I asked AI to generate me a picture of an old man running around his neighbourhood.
After what appears to be another year of missed adventures on the Gold Coast due to many uncertainties, I’m glad to finally confirm that I will be part of the record-breaking event the first weekend of July.
My last GCM was in 2022 (my 10th running) and in hindsight, returning this year will be a little emotional for me. Much has changed since ’22 amidst the ever demanding job – my outlook on life, running and by its extension marathoning. GCM22 was Nick’s final race and visit to his adopted home. It will be a different and strange experience without him and the regulars this year, especially since I’m going to be following in his footsteps by tackling the Double Challenge (Half Marathon and Marathon on race weekend). I figured that if I ever was going to do it I might as well get it done while the body can still (barely) take the beating.
I hope to be able to finish it as expeditiously as my body allows me to. I’m in no shape to run quick races now – in fact possibly ever again – but that doesn’t mean I would like to spend more time than required to complete the 21.1 and 42.2. I will have to find a balance in doing my best in the current state I’m in while limiting the strain on my body to take on the classic distance the next day. Execute the Half too exuberantly on Saturday and I’ll pay the price sooner than expected the next day. Run the Half too easily, and I’ll be spending too much time on my feet. That’s an extremely fine line to tread but nothing training (which incorporates strength, progressive mileage, stacking high weeks and back-to-backs can’t prepare me for. Except that my appetite and energy levels for such endeavours are on the wane.
I have been enjoying Half Marathons though, completing Putrajaya (December ’23), Cyber City (January), and last weekend’s Twincity. I quite look forward to Generali’s event on May 19th as well. That’s a pretty high count for me. I find Halves the perfect mix of effort + distance without the need for months’ training commitments. Sure, if your cup of coffee is the Half Marathon, you could be running as much and intensely as one would be training for the Marathon but for one whose energy and drive are no longer for 42KM, the Half is perfect.
The timings for those halves have been pretty consistent as well – averaging 5:00-5:07/km paces. Considering the near absence of intervals and MP runs, I’m pretty encouraged by that. If I were to focus just on Saturday’s Half Marathon, a sub-1:45 is there for the taking, the question being just how much under 1:45 I’d be able to dip under. A 1:37 (which I ran in 2022) is beyond me at this moment and would be too much of a fantasy to entertain much less when I’ve a Marathon the next day. What then, will be my strategy for Gold Coast?
Run a comfortable sub-2 Half and a sub-3:50 (5:26/km pace) Marathon the next day?
Run a sub-1:45 Half and most likely struggle(!) to finish the Marathon?
A sub-1:45 AND a sub-3:50 respectively would be extremely nice. It would be achievable a few years ago but I’m not sure now. So much have changed. Priorities have changed. I’ve even unfollowed many running influencers who are always trying to sell us “dreams”. That’s a post for another day, if I ever come down to it!
While I let the race strategy simmer for the time being, I’ve boiled down my choices of shoes, in no order of preference, to the Hoka Cielo X1, ASICS Sky Paris and NB FuelCell Elite v3. It’s “just” a matter of which combo.
I suppose I still have a few weeks to work it out.
Ahhh, the Gold Coast Marathon. I won’t be running my 11th GCM 😣 but if you’re one of the many excited runners flying into the Gold Coast for the first time next week, here are some tips for you, from what to pack for race day and how to go about your race morning preparations!
Since weather is going to influence your packing, start monitoring the weather sites like Accuweather and Weather.com for race week forecasts. 2019 and 2022 were wet which were kind of a bummer since Gold Coast winter have always been dry! Nevertheless, a little bit of rain shouldn’t take away the race day excitement and your racing goals. Personally, I’d welcome a bit of light showers. After all, it won’t be freezing temps that we’re talking about here. Temps average around 11-12 Celcius at the start (6:15am for both the ASICS Half Marathon on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday), race perfect conditions. Mercury will nudge up to around 16-18 Celcius. Warm under the sun, but decidedly cooler under the shade. In those conditions, the risk will lean more towards being over-dressed than under, so there’s really no need to run in long tops and long bottoms. That said, you’d want to bundle up for when you leave your hotel/AirBnB. With that, let’s go through the tips race day packing!
Leaving the hotel/AirBnB
This was what we wore at night and on race morning while waiting for the tram. Not much different except for the extra gloves and cap.
