991 replies to this topic

[brewer]

From the website: http://www.sydneyrun...estival.com.au/

Quote

The date for 2012 has been confirmed as Sunday 16 September. Online entries are scheduled to open in April.

Mark the diarys now, but training can wait a while yet. I'm tipping the weather will not be as hot as 2011.

I'm still to decide if I'm in for the half or full.

[Colin]

brewer, on 27 October 2011 - 06:34 AM, said:

From the website: http://www.sydneyrun...estival.com.au/

Quote

The date for 2012 has been confirmed as Sunday 16 September. Online entries are scheduled to open in April.

Mark the diarys now, but training can wait a while yet. I'm tipping the weather will not be as hot as 2011.

55th birthday, having a crack at 2:55 ..." 2:55 to 55".

When I turned 50 in 2007 it was also supposed to be on b'day, but then APEC pushed it back by one week. Let's hope its not OPEC this time as Bush called it.

[Barefoot]

Colin, on 27 October 2011 - 08:31 AM, said:

55th birthday, having a crack at 2:55 ..." 2:55 to 55".

When I turned 50 in 2007 it was also supposed to be on b'day, but then APEC pushed it back by one week. Let's hope its not OPEC this time as Bush called it.

2:55 at age 55 would be something I would like to see. For me I will be age 54, so the easy choice is 54 minutes for the 10km.

As for special numbers, my birthday is 25:2:58, in my Marathon number 25,2:58 was my time.

Good luck with training!

[PinkDrinkingPony]

Ooh just 7 days after my 30th birthday. I'm going to aim for a sub 4:30.

[WallyGator]

Colin, on 27 October 2011 - 08:31 AM, said:

55th birthday, having a crack at 2:55 ..." 2:55 to 55".

Is that jogging the half or running the full?

Having retired for now from marathons due to DNFs the last 2 years and a fat body, I should be there for the half.  The early rise will not be enjoyed.

[ducatiboy]

Turning 50 in Aug 2012. To celebrate I'll be doing my first marathon...Sydney 2012!

[julia]

I already have the Monday off work - the past 2 years I've waited before requesting it off and both times have been denied due to others being off - so I got in early!

I love the Bridge Run, it was my first ever "fun run" - and last year I got into the top 10 just a few weeks after recovering from a stress fracture, so I'm excited to see what I can do (if I stay) injury free!

[yondi]

I'm in for my first full marathon. No pressure of time I just want to be able to run across the line.  I can't wait!!!

Edited by yondi, 01 March 2012 - 03:17 PM.

[Chelbub]

Hello Yondi,

Great to see you!  I am so excited for you to do this as your first full - I did it last year and like you, just wanted to cross the line in the end.  An unforgettable experience - I still tear up when we look at the finishing footage taken by my husband - I was a blubbering mess!

You will be sensational...

Rach

[yondi]

Thanks Rachel,

Firstly a belated Congrats on your first full marathonlast year. Welldone  and a great time especially in that warm weather. If I can do anything near your time I'll be stoked.

I fell a bit out of the loop last year. I kept running but didn't do any events. I'm making up for it this year with events coming out of my ears.

However they are all training for the big one.

What are your goals for this year?

I hope to see you somewhere along the way.

Yondi

[Pom]

Yondi,

Well done on setting your mind to your first Marathon. I ran my first Marathon at Sydney last year, and the course is certainly scenic with the Harbour Bridge and Centenial Park etc. I had a great experience, despite the heat.  Coming round Circular Quay in that final km up to the Opera House was amazing, and something I won't forget. I think I might have had a tear in my eye at that point. It had been a long journey to get to my first Marathon.

Just keep focused on your goals, and the training will be easy

Pom

[yondi]

Thanks Pom and well done for your marathon last year.
I have done 9k & 2 x half at blackmores and each time finishing at the Opera house is amazing. I am really looking forward to Sept.

Yondi

[frankie]

I hope to be there for my first Sydney Marathon and then in October for the Melbourne Marathon.

[theturtle]

Yes, I want to front up gain too...last year was a challenge....surely it must be easier this year!  Currently battling an injury niggle, but I have time (as I keep telling myself).

