As my good friend and running buddy Crystal knows, “I love race day!”
I only said it about 10 million times to her with mixes of jumping up and down, squealing, moaning, laughing, and lots of smiling through excitement, joy, difficulty, and pure enthusiasm!
This is me with all my “loving race day” excitement!
You know it is a good friendship when you wake up pre 5am on a Sunday and run a half together all before church and a quidditch match. Life is good!
Today was my definition of a perfect Sunday!
It began with my alarm at 3:30am. To explain this to all you people out there who think I am crazy/ runners must be crazy, well partially you are correct, but there is also rhyme and reason to my madness; I run better in the afternoon than the mornings so I always wake up super early on race day to trick my body into thinking it’s the afternoon (or as the Aussies say, the arvo). So far this system has worked for me so I’m sticking to it!
Anyways after a shower and a nice stretch I ate my 4:30am bagel with salted peanut butter. Adding salt to my diet was a new addition to my nutrition plan, after doing more and more research on the matter I figured out this was a good idea. It helps you avoid cramps during the race!
Around 5:30am I did another round of stretching and ate my banana.
At 6:00am Crystal and I met and began our rather chilly and dark walk over to the Melbourne Cricket Ground where the race was to begin.
The sunrise over the MCG !
We arrived a little before 7:00am when the marathon was to begin! We were able to make it through the restroom lines before watching the beginning of the marathon!
Waiting for that Marathon life!
After dropping off a bag in the MCG we made our way back down to take some pictures, stretch a bit, and use the restroom again.
Fun favorite fact about the Melbourne Marathon Festival: the bathrooms rock! There are lots of those trailers of bathrooms and not too many people to stand in line. They were super clean and well stocked with toilet paper! Much better than porta johns! (All in all, I’ve been very impressed with Australian public bathrooms no matter whether race day or not)
Okay… Done with that tangent!
I tried GU energy gel for the first time ever for this run! Definitely the flavor to go with, as my fellow running blogger and current fitness/running role model, Hungry Runner Girl informed me, Salted Caramel. SO YUM! And I truly believed it gave me energy at the beginning of the race! For my next race (and the training circuit) I am going to try one halfway through.
Anyways once we finished with all of this it was time to take our corral!!! We pushed our way into the 1:45 pace corral because as all half/marathon runners know, it is better to start off in a faster corral so you don’t need to weave and dodge for the first 15 minutes.
Cause every runner knows you can’t run a race without a pre-race, in corral selfie…
The excitement grew as the countdowns began on this bright, beautiful spring morning! After lots of jumping up and down exclaiming how much “I loved race day!” the gun went off!!! After a couple minutes wait, we were off! Passing the starting line we clocked into the race!
The starting line with Melbourne in the background!
The first mile was great, an 8:02 split. Solid start! As we ran miles 2-4 we were right around 7:30 mile splits and feeling good!
Running down Flinders Street! A good first km!
The first 40 minutes of this race flew by! We ran down St. Kilda Road, a road I was very familiar with since it is the road that leads to the beach, one of my usual running treks, and home to the first place I ever stayed in Melbourne. Even though it is nothing too special it holds a special place in my heart. And now that I’ve done the half on it, it holds an even greater place!
The course was really open!
Rounding around a lake the beauty of the city off to my right, this race was feeling good! We were right around 7:50 miles and I wasn’t getting tired! I was cheering everyone on, fist pumping galore, and just having a grand old time running right beside Crystal! I even decided I would try drinking some water and Hydrolyte this race! One of the first times ever! And it didn’t upset my stomach which was awesome!
I don’t know what hit around mile 7.5… I started feeling it! I don’t know if it was the GU wearing off, the heat of the day beginning, or just starting off a little fast, but my legs began the countdown… and I began mentally encouraging myself…
“Okay 3 more tough miles to go, then it’s downhill from here” “you can do this” “this is what you trained for” “You are awesome, it is okay, you want to get under 1:55” “You are well under the 1:55 pace, it’s okay” and lots of prayer!