Go with the layering approach. I wear 4 layers of unwanted event/old tees over my race singlet. Over that goes a windbreaker or weather-resistant jacket. I keep a pair of gloves on as well. A pair of track pants go over my race shorts. I don’t wear calf compression sleeves but I sometimes have my arm sleeves on. They’re easily stowed away in my waist pouch when it warms up. Morning temps will be in the low 10s and in the oft-chance that it drizzles, you’d want to keep your race shoes in your check-in bag (yes always travel with 2 pairs of shoes!) until time for your warm-up. Bring along a disposable poncho in case of wet conditions. Also important will be sunglasses and a cap to protect against the sun (or rain).
Your pre-race drinks and carbs should also be in your check-in bag. Don’t forget to securely tie your baggage tag to your bag to avoid last minute fumbling at the baggage tent.
Getting to the Race Precinct at Broadwater Parklands.
Be early because the trams can get pretty crowded. Oh yes, it’ll be warm in the tram ☺
At the Race Precinct
Find a spot that’s not too far from the race start or toilets.
If you’re in a group, watch out for each others’ bags as you take turns warming up. There are plenty of areas that you’ll be able to get your warm up jogs and stretching done.
Once you’re re-hydrated, topped off on fuel, and all warmed up and loose, be ready to check-in your bags.
You would’ve know which corral you’re going to be in, so do time your entry into each section appropriately. Don’t forget your final toilet visit.
If you’re looking to get paced to your goal time, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find them within your corral. Unlike races in Malaysia, the pacers (from 3:00 to 6:40) will be with you from the start.
Keep your layers of tees on to stay warm. Remove one layer as the minutes count down. The disposed tees will be collected, washed and donated to charity.
Enjoy the race atmosphere and race smart!
The arm sleeves came off soon after this point (30K).Very sunny after a gloomy morning. You will find it too warm if you wear long compression. Keep it light and simple.
That’s it! As I’ve mentioned, winter on the Gold Coast isn’t as cold as say, South Korea or Japan. Logistics will be simpler. I’d kit up not much different from how I’d prep in Malaysia. It’s a fast course and if executed well, you’ll come back with a personal best. If you’re not running for time, you’ll enjoy the scenic views and the crowd which have grown lots over the years. I will miss GCM23 but I will return next year for another shot at BQ.
Don’t forget to download the official app – info on event schedule, course maps, start zones and more can be found there! Hit the link on the image below.
Have an awesome runcation and race and do post some photos on our Facebook page 🤩
I’ve gone through many cycles of false dawns in restarting my training or putting even the slightest consistency to my running, seemingly jinxing it whenever I share my progress with 2 of my travel mates, who with me, will be making the long flight to Europe this September. The last few months have always been “1 step forward 2 steps back”, and I’ve been numbed by disappointments. Fitness has taken a drastic hit with the VO2Max dipping under the 50 mark. Even the Garmin Race Predictor isn’t showing any sub-4 marathons at this point. This jinx has to be broken, therefore I’m keeping this series of posts private for my personal training record at least until August.
I’m close to wrapping up Week 3/5 of Base training as I’m typing this and while the mileage remains low (45.8 and 49.8), there’s far greater consistency in me heading out, the primary change being getting out of bed at 4:20am. The other change has been the incorporation of functional strength training, usually incorporating a kettlebell. In fact, I’d rather opt for functional strength training over a second run these days.
For Berlin, I spent a few weeks flip-flopping between McMillan plans and writing my own, and was also undecided on the duration of the plans. After a few weeks of percolation, I’ve decided on sticking to Luke Humphrey Running’s 18-Week Advance Plan which have brought me down from 3:50+ to sub-3:30 in 2 years. With work volume and intensity yet to peak, I feel that having a familiar plan will take the pain of figuring out the workings of a new one. There will definitely be some tweaking of the plans due to the working weekends right up to July.
I’ll cover my shoe rotation, and go in a little bit more on the training adjustments I’ll be making in my next post.
I did not want to turn up yesterday morning. Life was getting too much for me to handle. By “Life” I meant “Work” because outside of it, there’s really not much energy left in me to embark in any sustainable “training” program. I’ve got to be very serious about being unserious with my running. There’s no need to invite more stress into my Life at the moment. We’d lost a colleague (41, 2 young kids) to stress last week, leaving the workplace in shock. We’re close collaborators in the current project. She collapsed in the middle of a meeting and couldn’t be resuscitated. She was the second colleague to be lost since the M&R. How many more lives will be lost by July?
Yet there I was, standing some distance from the start line next to Hee Boo, wondering what awaits 30km down the road. I’d promised my wife that I’ll go very easy and will not hesitate to DNF if I felt off.