[Pom]

theturtle, on 06 March 2012 - 09:18 PM, said:

Yes, I want to front up gain too...last year was a challenge....surely it must be easier this year!  Currently battling an injury niggle, but I have time (as I keep telling myself).

I too have unfinished business with the Sydney Marathon, after the challenge of last year. Already plotting my revenge. Bwa ha ha ha!

[Rainlover]

Have plantar fasciitis and decided to give GC a miss. Have not been able to do much running at all and only cross training. Physio supports my decision. Hopefully may be in better shape in a couple of months to give Sydney a go.  This injury is stubborn and doing everything I can to assist with recovery but for this injury I feel like I'm in the dark and just have no idea how long it's going to be. Fingers crossed for Sydney.

[tonedbutt]

Has anyone here done the whole Can Too training and participation in the BSRF?  I'd love to know how it worked out for you.  Worthwhile?  Did you raise your sponsorship target?  Good value? etc

[Kookaburra]

Have just entered the 9km Bridge run.  Entries opened today.

[yondi]

Thanks for the heads up Kookaburra.

I'm entered in my first marathon

[richardegg]

Fresh from Canberra I too have unfinished business with this marathon thingy. Entered Sydney Marathon this morning, again will try to run for camp quality if they can get themselves registered on fundraising site. Am aiming for sub-4:00 this time (4:11:19 at Canberra). Carried ITB injury into Canberra, taking a 4 week spell to rehab it before the 18 week build up to sydney. This build up includes Mudgee and Dubbo halfs and City to Surf, so should be pretty epic (as us gen Yers put it...). Part of build up also sees weight loss program where I aim to get down to 75kg once and for all.

[Casper84]

Was planning on doing Sydney then Melbourne at the start of the year. Am in 2 minds about Sydney as I really want to do melbourne and am worried that running Sydney so close may not be a good idea. Might wait and see how I go at Gold Coast before I decide.  Of the 4 marathons I have done now Sydney was the toughest but that may have also been the 30 degree heat!

[Caniggia33]

Hiya folks,

How are you all getting on?.  Sorry I haven't popped in much since I got back to Blighty after my Sydney marathon shocker.  To be honest I thought sydney was my last marathon.  I was scared to even put the trainers on and go for a run round the block never mind take on a marathon again.  Well eventually after I sat about on my arse for two or three weeks it started to become obvious that I had the square route of not very much else going on in my life other than working, eating and sleeping and I couldn't only do those three activities until I fell off my perch.  I got the trainers back out dusted off my battered ego and got my scrambled brain back out there.

Next the race where to go..............

Well as you all noticed I wasn't overly grand in the sunshine.  3:52 only avoided a PW because I had ran an ever worse PW in 29C of sunny sunshine in Dusseldorf 4 months earlier in the year.  So I went in search of somewhere I could actually run.  I do cold, wet and windy very well and sought out a race that by the laws of averages would deliver most of those commodities.  I don't know what Manchester is famous for in Australia but over hear its famous for Coronation St, Manchester Utd, Oasis and the fact it always rains.  Manchester usually has raincast forecast 365 days a year.  This year is a bit different as it is a leap year.  Its forecast 366 days this year!!!! As soon as they announced they were putting on a marathon for the 1st time in 10 years it had Caniggia's race written all over it in fact the sponsors are thinking of renaming it the Caniggia33 Greater Manchester Marathon next year

Manchester failed to disappoint.  Where I hoped for a bit of light rain and a nice breeze I got 30mph winds and 4C of freezing cold rain for the full 26.2 miles. Result...........

3:09:15



That was my 2nd fastest marathon ever, my best since 2008 and best of all I got a good for age time for London for next year thanks to the organisers unexpected decision to increase the qualifying time from 3h to 3:10 for under 40 year old blokes.

I told you I wasn't as bad as I looked last year.

Hope you are all fit, well and looking forward to a lovely cold winter where running is fun and easy rather than that hot sunny rubbish you seem to have in the summer.

See ya aboot.

[aDrain]

Hiya Cannigia33,

Good to hear from you again. Well done on the 3:09.

Last Sydney was indeed a shocker, but not sure about loving the sleet and ice in the face thing

Just heading out now for a Sunday long run, on a sunny Sydney morning no clouds and around 10C.

