Cracker: Mo' Better Reason
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Good luck - I'll be attempting my third half marathon on Sunday. The psychology I used for the 1st one was that I knew I could run as far as the Bridge (my longest training run was only 13k), then I could walk up the Bridge, and then stagger the last few kms. It worked and I made it less than 2 1/2 hrs.
Note that once you come off the Bridge you still have 5+ kms to go - the 16k drink station is close to where you go under the Bridge before Westhaven Marina.
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So what style mo are you going for? Please god not another horseshoe.
But supportive comments are a dime a dozen...
...I've even set up a facebook group
Hmmm.
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Actually the PM wouldn't look too bad (artist's impression)
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where I almost died twice trying to run in 30 degree heat while smoking cheap Asian ciagarettes
You wanna watch that heat, dude, it'll kill you.
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Damien, best of luck with the half-marathon. It's one of the best feelings in the world, completing a half or a full marathon. I've ran many and still really enjoy it.
Here's my advice:
Eat loads of carbos the night before, have something like some toast and a banana for breakfast, but not a heavy, large breakfast.
While you'll be feeling fresh at the start, resist the temptation to really cane it, just take your time. You'll still be going faster than you were during training runs, anyway.
This is known as "race pace" - the crowd will pull you along and you'll feel like keeping up with others going at your pace, rather than just plodding along.
Try to stick with / near a bunch who are going at a pace you feel comfortable with, you always go faster when running in a bunch, as you "work" with each other, taking turns leading the bunch, etc.If you're feeling good at the 10km mark, then start to crank it up. If you're fit enough to get there feeling ok, you'll be fit enough to get to the end, no trouble. Even if you're feeling a bit tired at 20km, you'll surprise yourself by automatically breaking into a sprint as soon as you see the finish line.
Most importantly: aim just to finish, not to beat a particular time. Enjoy the achievement, no matter how long it takes you. Having done one, you'll know what it involves and will almost certainly do a better time the next time.
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Actually the PM wouldn't look too bad (artist's impression)
I would buy a used economy from that man.
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Asian cigarettes
A long talk, a few cans, if you can?
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I wouldn't advise running the half. Do the quarter marathon instead.
I've been running for years (both my first and my fastest marathons have been on that course and I completed my first 50 miler this year) and I've seen lots of people get hurting trying to do too much too soon.
A half is a very good goal to have but I'd do it next year. The most likely result is that you'll definitely not enjoy yourself and won't run again. There is a significant risk that you'll re-injure yourself.
If you do do it then go out really, really slow. Walk whenever you feel like it. Don't aim to finish in anything faster than 2:30.
All the best!
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where I almost died twice trying to run in 30 degree heat while smoking cheap asian cigs
I wondered what that disturbance in the force was....
No-one, and I mean absolutely no-one, runs up here unless there is a Sumatran feline close behind. The locals must have got quite some pleasure watching the bulé in training.
You wanna watch that heat, dude, it'll kill you.
Those kreteks will kill you on their own, no other input or exertion required.
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You can forget about Key. His big gig in November is a trip to Singapore, ostensibly for APEC, but really to get Obama'd again ("almost seven minutes AND he's heard of the Conchords!" - all NZ media, November 15).
Grow a Mo and it could all go horribly wrong.
"Mr President, nice to meet you again!"
"Er ... the accent's kinda familiar but I can't quite place the face. Are you the Nova Scotia guy?"
"Ha ha, good one!" (looks around nervously) "Guyon, you really aren't gonna use that, are you?"
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Goooooo on John. If you do, I'll personally donate $500 to your Movember profile.
You do realise that throwing down the gauntlet to the PM is now an offence where the cops can forcibly take a DNA sample from the offender?!?!
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Thanks for the advice Grant and Edward.
Grant, duly noted about the carbs and brekky.
Edward, I take your point, but I think if that particular injury was going to flare up again it'd do it after the 10km. if I can already do 11km without any problems, I'd rather push it a little than do the quarter. And I definitely want to run over the harbour bridge. But I'll certainly walk if things get too hard.
...and you certainly get gloating rights if I'm proven wrong.
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simon g: good point but isn't Obama one of them muslims? Don't they revere facial hair?
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simon g: good point but isn't Obama one of them muslims? Don't they revere facial hair?