To cut a marathon write-up short, I finished. Extremely tired, but no injuries. The tiredness remains today but the soreness are already ebbing.
With too much time to kill as I stand waiting in the queue at the hospital for my mother’s eye check-up, I replayed yesterday’s run in my head. Was there anything I could’ve done better?
Fuelling There being no races until September, there was no point in restocking my gel supply. I decided that my stock of 6 – a mix of Koda and GU Roctane – were sufficient if I went with the approach of a gel every 8km. That would’ve been an overly optimistic strategy in normal times but I theorized that since I’d be covering the distance at a much slower pace I wouldn’t be burning up fuel as quickly. Ingesting too much would’ve caused some GI chaos.
Conclusion: Correct decision. I ended up with a pack to spare. The struggle up the insidious climb with 2.5K to go had more to do with the zero training put in rather than carbs.
Pace I made no decision on a pace to run. Most of my running these days are in the 6:30-7:00 zone (under 130 bpm) and I’d made peace with myself that I’d be very slow on event day. I’d have gladly accepted a 4:30 finish. So just like my approach for the Selangor (Half) Marathon, I ran according to feel and was lucid enough not to get sucked into race day hoopla. I didn’t walk other than at a couple of crowded water stations and the climbs the last 2.5km.
Conclusion: On point. Lots of people passed me in the beginning but I passed even more people over the course of the marathon. I acknowledged my weakness and deficiency and was patient, and took the most logical approach.
Shoes The Next% 2 Volt, Adios Pro 3 and the Prime X Strung were all considered, the Nike being in the fray only because I wanted to trash up the shoe and move on from it. While they’re the lightest, the Next% 2 simply do not have enough cushion for the duration I was going to be spending my time in. Additionally, it was pouring on race morning and that would’ve destroyed the Zoom X even before my run is done. The Pro 3 would’ve been OK but with the 9oz Strung an available option, I went with max stack.
Conclusion: Another correct decision. Only the final couple of miles were hard and it had mostly to do with my fitness struggles and the never-ending walk up the long climbs 2.5km to the finish. Legs didn’t feel too bad the next day too.
FWIW, there’s really nothing to complain about my performance and although I ended up with my slowest finish in 9 years (also my first over 4-hour marathon in as many years), I was honest with myself and executed the best plan given the circumstances. I completed the distance way within my expected timing and it’s something I can use to ballot for my second Tokyo🤞🏾
What’s next? I’m going to take the path of least stress and skip running for a week. The week and weekend will be a stressful one so I’m just going to take each day as it comes.
This may come as a surprise for you but by the time this post is up, I’d have (hopefully!) checked Kuching Marathon off my list last Sunday. Kuching is the state capital of Sarawak, the country’s largest state. The marathon is one of Borneo’s two popular marathons, the other one being the Borneo Marathon which run in the state of Sabah.
Only a handful of friends, well 2 to be exact, knew about my plan to run Kuching – Chiam who deferred his 2020 entry and Cheong whom I figured might need a redemption race.
First, some quick trivia about the marathon:
1st one was held in 2014.
Over the years it grew in popularity and the total number of participants across all distances rose to 11,000 in 2019.
This year marks the return of the popular event since the COVID
Over 9,500 sign ups received (5,811 Sarawakians, over 3,000 non-Sarawakians, and close to 700 foreigners). I won’t be surprised if those numbers included the 2019 deferred entries. Race sign-ups have been very low as the industry (or for that matter, everyone) continues to struggle with rising costs.
“Why Kuching?”
I slapped together a Vlog entry to explain it. Forgive me for my boring narration. I will not fault you should you decide to quit the video midway. I just feel that narrating is quicker than typing out paragraphs and losing steam in the process (busy!) and a Vlog encapsulates the photos and videos captured better and gets the story out more efficiently.
On to the Vlog entries. Please view in sequence:
Part 1 – Planning, Preps and Packing. Including the answer to, “Why Kuching?”
Part 2 – Travel, Touristy Stuff and The Marathon
Race Day and Post-Race
I’d planned to run with the Insta360 Go but decided against it because I didn’t want to grapple with another logistical element. It was just too dark anyway. This is a short recap but definitely more than what was included in the video above.
