Race Day Looms

Well tomorrow is it D-Day. Hard to believe I've had this blog running since late 2005. I didn't really use it until late last year.

You start to wonder why you invest this much time in a race that only happens once a year?
It is effectively an ultra whilst being called a marathon by name. But the hardness of the terrain leads you to question why you want to put in so much more training than a road marathon.

For example to get in it was do a sub 4hr marathon, which you then get told if you run ok means you might spend 6hrs doing this race.
When I trained for Canberra 2 years I did a dozen runs of 30ks and over peaking at 38ks, but in time only just on 3hrs.

For Six Foot I have had 3 runs of 40+ klms amongst others with another day doing a double making 42ks.
I've also had four runs on the track doing training. Spending 3:00, 4:24, 4:45 and 5:15 in time on my feet. You question your sanity in doing those runs alone. Ok one wasn't, but you get the picture. Uphill and downhill reps to condition the legs to withhold the pain of the hills.

Have I done enough training. Certainly in my mind I believe I have. I can't see that I have missed anything that would cause failure out in the bush. Failure to me is having my body reject the punishment I could inflict on it during the race. Nothing to do with anyone else's races.

My goal is to get through enjoying my race, pushing as hard or as slow as I feel like it in sections of the course. I'm not on the 'go hard or go home' bandwagon. I no doubt will be passed from the start to Pluvi by many 'legends' who have not done the training going out too hard. No offence intended. Just from previous reports it happens.
I don't plan to be cramping along Black Range or anywhere else.

And the goal is 5hrs in case anyone had forgotten. But that is open to discussion as the feel of the race develops. The first beer at the finish won't even touch the sides. Sorry for the ramble.

Picked up the number from the Edge Cinema tonight seeing Mohammad, Sportsman, Evie, Tux and Plu in the process. Plus Coaster and Royworlds later on. There were about 200 numbers left for race morning to pickup.

Catch you all Saturday night if I can type. Cheers everyone.