[Caniggia33]

Hope you have had fun out there aDrain.  Now I have to admit that 10C and sunny is absolutely perfect but when the big man upstairs decides to play silly buggers with the weather I'd much rather he made it cold than hot.  As a bit of a contrast to conditions between marathons.  In Sydney I broke into a sweat standing on the spot at the start line.  In Manchester I took a rather minging sweatshirt I got for my Christmas to throw away at the start.  As I was already cold I thought I'd wear it for a couple of miles until I got fully warmed up,  I was still wearing it when I got to the 23 mile marker where I finally threw it away as it was geting so heavy I thought I was carrying a full army pack around with me.  Never has a dodgy Christmas jersey seen so much action.

Have to say I'm not looking forward to my next marathon effort with as much relish as Manchester I'm heading for stockholm in the summer to run the jubilee marathon (I know sweden doesn't sound hot but it gets pretty warm in the summer as the sun never really) comes down.  Its a one off race on the original stockholm marathon course starting and finishing at the Olympic Stadium and is a rather unusual 25.2 miles rather than 26.2 because thats how long it was in 1912.  I know its lunacy as I am awful in the sun but as its only run once overy 100 years if I don't do it this year next year will be a bit late for regrets and I think my knees will have gone by 2112 when it comes round again!!!!

See ya later folks!!!!

[Quinkin]

I've entered the marathon, it will be my first.

[Mick]

Wow Quinkin, I'm surprised you have never done one. Good luck ...

[Quinkin]

Mick, on 11 May 2012 - 08:14 AM, said:

Wow Quinkin, I'm surprised you have never done one. Good luck ...

Cheers Mick, never did run one in my twenties. Are you running?

[nicksail]

Any advice  I have been running now for about eighteen months

I love it and finished the sydney half in two hours seven minutes which is about the same time that I have done for the other three half marathons I have done. i would love to lose the extra five kilos and go under two hours for the half at the blackmores, but also have my heart set on doing a full marathon at some stage.

I am running plenty,(around forty k or so a week but not with any great rhyme or reason) I like to run as it makes me feel better about myself and helps with the stress's and strain of the week. I was truly happy picking up my race bib and standing at the start line on the weekend.

I have not joined anything, yet I do understand the need for community in these ventures.

Any thoughts comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated and apologies for my slightly Dr Phil request.

[Caniggia33]

Hiya Nick if you want to go for the big one go for it.  Life is too short to waste time thinking what if.  If you are young enough and fit enough to do it just go for it.  I will have a pretty good guess that if you start training for a marathon you will have the double whammy of absolutely destroying that 2h barrier in a warm up event.  Its amazing how much quicker most folk's half times become one they have a few 16+ milers in the tank and you stop going bang at the 10 mile marker in a half.

I just run because I can whenever I have the chance to (and I'm crap at all other sports!!!!) and it fits into my life.  I'm not in a running club and to be brutally honest (whisper this quietly) I don't really want to be.  I like the reclusiveness of just escaping from the world.  I'm sure having lots of folk about in a club would help but training nights are hard to get to, I'm not fast enough to live with the lads in the Hawks and even without a club if you pop in places like here you will find no lack of people to provide support from people in the same boat as yourself that are quite inexperieced runners and also others who have been there, done that and got the sweaty t-shirt.

Good luck with whatever you chose to do :-)

Ooops I have entered the Goofy Challenge in January in Orlando.  Seems like a really bad idea but I NEED the BLING!!!!!!!

[adr1an]

I'm tempted to enter Orlando just for the medal - Why are there three?

Nicksail - you've been running long enough to go for the 42.2 - Like Carneggia said - you'll do a 21.1 as a training run/event and probably go under 2hrs there.

[nicksail]

What a great response many many thanks to you . I will have a crack at it and yes I spend all day talking to people and like a bit of down time . Again many thanks

[richardegg]

I did enter the sydney full but ITB recovery took longer than I thought; ergo I have been given the form to switch to a half, the remainder being refunded. Besides, the half is run on the nicest half of the full course

[Caniggia33]

Good boy Nicksail.  You won't regret it well not until about the 18th mile lol!!!!!