With the forecast poor – rain and thunderstorm pretty much the order of the entire day – it was a surprise to wake up after a 1.5 hours of shuteye to a perfectly dry morning. Chiam, Cheong and I had retired to our respective lodgings at 4pm and I just couldn’t sleep, tired as I was. I got up of bed once at 6:30pm and again at 8pm just to get some food into the stomach lest it was due to hunger (I wasn’t hungry) that had been keeping me awake, ensuring that I drank each time I was up. My pre-race meal at 11pm consisted of oats with cream of mushroom soup and 2 corn buns. With 2 bottles of drinks (electrolytes and amino) in my hands and a fully stocked hip belt, I walked over to meet Cheong at 12:15am.
Our 2km warm up routine involved alternating MP-paced effort with recovery jogs before making our way to the starting line. A cosy crowd had gathered and after the formalities, the race was started on time. An interesting observation – the pre-race Muslim prayer by an Imam was conducted in English, which I appreciated as a non-Muslim and non-Arabic speaker. When you understand what’s been said, it lends greater meaning to the message conveyed.
The course rose gradually for a couple of hundred meters after the start. I was still sweating from the warm up so MP wasn’t that hard to get right into. Again, my planned MP was modest, between 4:57 to 5:05/km. A few familiar faces quickly passed me but I stuck to my pace. Cheong had stormed ahead and I lost him even before the first turn. The course meandered through the inner city before heading out.
The first bridge across the Sarawak River wasn’t a big deal – an even gentler climb than what we’ve done in training or even the ones I tackled in Macao. The roads became narrower and darker as we left the commercial districts headed to the older parts of the capital. The areas we ran through consisted of old kampong houses, with the smell of chicken and livestock (you know what I mean) permeating the early morning air. The area reminded me a lot of Ulu Langat. Amazingly, families (adults and kids) were out cheering us at that time of the morning. I made sure I returned their waves as I passed.
I wasn’t running in a large pack, only 4 runners within 10 meters of me, at most. That number will dwindle in the coming kilometres. An occasional cool breeze provided some comfort to the runners. I was moving well and was contented to keep the pace. There was no need to go faster nor slower then as I continued to monitor the race proceedings and my breathing.
It drizzled lightly on and off which also cooled things down but nothing of concern. I stuck to my plan of a gel every 6km. It was around the 20km point that I decided to ease up on the pace after realising that I was passing a lot of runners and there were clear signs that the race was turning out to be one of attrition. You’ve to be very well rested to race well this early, tough luck with the 1am start! Then there were a couple of surprisingly long climbs that came our way. They weren’t steep but they’ll get you eventually. It hasn’t been too shabby at all with a 1:46 Half.
The Marathon is a race that really needs to be run smart, tackled strategically and cannily or it will be one hell of a long slog. In Kuching, I just needed to let those ahead of me drop back. The caffeine in the gels did a great job at keeping me lucid, I can tell you that! I never felt too bored even when running solo for long stretches. I talked to myself constantly, reminding myself to do just enough (it’s never going to be a PR on this course), run comfortably as long as possible, get past the dreaded 32km mark, and hang on to the finish. “Strategic, strategic,” I kept muttering.
Other than the residents, the other bright spot was the fantastic crew – from water station teams to the cyclists patrolling and escorting solo runners along the long stretches of roads. They were a comforting presence and made me feel like I was leading the race!
Like I said, I’d been running mostly solo and the gap between me and the nearest runner in front was something like 300 meters away. But somewhere between 23 and 27km, I realised I was being stalked by another chap in the same category. I’d passed him a few kms back but he had obviously picked up the pace. I let him pass but didn’t allow him to venture too far ahead. Occasionally I’d draw nearer just to let him know I was still around. This play would go on for a couple of kms and when he dropped back for the last time, I made sure my move would be decisive.
The course took a turn for the wicked between the 29-35km with some quad-crushing climbs which reduced my pace down to a shuffle. I told myself that everyone would be suffering as well, and I just needed to keep going and not be concerned about anything else. I didn’t run through the next 2 drink stations, as I took a few seconds off getting the fluids in while squeezing the cold water off the sponges onto my head and legs. The light drizzle gradually developed into tropical rainstorm soon after. There was no longer a need for sponges! And I could pee on the run without a care in the world. Everything would wash right off.
There were more runners around with 5km to go. 2 women who were running ahead became my focus as I tried narrowing the gap. I caught one when she washed out in the puddles and rivers that had developed on the roads. The other scooted ahead like a streamlined sampan and I abruptly lost her as the road meanders with no traffic marshal in sight. For a moment, I was afraid of running the wrong way since I was once again alone having dropped another runner from the same category. I never did know the position I was in and I wasn’t about to let a runner from the same category grab the final 10th spot this late into the race.