This reminds me of an anecdote in Red Star Over China about the setup of a Red base area in China's (largely Muslim) far west in the 1930s. Not all of the locals were on board with communist politics, but apparently the men agreed that Karl Marx at least had a good beard in his favour.
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Oh I have no desire to gloat. I want people to enjoy running as much as I do. With sufficient determination you can finish; it won't be fast and I expect it to hurt. The harbour crossing is cool.
The bursitis is a symptom of undertraining. Keep in the forefront that you are undertrained and you're just going to have to manage yourself through. If it hurts slow down. If it still hurts then wallk.
Part of the fun of running is doing the training. Knowing that doing this little run now, doing this little piece of hard work, ends up allowing you to complete the distance - or do so really quickly. Turning up at the start line knowing you're well trained and should get a good result is cool. Finishing with a good result is even better. The PR marathon I did had me smiling ear to ear for the last 5km because it became increasingly certain that I'd get under 4 hours.
The 20ish km is one of my favourite distances - especially on trail. It's long enough to be interesting but short enough that you can practically sprint it - and, for a trail race, rely on the aid stations instead of carrying water. Lotsa fun.
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Damian , good on you for having a crack but pace your self as advised
We are training this weekend too. This is for the Miford track which I last did 38 years ago, yes I was young then and older now
So we are going up the Matukituki riverto Aspiring hut then up to the Cascade saddle for a look, great views of Mt Aspiring if the weather is fine
Personally I hope the snow is down so we don't have to climb to high
I am sick of whitebaiting so I hope this beats that as a pastime -
I heard that John Key was negotiating a ground-breaking FTA with Molvanîa this month.
If so, a moustache would be unwise. According to Eric Newby, a young Molvaniard grows a moustache when he feels ready to pass through the "sex with goats" phase of adolescence. Should Mr Key flaunt a 'tache, he is likely to be offered the services of many of his host's finest animals, resulting in considerable offence and damage to our yoghurt exports should he decline.
Also, he'd look like a twat.
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You wanna watch that heat, dude, it'll kill you.
Dry heat. She's back alright.
A long talk, a few cans, if you can?
More genius.
I would buy a used economy from that man
On a roll. Bravo!
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jb,
I really only want to do it because I've never walked over the harbour bridge
Am I the ONLY person around here to have walked it way back when?
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<semirhetorical>
Question 1.
Does it look better to run at the start or at the finish ?
Question 2.
People always go too fast at the start - so when would be the best time to walk ?
Question 3.
What plans have you made in order to enjoy the run/walk ?
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Please take care on the run. Have fun. Curious painful suffering fun though it is likely to be. I wish you some endorphins for the pain.
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81stcolumn: I'll answer somewhat seriously 'cos I feel like it.
Q1: The only people at the start are other runners. That race starts at 0630 so not many locals are out. If you want to look good then you run at the end where there's a crowd to cheer you on.
One year I did the Auckland Marathon and some young guys were busy barbequing bacon in their front garden - much to the frustration and amusement of the passing runners.
Q2: Whenever you feel like it. I remember the first time I attempted an ultra. We all started off fairly slowly and then got to a piddling little hill where everybody stopped running and just walked up it.
That was a race I didn't finish as it happens. :-(
Trail runners will walk anything they can't run and don't worry what other people think. The faster runners can run up steeper grades without walking. I'm not fast but I'm a bit of hill specialist (both up and down) and I enjoy annoying people by blitzing past them going up hill!
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3410,
Good luck, DC. Should you start getting chest pains, please stop.
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Good luck with the run. When I started doing them about 11 years ago I was so anxious to make sure I could manage a half marathon I did a couple of 25km runs beforehand, just to make sure.
Then I decided to see how far I could run before finally conking out. Managed just under 34kms.
So I was a bit over-trained by the time the actual event came around. Still, I'd love to be that fit again.
Raymond:
So we are going up the Matukituki riverto Aspiring hut then up to the Cascade saddle for a look, great views of Mt Aspiring if the weather is fine
Envy-gland now in over-drive. One of my favourite parts of the country. One of my favourite parts of any country.
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Envy-gland now in over-drive.
God I wish I could still run. It's one of the most fundamental and wonderful feelings when you're in your stride amidst a pack, enjoying the play of your own capabilities and those around you as they ebb and flow throughout the run. I really miss that, and words don't do it justice. Have one for me, Damian.
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