Adrian the Goofy Challenge is literally a race and a half.  If you run the half on the saturday you get Donald.  If you run the marathon on the sunday you get Mickey.  If you are stupid enough to do both of them one day after the other Goofy is yours too.  It would be criminal to go all that way and only come back with one piece of BLING.  I have a curtain pole in my spare room with about 65 medals from the 1st race I ran in 2002 on the left right up to a wee 10k I ran last week on the right.  Some Disney bling would just add something a bit special to the collection.  They won't mean as much as my holy garil Boston medal but they will cerainly catch folk's eyes.

I'm working on the principle that I should try to run a decent half although not all out and then whatever I can in the marathon.  Even with a half in my legs I don't think I can run much worse than I did in sydney lol

[lyricnz]

I'm half thinking about doing this, if I can figure out the logistics (flying in from Melb). Hmm....

[Caniggia33]

Lyricnz if I can make a 42 hour trip to get all the way from my home in carnoustie in scotland to run a very jetlagged Bridge to Brisbane and then the Sydney marathon the week after you can certainly get yourself from melbourne.  No excuses get yourself signed up!!!!!!

[Vilante]

In for the half, just did my first half at 1:52 so hoping to get well under 1:50 at Sydney.

[Wayne Larden]

tonedbutt, on 28 March 2012 - 03:00 AM, said:

Has anyone here done the whole Can Too training and participation in the BSRF?  I'd love to know how it worked out for you.  Worthwhile?  Did you raise your sponsorship target?  Good value? etc

Hi Tonedbutt, while I haven't done the CanToo program I do know many people who have and who have thoroughly enjoyed the support, mentoring and group training. Maybe go along to one of the runs and see what you think. But from my experience and exposure to a lot of charity organisations and group training, I reckon this is one of the best!

Cheers
Wayne

[tonedbutt]

Thanks Wayne, that's good advice.

[MelbourneFootballClub]

Hi all, just completed my first half marathon on the weekend. My biggest race before this was 10km so I was pretty proud. Had a bit of a think tonight about another half and thought, maybe a full?

Is it too late to start training for this event now? Advice would be great, cheers.

[adr1an]

MFC - Certainly the half, possibly/probably the full. I think that maybe there is access to marathon guru training plans which might help you out.

My advice would be to crush the half this year and go after the full next - but if you are training well there's no real reason not to go after 42.2k

[Caniggia33]

Hi MFC,

I'm sort of in agreement with AdrIan.  If you have just ran a half in that sort of time you are pretty close to where you could run a marathon in another 3 months time.  It kind of depends how you would like to run it.  I have a feeling with your 1st half time you will want to run as quick as you can.  If that is the case enter the half and give it some welly.  If you just want to do it for the experience of running a marathon you could get round although it may get awfy hard work later on in the race if you have not followed a full training programme.  I'd be much more tempted to pick a race you really want to run a marathon in next year.

Let us know what you have decided and keep popping in for a natter :-)

[BlueZed]

Hi MFC,

I might get booted from this thread for saying this but ... if Sydney was my first marathon I probably would never have done a 2nd one.  I believe there are more beginner friendly races to choose such as Melbourne or Gold Coast.   Melbourne will give you a month longer to prepare, does not have several awful climbs at the end and has quite an interesting route.

Of course you won't get to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

All the best.

[adr1an]

Last years Sydney was my first marathon. First words to myself were 'I'm never doing that again' (few more expletives)

10 days later I was planning how I could do it better in 2012.

[MelbourneFootballClub]

Caniggia33, on 01 June 2012 - 08:53 AM, said:

Hi MFC,

I'm sort of in agreement with AdrIan.  If you have just ran a half in that sort of time you are pretty close to where you could run a marathon in another 3 months time.  It kind of depends how you would like to run it.  I have a feeling with your 1st half time you will want to run as quick as you can.  If that is the case enter the half and give it some welly.  If you just want to do it for the experience of running a marathon you could get round although it may get awfy hard work later on in the race if you have not followed a full training programme.  I'd be much more tempted to pick a race you really want to run a marathon in next year.

Let us know what you have decided and keep popping in for a natter :-)

There is no chance I would go flat stick like my recent half. I had 3 weeks training for my half and feel if I get 3 months of training in I could finish the marathon even if its 4:30 +

I have two trains for thought. 1 I have plenty of time to complete a marathon, take my time and get a few halfs under my belt. Or 2, just go for it, whats the worst that can happen.

