the old fashioned way.

[CountryMuzz]

bobbys, on May 13 2010, 09:07 PM, said:

If you use a GPS watch, your signal will cut in and out - my profile after the race had me cutting through buildings.

Bobbys - with the signal, I am guessing that the instantaneous pace would go out of whack for a while - but how did your average pace look? I have had a few runs where my Garmin went a bit berserk - but it seemed to still get the distance and average pace about right. I am interested to know if, when you came out of the tall buildings, you still knew how you were travelling despite the unusual behaviour in the city.

[Hamburglar]

Mick, on May 13 2010, 09:34 PM, said:

Sounds like using a Garmin for pacing might not be such a good idea then. I like to look for the km markers and compare against watch as a bit of a check, but if it is going to be way out it might be best to treat it as a stopwatch only and do it the old fashioned way.

Yep agree with that. The km markers are more or less reliable.

[bobbys]

The pace adjusts itself when it picks up a signal again but you will get some weird readings throughout  - I even managed a 2.15 min /km at one stage but there is no way in hell that I did that - more like a 4.30. The biggest areas for dropouts is the hunter st to pitt st and George st sections. The rest is more open.

Don't solely stick to the watch I suppose is what I'm saying.  I have a 305 and it may not be as accurate as the later models.
The km markers weren"t bad either but I couldn't remember how often I saw these.

[Olmy]

plu, on May 11 2010, 10:43 PM, said:

Hi all,

To borrow a saying from Spud.  GiddyUp - I am looking forward to this one.  

I want to catch up with all the regulars and anyone I have not met. I will be running in the 1:52- 1:57 time range - make sure you say hello.

I will be wearing my special  green Cool Running socks:




cheers  Plu

Hey Plu, that's about my goal time too!! Would you like to meet up and form a little 1:55 bus? I will be trying to hold on to 5:30 pace for the race.

[Johnbo]

Mick, on May 13 2010, 09:34 PM, said:

Sounds like using a Garmin for pacing might not be such a good idea then. I like to look for the km markers and compare against watch as a bit of a check, but if it is going to be way out it might be best to treat it as a stopwatch only and do it the old fashioned way.

Take the Garmin, but give priority to the Km markers, absolutely. Also remember where the key markers are, for example at 3 / 6 / 9 / 12 etc ....

Your Garmin will be grossly inaccurate as you run. This threw me completely last year, and I burned it up too quickly on outward half, and suffered badly bringing it home.

And listen to Hamburglar .....I know he had a beautifully even pacing first half to second last year..... and did the same at Homebush 10 km a couple of weeks ago (I am still trying to learn not too go out too quickly!!)

Johnbo

[stelz]

Does anyone know how frequently the km markers would be ? I am not experienced at all, but would not have thought they would be there every km.

[thomo]

stelz, on May 14 2010, 12:37 PM, said:

Does anyone know how frequently the km markers would be ? I am not experienced at all, but would not have thought they would be there every km.

They do put up km marker every k.

They fun part is trying to locate them with all the crowd.

[dingodog]

Mick, on May 13 2010, 10:34 PM, said:

Sounds like using a Garmin for pacing might not be such a good idea then. I like to look for the km markers and compare against watch as a bit of a check, but if it is going to be way out it might be best to treat it as a stopwatch only and do it the old fashioned way.

Hi Mick,
I use a Polar RS800SD (with footpod) for pace....unaffected by satellites and works well...usually within 5 sec of true pace and gives great instantaneous readings.  However, the best and most reliable I find for race day is to set up a cheap digital watch with a countdown timer. I set the countdown timer at my desired km pace (say 4:10).  Every 4mins & 10 secs an alarm goes off. I check this off against the km marker to see how i am tracking. I find this great as it requires no mental energy....i just listen for the alarm and look for the km marker.  No need to crunch numbers and splits in my fried brain. No need to even look down at my watch. If the alarm goes off and i'm a few metres short, i know i need to pick up my pace.

I picked my watch up for $60, and it is my most trusted posession on race day (also very handy for interval training). I wear the Polar on one hand and the cheapy digital on the other.

Couple of tips for anyone going down this path.....
1. Most digital watches have a countdown timer function, though many sales assistants will look at you blankly.
2. Not all watches will fit the bill.  Some will only offer adjustment in 1 minute increments.  No good....you need 1 sec increments.
3. The watch has to have an AUTO function in the countdown.  This means that when the watch finishes the countdown, it automatically restarts for the next lap (or km). Many watches will terminate the countdown which is no use.
4. Make sure the alarm is nice and loud.

The Polar is great for downloading and analysing pace/cadence/HR etc after runs and staying on target in training runs. However, it is expensive, and I find calibration does vary depending on the pace you are running (takes a while to really get the hang of it) I find the cheapy digital the reliable goto technology for race day as it is bang on accurate and pretty well fool proof (so i don't have to worry about a technology meltdown on the start line   ).

Good Luck for the race!

[Ted]

My Garmin worked fine last year, it was my brain that let me down by going out too fast. Plan to fix that on Sunday though.

Good luck one and all!

[CountryMuzz]

Olmy, on May 14 2010, 09:57 AM, said:

Hey Plu, that's about my goal time too!! Would you like to meet up and form a little 1:55 bus? I will be trying to hold on to 5:30 pace for the race.

My wife is also chasing 1:55 - I will tell her to keep and eye out for a couple of coolrunners.

[bron]

Running my first HM with a friend. Have completed hal higdons novice program. Hoping to finish with a smile!!! but starting to feel a little nervous.
  Any race day tips.

[Ted]

Bron

I'm no expert, but having run it here are some tips:

1. Don't go out too fast. It's the type of course that punishes you if you do. Try to negative split.
2. Have a gel before the race and at 10k.
3. Don't worry it's not just you - no one likes running on Hickson Road.
4. Have fun.

Have a good one!

[haggis basher]

Hi All
Must admit I feel slightly edgy about this run. Got bitten by dog. (stitches and antibotics)
Now right hamie sore up near glute! Can still run, but can't stretch out. Will have to try my 'quick shoe shuffle'.
Will be wearing my St George colours (red/white vest and shorts)
Good luck to everyone.
See Ya

Edited by haggis basher, 14 May 2010 - 04:12 PM.

[bron]

Thanks Hillman,


  Off to buy another gel.

                   Bron

[Olmy]

CountryMuzz, on May 14 2010, 02:13 PM, said:

My wife is also chasing 1:55 - I will tell her to keep and eye out for a couple of coolrunners.

I will have my cap on with "Olmy" written across the back. Dunno about the rest of my kit yet, though. Probably a red top.

[plu]

CountryMuzz, on May 14 2010, 02:13 PM, said:

My wife is also chasing 1:55 - I will tell her to keep and eye out for a couple of coolrunners.

Yes let's see what we can do.

Plu

thomo, on May 14 2010, 01:10 PM, said:

They do put up km marker every k.

They fun part is trying to locate them with all the crowd.

Though we do need to know what side of the road they are on - I have this habit of never seeing them.

Plu