Luckily it wasn’t too long before I hit the 40km mark and I was on familiar roads from our walkabouts. The rain continued to come down in torrents and the GCM crew’s training in such conditions the rain meant, we take to it like ducks to the water. Inclement weather and course difficulty
I took the corner and started my sprint to the finish. 1:41.41, 12th in my category, 38th overall. A volunteer placed a tag over my head and escorted me to the winner’s tent (felt like a Lord!) for further instructions. I found Cheong there and he ran a good race too. Prizes were only for the Top 10 of each category and I was in the standby list. No matter. All the winners were worthy. I was in awe of the veteran runners from Penang who took the top spots. The gaps were just too huge, between 7 to 35 minutes! We limped our way back our lodgings as the deluge continued.
My goal was to run within my means, finish strong and not repeat the personal horrors of GCM22. I think I did. For that, I’m one happy fella.
“The Marathon doesn’t owe you any more than you’re prepared enough and patient enough to extract.”
Peter Bromka
After a 2-year mandated “hibernation”, Australia’s Premier Marathon returned this July to much anticipation from the locals and overseas fans alike. A fixture on the first weekend of the month, the 2019 edition saw 25,000 participants pushing their limits over the race weekend and this year, a slightly smaller yet no-less spirited 20,000 toed the line on Saturday (Kids Dash, Fun Run and the Half Marathon) and Sunday (10K and Marathon). Team GCM Malaysia was represented by returnees, Philip, Sham, Francis, Cheong, Unc Siah and wife, Nick and I, a small posse no doubt but everyone had one or two points to prove after collectively putting in thousands of kilometres in training.
At KLIA2 prior to our 1st leg flight to Changi.
We were primarily there to race and score some personal goals from sub-3, sub-3:20, achieving Boston Qualifying Standards to exorcising a few ghosts. Scoot was the airline of choice for us, with the exception of the Siahs who flew into Brisbane. After a decidedly harried transit at Changi, we were grateful to finally stretch our legs on the tarmac of the Coolangatta Airport. It was a great feeling to be back and we were simply excited at the prospect of racing after such a long time. The GCM has always been a “safe” destination race for us as runners and visitors. Easy to plan, July is typically a quiet month in the region, marathon racing-wise, one of the reasons why GCM appeals to so many of us. As the guys sought out their rental car, Nick and I were all excited catching up with our friends from Singapore and Indonesia while making new ones from Run Singapore and Just Run Lah as we were shuttled to Novotel, our home for the next 5 days.
We didn’t want to stress ourselves, so after a relaxing lunch at the hotel, it was time for some grocery shopping at Woolies next door before unpacking back at the hotel. Our early arrival meant we were able to rendezvous with the other guys the same evening to collect our race numbers and check out the wares at the Gold Coast Convention Centre without the crowd. The new ASICS Metaspeed+ range was certainly the feature of the Expo, as was the free T-Shirt printing service, although the complimentary custom pace band printing was missed.
Minus Unc Siah who was enjoying the company of his fam in Brisbane
All of us have run GCM more than once and we all have our favourite good-eats but this time around, our meals were very much dictated by our objectives (to race) and the weather (rainy and cold) which meant a lean towards comfort food such as Vietnamese Pho and Japanese Ramen. The rain pretty much started on Friday and didn’t let up until Sunday. For the second year running, my shakedown run on Friday was in the rain.
I was still feeling the effects of fatigue and stress from illness and the family’s bout of COVID 2 weeks ago and deep extended sleep had eluded me. With near zero mileage over the said period, things were always going to be hard as I discovered during the shakedown. Breathing was shallow and somewhat heavier at the start despite a buff protecting against the cold air, and working my way down to Marathon Pace (MP) seemed harder than during the training weeks.
Despite the general physical unease, my mind was devoid of anxiety, nervousness and doubt. There were no other considerations about the race approach other than to stick to the plan as how I’ve trained. Even with the threat of a cold snap and rain, I didn’t change my race gear and they were all laid out by Friday evening.
I was given a sampler of how the weather conditions could be when I turned up to support Nick on his 63.3 quest on Saturday morning. The Half Marathoners were “treated” to a wet and cold race, even if the Gold Coasters came out in force to cheer the runners the runners home. We collectively heaved a sigh of relief when we found out that Nick completed Part 1 of his challenge.