Once we hit 10 miles I told Crystal not to let me hold her back. My mile pace for two miles had dropped to 8:36-8:40. She kept on going about an 8:20 mile pace. I got a small boost at mile 11 and caught up to her on an incline! After the hill it started being killer again. What went from me encouraging Crystal at the beginning became her encouraging me! It was exactly what I needed and the boost helped me so much!
By now, without the end in sight (physically, mentally it was there) and not knowing exactly where the course would take me, I was just trying to finish strong. And as we ran along, I gained a little momentum but still knew by now the goal was just to finish!
And finish we did!! We crossed the finish line as the official clock said 1:51:09 and adjusted for the time when I crossed the starting line 1:50:06!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a truly beautiful, fairly flat race that I would 100 percent do again!!! Also it always feels good when you have only trained for about a month and have a stretch goal of 1:55 and knock 5 minutes off that time!
Super excited half buddies!
After waiting in line for water, stretching, moaning, groaning, and picking up our bag, Crystal and I walked back to the city, where she headed off for her match (cause she’s crazy and does sport after her impromptu half marathon she decided a week before she was going to run! She is truly a superstar! An amazing Christian woman, a wonderful friend, and a great runner! Crystal’s only goal for the half was to come in under 2:00… and she came in at 1:50:06!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I stuck around and cheered on the marathon runners while stretching at Federation square before church began.
After a beautiful church service where I won a give away since I had my bib on still from the morning, a nice protein lunch, some time studying in the sun, listening to an outdoor concert in the quad, some productivity, a nice dinner, watching a fun show with my corridor mates, and yoga with Crystal, I sit here writing this and studying a map of Africa for a test I have this week before bed!
The Melbourne Marathon Festival is definitely a course/ race/ day not to miss!
Run hard today! I’m praying for you!
What was your best thing you did this weekend?
Do you have any weird race day habits?
Way to go Mel. So proud of you. You are an awesome young woman
Thank you so much Virginia!! I can’t wait to see you again 🙂
Congratulations on finishing the marathon. I can’t imagine running that far I am tired after walking only 3 miles.
It all starts with those few steps! 🙂 Just keep moving and you never know what one day could transpire!
Great run and great write up. Congrats from Richmond, London.
Thank you so much!!
Way cool! I have always wanted to run a marathon, or at the very least a 5k, but I’ve never gotten fair enough in my training to feel confident to go for it. Congrats!
Cheers!
JoAnna
foreverinparadise.net
JoAnna, let me encourage you you can do it!!! It all starts with a good training plan that isn’t too overwhelming, my suggestion take a set couch to 5k running plan and tweak the days around to fit you schedule! If you need any help please let me know, I’d love to help you make a customized running plan!
Wow! Great job. I’m always impressed by people who have the stamina and determination to complete a marathon.
Thank you so much Fredrick!
That is so flipping awesome!!! I really want to start running but I don’t have anyone to watch the kiddos while I try 😦
Also, did you really go to a Quidditch match??? I’m jealous!
Ahhhh that is no fun!! You can get out there soon though (well as soon as they are old enough!) My idols are moms who run with their children! They are truly super heros! The kids are hard enough to control on in the house and these brave lovelies are taking them out running, craziness!! And yeah! Quidditch is actually really amusing! There is nothing like watching grown people running around on broomsticks 🙂
Look at you, all smiles! But I guess you were fully awake since it was technically “afternoon” for you, LOL. Great job!
Exactly why I wake up so early! 🙂 Thanks Melissa!
Congrats on finishing the marathon, you’re fantastic Melanie! I jog 5K pretty much daily and also do a 5K run every year. Maybe it’s time for a challenge? 🙂
That is so awesome!! I think it is time for you!!!! You could start by trying out a 10k race or 15k and see how you like it! It is so much fun! If you need any help or encouragement along the way just reach out!! You can do it 🙂
Looks like you had a great time. Congrats!
