Race Day Wrap Up

Saturday night me and Carli stayed in Melbourne so we wouldn’t have to get up so early on race day.  I didn’t think I would get much sleep, but I must have fallen asleep at some stage because I woke up after having this horrible dream.  It was so lifelike!  It was about us getting ready for the marathon, and going out for breakfast and then looking at the time and it was 7:30am and the race was supposed to start at 7am so we rushed back to the hotel and had to quickly get changed.  Then I woke up, and was so disoriented! I looked at the time and it was only 2:30am!!! It seemed like that dream went for ages.

Our wake up call was for 5:30am.  We were out the door by 6am and we got a cab to take us to the MCG.  Check in our bags and a last minute toilet stop and we were on our way to the start line where we met up with Tom and Aggie who very kindly came an hour early for their race so they could see us off at the start.

Before we knew it we were jogging along past the start line and getting a nice rhythm by the time we made it to Flinders St station.  The first half of the race we kept a very nice pace at 6 minute kilometres.  We stopped for a drink at each drink station, and even got some gels later on in the race.

It was the most beautiful day you could ask for to go for a run, especially when running along Beaconsfield pde in St Kilda, with the blue skies, the perfectly flat water, and a gentle sea breeze.

I loved meeting and chatting with some of the runners… there was the group who flew out from NZ just to do the marathon and were going back the next day… the ladies with Chinese writing on their backs who told us it said “Fast Wives Club”, a running group they started in Shanghai (this was their 9th marathon).  The Spartans are a group of people who have run 10 or more Melbourne Marathons.  One guy I chatted to was running his 31st marathon!!! 

We would pass people, then have a drink stop and end up passing these people again later on.

The volunteers at the drink stands were fantastic.  The crowds who gave us a clap and a cheer really spurred us on.  At one point we ran past a group of builders who were sitting there on a break just watching the race.  I revved them up, saying “Aren’t you going to cheer for us??”

I was on such a high for the last 8km or so… knowing that we were close to the finish.  I just had a really fun time. 

Somewhere along St Kilda road I saw Will (my uncle) and Norma.  They thought they had missed us, but we were still plodding along!

We had to stop a bit at the end to stretch the legs out.  But that meant we were able to finish with out any injury, and to finish strong, with a smile on our faces :)

Heading up Flinders st toward the MCG we saw Tom and Aggie again, who had finished their half marathon.

Turning toward the MCG I gave a quick phone call to Kel to say that we were nearly there.  They had been starting to think they had missed us!  Coming around the corner and we could hear the music getting louder.  The crowds were bigger and we were amongst the 5km walkers as well now.  We headed up the ramp to get onto the MCG into the bright sun and green, green grass. 

 

We ran the home straight, past our family and friends who came to see us cross the finish line. 

And then we did it!  We crossed the line, in a time of 4 hours, 41 minutes.

It feels fantastic to have achieved that goal that we have been working toward all year… to do something that not many people can say they have done.  I feel like we can do anything that we set our minds to.

(See more ‘official’ race photos and video here: http://www4.marathon-photos.com/)

 

Stay tuned for the next instalment…

Racey Trace climbs Eureka!