The crew continued to monitor the weather service throughout the day and miraculously, Sunday would be a clear one. I thought the fortunes had finally turned for everyone, from the organisers and runners to the supporters. Our mood was decidedly buoyant that evening over pasta and confidence was high. We’ve trained for this and the weather Gods have acceded to our request for kindly conditions – things were simply falling into place.
All fired up for the next morning post-pasta dinner.
On the way back to the hotel, I bought 2 freshly-made kappamaki (cucumber sushi rolls), for pre-race breakfast. I followed a hot shower with some stretching and Netflix before setting the alarm for 3am.
Mandatory pre-race flat lay. Like the socks?
Race morning breakfast was kappamaki, banana and black coffee. I brought along a 250ml bottle of Amino Energy and another 250ml bottle of sports drink. I was layered up – 2 disposable race tees (with heat patches) over my race vest, Inov8 windproof bottom over my shorts, and a jacket. The appointed shuttle kindly arranged by Stella to Southport was on-time and we got to the race precinct just before 5am. The baggage check was already open but I wanted to get the warm up jog, stretching and toilet visit done before checking in. I decided to go with the general baggage handling rather than the Legends Tent as that was located at the far end of the precinct, a long walk.
I felt really calm and just like 2019, my mind was clear and by that I really meant devoid of thoughts. It’s hard to explain but I think it’s the best mental state to be in before the start – no chest-thumping, no rah-rahs, no doubts, no what-ifs. The weather Gods were keeping to their end of the bargain and it was time to cover the distance as I’ve trained. I shook the hand of the 3:20 pacer and asked if he was going to run even pace (he was, and that was my plan as well). I was positioned just a few steps ahead of him and since there was very little wind the 14 Celcius temp was just perfect for me to toss my layers aside.
After a short wait, we were off.
Screen grab from the GCM22 Livestream, right after the start.
Right after the start, just in front of the 3:20 Pacers (pink balloon)
Somewhere heading towards Surfers Paradise. My haggard countenance and eye bags were proof I was so unrested.
As we’re going down the Sundale Bridge, a cheeky supporter shouted, “You’re nearly there!” . I thought it was an incredibly brilliant one, breaking the race tension. Everyone within earshot broke out in laughter.
I checked the watch only a couple of times right off the bat but I was pretty on-point. I wish there was much more to write about in theses early stages but it was all about getting into and staying within the zone, getting as comfortable as one can reasonably get and work with fellow runners. 6:15am along Surfers Paradise (5K in 23:39) didn’t see many supporters but that’s OK since it’s all dark anyway.
By the 6th KM, I found myself lodged within a small posse of Taiwanese (or Hong Kongers?) who held a similar pace but boy, was one of them loud and chatty 😅 in contrast to all of his friends who were quietly focused. To all runners’ surprise and shock at around the 9K mark near Pratten Park, we came up to everyone’s favourite runner Yuki Kawauchi, walking and obviously dealing with some issues. There was nothing we could do except to shout “Gambatte!” and kept going.
I crossed the 10K mat, which was along Hedges Avenue, commonly known as Millionaires Row, by the Mermaid Beach in 46:55 (+/- a 3:17 finish) without much drama. The shoes, Next% v2 seemed to be handling the traction pretty well, even through some turns. I’d chucked my bottle and consumed 2 Koda gels, which was my 3rd (I’d taken 1 High5 at the start) overall and have been sipping down fluids consistently. It was somewhere between 11 and 13K that the elites passed us in the opposite direction.
I kept as close to the middle of road as possible along the very lengthy Hedges Avenue due to its highly-cambered surface which can mess up the mechanics but that’s a narrow stretch to begin with. In any event, I dealt with it the best I could.
The course thankfully detoured to the Gold Coast Highway briefly before hooking a sharp left and short climb left to The Esplanade at Burleigh. The crowd had built up as we progressed southwards and Burleigh, as always, had the largest and vocal crowds south of Surfers Paradise. My pacing had been consistent and I got to 15K in 1:10 (still par for 3:17). Once I cleared the turnaround and cleared the 16K marker, I finally spotted the 3:20 pacers. They weren’t far behind and I believe they’d kept pace discipline as well, running pretty even ones.