Thanks Bonnie!
I don’t think I like anything enough to get up at 3:30am lol but I totally get liking to run better in the afternoon. The afternoon is when I feel like I have my most energy. Glad you had a great time at the race 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂 and yeah it definitely takes a kick in the butt to get moving
I need to get back into running again. I’m just recovering from tarsal tunnel surgery and as soon as I heal. I’m going back to get my bling. Running is always a blast with friends.
Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry to hear about the injury! Take it easy and listen to your body before you go back for the bling (even though that and the runners high is the best part of the race right?!)
What an accomplishment! I bet it is easy to run when the view is so nice!
It was such a beautiful run! Thanks Krystal!
You’re so pretty!!!! Running is not really for me 😦
Thank you so much Rubbie! And it can’t be for all of us! What do you enjoy to do instead? 🙂
I’m not a runner but you make it look so fun! You’re inspiring! Maybe sometime I’ll try a race. My weekend consisted of me cleaning my sewing area and realizing I have about 10 projects to complete. I’ll get a few done this week, hopefully!
Congratulations! It looks like you had a fabulous time! I’m starting to miss running. 🙂 Happy running!!
Thank you so much! And it is marvelous! Get out there while the weather is still nice 🙂
Sounds like a great race and a huge accomplishment, congrats!
Thank you!!
I have a few friends that race and I think it’s awesome. great job!
Thank you so much!! 🙂
What an awesome run! My son runs cross country and race day he has no trouble getting up and at it. (Now a school day is a different story lol) It’s so much fun getting medals when you win something. Especially when you’ve got someone to share it with. Glad you had a great day!
School always is a different story!! Haha oh I remember trying to get my brothers out of bed! Thank you for the encouragement Julie 🙂
Congrats on finishing your half marathon to you and your friend. It is always nice running with a friend. I have never been in a marathon but I may have to put it on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing.
At least a half marathon is definitely a bucket list item!! 🙂 Thank you!!
Congrats on finished! What a great accomplishment!
Finishing**
Thank you so much Alyssa!
Wow, congrats, you are awesome!
Thank you John!
That is admirable. I am not a runner because I don’t actually enjoy running however, that does not take away from how much I appreciate your post. I would love to go to Melbourne one day. I have a niece in Sydney right now and a nephew in Darwin. Very far away from London, Ontario, Canada.
Thank you so much!! And you should definitely get out here!! Sydney is such a nice area and Darwin is BEAUTIFUL!! As for Melbourne, it holds a special place in my heart 🙂 If you need any travel recommendations for the future, I am your girl!
That’s nice for them to give a medal for each runner. Is this the event you’ve been practicing for or the Melbourne run you mentioned? Good luck!
It is Jo! Thank you so much for following my story 🙂 It means so much! I was so glad they gave every runner a medal, that is the good part of doing long distances they tend to have participation medals!
Wow, you worked so hard at this. I truly admire you, I need your motivation 🙂
Thank you so much Chrissy!
I really wish I was good at running. Congratulations on completing the marathon.
Thank you so much
Your experience looks so inspiring, I think I need to try to participate in a marathon one day. I am not a good runner now but hope to become one.
I need motivation like this to get out and walk/jog more. Congrats on your half marathon.
Thank you so much for reading! And let me encourage you, today is the day! 🙂
Congrats on finishing the marathon. I’m sure you have a great stamina and endurance because you finished the race.
Thank you so much Katherine!! 🙂
Great time! Very cool, I love reading your stories about your marathons. Slowly you are building up my confidence to get my ass in motion.
Reblogged this on pennabroad and commented:
Melanie runs a half marathon in Melbourne! One of the best ways to meet new friends abroad is to keep up your hobbies from home and meet people with shared interests…
Pingback: 21 Things I Don’t Want to Forget about my 20th Year Through the Eyes of a Runner. | Through the Eyes of a Runner