Now for my Games Visiting athletes a big inspiration 10 weeks out from marathon
YESTERDAY I went down to Southport’s Broadwater Parklands – where the Commonwealth Games marathon starts and ends – in the hope of inspiration for the Gold Coast Marathon on July 1.
With just 10 weeks to go before the big day, it is perhaps fortuitous that the Games race comes at this point in time.
Tomorrow some of the best long-distance runners in the (Commonwealth) world will battle it out for the gold medal.
The course runs north to the aptly-named Runaway Bay before competitors turn around at 4.4km to race all the way up, past Hedges Ave, to Burleigh Heads and turn around again, to come back to the finish line by Broadwater Parklands.
At 42.195km, a marathon is enough to faze any mere mortal. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t struggling with the training.
Cutting down on booze is one thing, but chocolate as well! It is almost too much to take.
I’m 80 per cent sure I have blisters on my feet (hey, I’m not a doctor OK) and my back aches at the end of my runs.
Also I am haunted by past demons (dramatic!) including when I told workmates I had food poisoning and so couldn’t complete the half-marathon 10 years back.
Instead, I lay in bed with a hangover. Thank you Orion you damn delicious Japanese beer.
So what was I doing yesterday, you ask?
I was visualising the race. Visualisation is a highly effective tool in any runner’s armoury.
After all, it helps enormously to picture yourself pass the finish line and the tremendous sense of accomplishment you will undoubtedly feel.
It is all part of building selfbelief.
However, tomorrow I will not only be picturing myself running beside the Kenyans (yes, yes I can fantasise), but I will also be watching carefully the different runners and their running styles.
If you’re running in the Gold Coast Marathon I’d suggest you head down tomorrow too.
After all, it is a free event, and believe me, these day, that is a rare thing indeed.