I’ve somehow always found reaching the halfway point of this course mentally challenging. I’m not sure if it’s the claustrophobically narrow and (leg-trashing) cambered Hedges Avenue or the seemingly endless stretch heading back into Surfers Paradise. Because it’s perceived as a challenging milestone, the halfway point serves as the 1st Checkpoint for me, to stay on this pace or slow down. Since I remained on-track (1:38, a PR), I kept it up. The other tough sections would be:
between Surfers Paradise to the Sundale Bridge (26-30K)
Broadwater Parklands/Southport to Biggera Waters (31-36K)
Lands End Bridge to Runaway Bay u-turn and to Biggera Waters (36-38K)
GCM may be a fast course but there are unique challenges (just like cobblestones on the Berlin Marathon course or even the multiple switchbacks of Tokyo) that the runner simply has to work with.
I began to feel the hip tightening up after 24K and the left hams were sending out some signals. The impact to my stride length was negligible but my cadence had increased. It wasn’t concerning at that time and the only thought running through my mind was to get to the all-important 30K mark.
Between 26 and 27K, starting to work
The other noticeable discomfort was the lace pressure on both feet, which I believe was attributed to the tight double-knot and feet swelling. Stopping mid-race to redo the laces never crossed my mind – you just keep going.
Approaching 28K/Main Beach
It drizzled lightly just before my approach to Main Beach but there was no threat of it developing into a downpour. It was actually a nice respite, refreshing and cooling, before the inevitable battle to come. The protestations from the hip and hams were getting louder with each step and while I crossed 30K in 2:21 (a minute’s PR), I knew I had my work cut out for me at that point. I slurped down a sachet of Crampfix Shot handed out by the Fixx Nutrition crew which really jolted my taste buds.
The climb up the 31K ramp reduced me to a shuffle but I clawed back a little pace going down the other side. I reminded myself, rather foolishly in retrospect, that I needed to just close out the remaining 12K in under 58 minutes (4:50/km pace) to salvage a PR. Of course, 4:50 wasn’t that hard but I didn’t know that a few minutes later things would be crystal clear for me.
I wished there was a monumental fightback to write about. Or that a sudden movement loosened all the tightness that had developed through my lower body. There was unfortunately, none of those. The slog lasted only so long before the hip locked up and I soon found myself battling demons with Cheong whom I caught up shortly after. We walked a bit before trying to muster up a jog but it became clear very quickly that I needed to let the race go and try to repeat this walk-jog routine until the finish. The morning was warming up and the crowds were out in full force this year along Bayview Street heading to the 37K northern-most u-turn point at Runaway Bay. There were many more “Motivators” this time around too, trying their best to keep us going, not a simple job when I was passed by so many pace groups.
I’d lost but reacquired Cheong again after the 41K mark and I told him we’d walk over the last little ramp over Loders Creek before jogging slowly all the way to the finish. That we finally did in 3:45, 27 minutes slower than my “A Goal”, 21 minutes slower than my “B Goal”. Just as I was crossing the finish line, I heard my name being shouted from the Corporate hospitality area by the Singapore media team, Pak Tono who ran superbly, and omnipresent Stella. These guys rock and I’m grateful for their presence and support! Physically wasted, I could only return a wistful smile, gave a weak wave and a shrug (my mind had blanked out) as Cheong and I trudged to the refreshments area where we were reunited with the rest – Sham, Philip and Uncle Siah. The trio ran superbly, slamming home big and small PRs, punching their Boston tickets in the process. I’m tremendously happy for and proud of them!
Approaching the finish, going slower than my long run training pace.
That gesture was meant to be a salute!
The consolation was, of course, a memorable 10th GCM. In this post below I wrote about my special relationship with the race and destination, but in the context of racing, by “memorable” I meant I learned something as well.
The failure to achieve the time goals I’ve set myself stung badly. The fact that it took me this long to get this report over the line (including the deletion of 4 drafts) was due to the time spent trying to process it all. It’s been years since a set-back and I felt the need for a post-mortem. Believe me when I said I had so many of such questions . So many “whys”, “what-ifs”, and I kept questioning if I was too harsh on myself. And in all honesty, that all got rather unproductive. While it was important to understand what went wrong, identify the root cause and to learn from that, I also hate digging too deep into missteps because that would appear as if I was looking for excuses. I’d looked too much into the whole thing when the answer had been staring at me in the face and that was me being actually down with COVID alongside my family nearly 2 weeks before race day.
Whatever the race outcome may be, it’s always a blessing to be able to finish a Marathon injury-free.
