THE 2009 31st ASICS ADELAIDE MARATHON AS RUN BY MATTHEW EVINS
It’s done! On Sunday I completed my first marathon and finished in less than 3 hours and 26 minutes. This was a time I had not seriously contemplated but I was lucky and it all just came together on the day.
My brother had volunteered to be my “pit crew” for the marathon, so on the previous day I had provided him with a list of points on the route and my split times (you know… best and worst scenario). My race target was to run under 3hrs 45 but on the morning of the race, 10 minutes before the start, I had a slight panic attack. I told my brother to throw the time splits away!! What was I thinking!? I should only be concentrating on making it!
As we lined up to start, panic attack under control, the weather looked kind, the air was cool and the clouds high although the flags on Santos Stadium warned of strong sea breezes later in the race.
I heeded the advice of a few marathon veterans to start off slowly. I felt like I was standing still in that first kilometer as runners kept passing me…6:20 for the first kilometer. All the runners I knew were in front of me, but I remained calm. I reached the 5km marker in 25:30 minutes, about the time we had a small rain shower, and so far I was on plan. Now I lifted the pace and got into a rhythm. The plan from here was simple…average 4:45 a kilometer as long as I could, and then drop back to 5 minutes per kilometer.
My brother was there every 5kms cheering me on and when we got to the Esplanade I was happy that the wind felt like it was directly onshore and didn’t seem to be having much effect.
At about 17 kms to go, I came around the corner to see my wife and daughter cheering and going crazy, it makes a massive difference and keeps the legs turning.
I had a few difficult moments at 30 kms and 34 kms. This was about the time I started to struggle to keep my pace under 5 minute kilometers, but you just keep going…“trust in the training”…that was a mantra I said a lot that day.
At about 12 kms to go I started reeling in other runners that had passed me earlier. This was a great incentive as they looked worse than I felt (lucky I had no mirror!).With 8 kms to go, I was starting to hurt and was focusing on reaching the 6km marker, thinking if I get there it is only 30mins left to run.
I mustn’t have seen the 6km marker as the next thing I was passing it. Suddenly it dawned…a marathon” .I kept repeating this to myself, “inside 5 in a marathon”, “inside 5 in a marathon”. I was going to make it, and I was going to blow my target time away. I was still managing to run at just under 5 minutes per kilometer and my secret dream of running under 3hr 30mins might be a reality.
At 3 kms to go, the legs cried out again and I did my slowest km since the start. Then I reached 2kms to go (only 2000m I thought) and the adrenalin kicked in. My tempo lifted as I saw a runner I knew in front. I pulled her in just as I saw Santos stadium. Into the last km and it was a great feeling the legs kicked again, one of my goals was to finish the marathon with good running form, not stagger over the line. The body felt great and I was so
excited about coming into the stadium; I was going to savor this.
Last year I came down to the marathon to watch a friend finish and for a whole year have been visualizing my own finish
into this stadium. Now I was here and as I hit the final straight, surging to the line, I saw my family cheering and it was
better than I had dreamed of. Awesome!
In a nice surprise, I was presented with the John Bannon trophy for the fastest time in a debut marathon…Now that is
just icing.
To my friends at SARRC Tuesday, Friday and Sunday running groups, thanks for the advice, competition and fun.
Cheers, gotta run.
Matt
John Bannon Trophy Winner 2009
It’s done! On Sunday I completed my first marathon and finished in less than 3 hours and 26 minutes. This was a time I had not seriously contemplated but I was lucky and it all just came together on the day.
My brother had volunteered to be my “pit crew” for the marathon, so on the previous day I had provided him with a list of points on the route and my split times (you know… best and worst scenario). My race target was to run under 3hrs 45 but on the morning of the race, 10 minutes before the start, I had a slight panic attack. I told my brother to throw the time splits away!! What was I thinking!? I should only be concentrating on making it!
As we lined up to start, panic attack under control, the weather looked kind, the air was cool and the clouds high although the flags on Santos Stadium warned of strong sea breezes later in the race.
I heeded the advice of a few marathon veterans to start off slowly. I felt like I was standing still in that first kilometer as runners kept passing me…6:20 for the first kilometer. All the runners I knew were in front of me, but I remained calm. I reached the 5km marker in 25:30 minutes, about the time we had a small rain shower, and so far I was on plan. Now I lifted the pace and got into a rhythm. The plan from here was simple…average 4:45 a kilometer as long as I could, and then drop back to 5 minutes per kilometer.
My brother was there every 5kms cheering me on and when we got to the Esplanade I was happy that the wind felt like it was directly onshore and didn’t seem to be having much effect.
At about 17 kms to go, I came around the corner to see my wife and daughter cheering and going crazy, it makes a massive difference and keeps the legs turning.
I had a few difficult moments at 30 kms and 34 kms. This was about the time I started to struggle to keep my pace under 5 minute kilometers, but you just keep going…“trust in the training”…that was a mantra I said a lot that day.
At about 12 kms to go I started reeling in other runners that had passed me earlier. This was a great incentive as they looked worse than I felt (lucky I had no mirror!).With 8 kms to go, I was starting to hurt and was focusing on reaching the 6km marker, thinking if I get there it is only 30mins left to run.
I mustn’t have seen the 6km marker as the next thing I was passing it. Suddenly it dawned…a marathon” .I kept repeating this to myself, “inside 5 in a marathon”, “inside 5 in a marathon”. I was going to make it, and I was going to blow my target time away. I was still managing to run at just under 5 minutes per kilometer and my secret dream of running under 3hr 30mins might be a reality.
At 3 kms to go, the legs cried out again and I did my slowest km since the start. Then I reached 2kms to go (only 2000m I thought) and the adrenalin kicked in. My tempo lifted as I saw a runner I knew in front. I pulled her in just as I saw Santos stadium. Into the last km and it was a great feeling the legs kicked again, one of my goals was to finish the marathon with good running form, not stagger over the line. The body felt great and I was so
excited about coming into the stadium; I was going to savor this.
Last year I came down to the marathon to watch a friend finish and for a whole year have been visualizing my own finish
into this stadium. Now I was here and as I hit the final straight, surging to the line, I saw my family cheering and it was
better than I had dreamed of. Awesome!
In a nice surprise, I was presented with the John Bannon trophy for the fastest time in a debut marathon…Now that is
just icing.
To my friends at SARRC Tuesday, Friday and Sunday running groups, thanks for the advice, competition and fun.
Cheers, gotta run.
Matt
John Bannon Trophy Winner 2009
