Snail's Pace......

.....just about sums up Canberra Marathon 2009 for my unlucky legs! Although, it wasn't really my legs that let me down, rather it was the most awful searing pain in the ball of each foot, particularly so on the right foot, that with time, spread its ugly way right up both legs! It's not a new problem but with the length of the run & from about the 15km mark, this awful pain became so bad that it meant I hobbled all the way to the finish. It felt like the soles of the feet were on fire!

The run was long but the report will be shorter!

I drove to Canberra Friday afternoon, staying at Forrest Hotel & Apartments, about 8 minutes walk to the start/finish. Ewen called in after work & we drove into the CBD to one of the best noodle eateries I've been to! I had seafood with soft noodles/veges; Ewen, King Prawns with soft noodles & veges.

Back at the apartment we watched, by sheer chance, a movie called "Hey Hey; It's Esther Bluberger", which I'd never heard of & don't wish to see a repeat of & during which Ewen fell asleep! If only he'd admit that "Gosford Park" was a far better movie! So that accounts for Friday night at the movies!

Saturday, doing all the right things, I stayed off my feet except for crossing the road to sit in the park & read for a couple of hours in brilliant sunshine & later going to the Registration Centre to pick up Bib number etc. Ewen did the 10km race (ran well too!) & later brought back some take away for himself while I had pasta & a sauce that I'd brought with me from home, and that accounts for Saturday night & whatever was on TV.

Sunday morning, up at 4:30a.m., a muffin with honey for brekkie, a few light body looseners performed in the room of course (!) & off to the start.

And then.......


Instead of flying on the wings of the wind, I hobbled to the finish in 6:04:24 with clipped wings, at half speed, at funeral pace, little by little, step by step, inch by inch to make it the slowest of my 9 marathons & 30 minutes slower than last year's Canberra marathon. OMG!! This is becoming so depressing a story!


I'll no doubt have to make some enquiries about what might cause this ball of the foot pain....could be feet, could be the shoes. I don't know. What I do know is : I don't want another apathetic long run in slow time & waddle with mincing steps across the finish line!


How I managed to get to the finish line at all is almost entirely - I should score out 'almost' - due to Cool Runner & friend Ewen, who 'turned up' at various parts of the course &, in spite of my grunting, puffing & pleading, encouraged me to keep moving. However, he did have to get the whip out to aid my advance up the last hill! The wonderful cheer squad of guys & dolls were at their usual best & were of immense support for this runner.



The final 12km I was able to keep him in sight when he stayed about 20m or so in front ....just enough bait for me to keep nibbling at; to see that I didn't cross the roads near the finish & end up under a car & occasionally pointing out a few 'walkers' ahead that I should be able to pass!


The fact that I finished at all is entirely due to his support. Much obliged once again, Ewen, though by comparison with Melbourne Marathon last year, this would have to be one of the better ones. Please tell me this is true!

Setting out for the after party at Rydges in Ewen's car, I began to feel sick & asked to be let out before an 'accident' happened. Ewen probably doesn't recall what was a gentle, but nonetheless purposeful, shove in the back he gave to get me out the door lest I sullied the spotless car interior! Back in the apartment I threw up the day's takings of GU, sports drink etc & then felt well enough to walk across to Rydges. Here, I had some time to catch up with Cool Runners I hadn't seen for quite some time, but I was weakening fast & decided to walk back to the apartment & rest.

Once more, a repeat performance of the above 'throw up'! Not too long after, Ewen called in for a cuppa & to see how I was doing, but I was feeling so ill by this time I returned the earlier shove out the door, figuratively speaking, so as not to inflict my sea of troubles on anyone else!


I told Ewen that if I ever mentioned running another marathon, to go get a gun & shoot me dead!

But then I thought secretly to myself, I'll be 80 before the next Canberra marathon, so ................"Will I? Won't I? Will I, Won't I, Will I Join the Dance?"


Official Time = 6:05:24 ( that's 6 hours that felt like 6 days)!!



........and with less than 4 weeks now to SMH Half Marathon...Oh well, that's another day!