Thoughts on doing the Sydney as my first?

BlueZed, on 01 June 2012 - 12:25 PM, said:

Hi MFC,

I might get booted from this thread for saying this but ... if Sydney was my first marathon I probably would never have done a 2nd one.  I believe there are more beginner friendly races to choose such as Melbourne or Gold Coast.   Melbourne will give you a month longer to prepare, does not have several awful climbs at the end and has quite an interesting route.

Of course you won't get to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

All the best.

adr1an, on 01 June 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

Last years Sydney was my first marathon. First words to myself were 'I'm never doing that again' (few more expletives)

10 days later I was planning how I could do it better in 2012.

Now I am scared haha. I couldnt find the profile for the course, only the map. It is really that bad?

Edited by MelbourneFootballClub, 01 June 2012 - 09:26 PM.

[Caniggia33]

If you could run a half in 1:40 off 3 weeks training if you had 3 months I think you would be able to get a lot closer to going sub 4h than running 4:30 plus.  sydney was pretty bloody tough and for a scotsman used to running when it is freezing cold my worst fear of a hot day was realised on race day.  To be honest it was marathon number 15 for me and one of my worst running experiences and left me pretty shook up.  I was a bit scared to even pull the trainers on when I got home for a jaunt round the block.

To be honest any course would be tough to me when it is that hot and although Sydney wasn't an easy course it was by no means a brute like Athens or Boston which I have ran in the past.  It was just an accumulation of the heat followed by the flyover section that destroyed me.  I'm not saying I would have ran a PB on that course if it had been 10C and raining but I certainly think my inability to handle the heat made it look a lot tougher than it actually was.  I'm told that was unseasonably hot for sydney so the likelihood of you getting that kind of weather 2 years running are probably pretty slim and I'd hazard a guess if you waited another month for melcourne it might be even hotter as it would be closer to summer than Sydney which doesn't sound like a good option.

I always work on the principle that if you are going to run a marathon you might as well run a good one and with the exception of Auckland which I've heard is great I can't think of many other ones in that part of the world I'd like to do apart from Sydney because big sis lives there and Melbourne because I'm told it finishes in the MCG.  If you think you might only run one marathon pick a good one.  No point sitting in umpteen years time and remembering that the only one you ever ran was in the middle of nowhere and was only witnessed by some sheep and a kangaroo. If you are going to do one Sydney or Melbourne would be at the top of my list long before ones like the Gold Coast or Canberra.  Save those ones to chase times in the future or if you just want to try something different.

[Pom]

Sydney last year was my first Marathon also, and yeah I'll admit that I found myself thinking "if this is what it's like to run a marathon, then I'm not doing it again", but it really was down to the heat more than the course for me. There's nothing scarey about Sydney in my opinion. The only "tough" part is that final 10km out to Pyrmont and back, but I'd say it's mainly because there is not the same level of spectators out there, and the runners are all in their worlds dealing with the fatigue, and the scenery is not exactly inspiring. But that said, the elation as you come back into Circular Quay makes it all worthwhile, where the crowds really lift you.

It's a really scenic course overall, and surely that 30C won't be repeated this year will it?

[BlueZed]

That Marathon 4:01:51 (2012 Canberra Marathon) looks great Pom!  

[BlueZed]

MelbourneFootballClub, on 01 June 2012 - 09:21 PM, said:

Now I am scared haha. I couldnt find the profile for the course, only the map. It is really that bad?

Here are two profiles: one from MapMyRun and one from my Garmin recording on the day.

 Sydney MapMyRun.JPG   21.87K   42 downloads

 Sydney Garmin.JPG   45.88K   44 downloads

Yes the heat was extraordinary but I wonder if the course could not go a few kilometres further south along Anzac Parade or Alison Road; just to eliminate the Pyrmont part.   It could then still run past Circular Quay and finish at the Opera House.

[Caniggia33]

Bluezed are you sure you ran the same course the rest of us did those course profiles look nothing like each other. :-o

[BlueZed]

Hahaha ... I think it is just a matter of scale.  The Garmin is definitely correct as at was on my wrist the whole way. I distinctly remember that Mount Everest at 32km.  ;o)