Good or bad the results may be, we always come back for more. Whilst repeatedly testing negative via various RTK kits when the other 4 were afflicted, I wouldn’t have stood a chance despite isolating myself in the room. I’m never that lucky. They say hindsight is 20-20 but I ought to have taken a PCR test to be sure then. The only meds I took were antibiotics for the throat infection and paracetamol for the accompanying fever. I recovered quickly enough by Day 4. I’ve laid off running the entire duration. Typically a well-trained runner will not have his fitness wiped out from 1.5 weeks of inactivity but as I’ve found out recently, it’s not so simple with COVID. The after-effects and risks are real and I urge you to read up (links at the bottom of this post). The combination of the stress, illness, absence of real rest and sleep (one of the residual side effects) did me in. I was in denial and somehow managed to keep my goals alive for so long – 31K long – that morning. Of course I paid for it, the last 12K and the days after. The 3 days post-race were the hardest and most sore I’ve felt in ages. I certainly didn’t experience such levels of fatigue and tiredness when I ran my PR. It’s 2.5 weeks post-marathon and I’m still bearing the cross for pushing the body so soon post-COVID, something I’ll cover in a future post.
But what of the the 42nd edition of the Gold Coast Marathon?
The many teams behind the Gold Coast Marathon and the people of the Gold Coast have done it again. From the early 6am start, separating the Half and Marathon to 2 days to the amazing crowd support. It was evident from the buzzing energy on Saturday and Sunday that everyone was simply itching to put up an outstanding show after a 2-year absence. The packed supporters at Southport could finally have dethroned Burleigh’s as this year’s best section of the race course. It took a poor finish from me to fully appreciate their mad cheering!
For days, the weather had threatened to make things difficult but somehow rewarded everyone with brilliant conditions during the Main Event. See how blue the skies were in the #nofilter photo below? The residents and businesses were glad to see the crowds back to their city again and as runners, we were on the receiving end of their hospitality. As I limped back to the hotel much later (I spent some time at the Corporate area and the tram ride took awhile), folks gave me nods of approval and a random guy even congratulated me.
I would be seriously remiss if I didn’t thank the care and support of all the good people from Tourism Queensland and Events Management Queensland for graciously giving me the opportunity to be a part of this very special event the last 10 years. Your passion shines through! Thank you!
I may have been inducted into the 10-Year Club but my best Gold Coast Marathon is yet to be. The work will begin once I’ve fully recovered from this. Meanwhile I need to be patient and take it extremely slow.
My relationship with the Gold Coast Marathon began in 2011 (I apologise for the missing images in that page which was hosted out of a discontinued service provider) when the world was very different from today. The Gold Coast Airport Marathon, as it was known then, wasn’t my first overseas marathon having ran the 2003 Singapore Marathon as my debut marathon. I was also familiar with several Japanese races and have run New York. But that 2011 trip to the Gold Coast was my very first visit to Australia and the stunning photos and promotional videos did the actual experience no justice. For starters, never had I seen bluer skies the moment I stepped off the plane. Then there’s this thing about a winter that’s friendlier to us folks accustomed to the boiling tropics. Having experienced biting ones in Japan and New York, you could get by in shorts on the Gold Coast.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the Gold Coast is so much more than that strip of beach along Surfers Paradise. Coolangatta, Kurrawa, Main Beach, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Greenmount, Mermaid, Miami, Currumbin, Kirra and more contribute over 70km of sandy playground to surfers, sun-worshippers, kids (who have more interest in the outdoors than their devices) and outdoor lovers. Parks dot every residential enclave. Goldie invites the visitor to savour the chill and/or embrace the thrill. As a runner, it’s easy to assimilate into the fitness and live well culture.
The Marathon have always prided itself as a community-driven event. The over 1000-strong volunteers, ranging from early teens to seniors, are sourced from groups within the Gold Coast communities. All of the memorable races I’ve run from New York to the ones in Japan, and even the KL Marathon have this culture of inclusiveness embedded into the organisation of the event. Walk or limp around post-race and you’d be greeted with congratulatory nods or wishes from restaurant servers, pharmacists and sales staff and of course fellow runners. The people of the Gold Coast know how important the marathon is to their economy and we as participants benefit from that.
Truth be told, my very first Gold Coast Marathon was really all about the #GoodTimes but like the race itself, have evolved to include #FastTimes as well. I secured my first sub-4 here and in recent years, have progressed from 3:57 to 3:28 in 2019. 2022 was long time coming after 2 years of Virtual Races and while I didn’t achieve my admittedly aggressive goal time, it’ll always be a special one being my Number 10. Never in my dreams I’d have a little spot in this page with other passionate runners, runners who enjoy the event to run it this many times. To have completed this milestone on a challenging year makes it sweeter. There’s never a certainty in Life but the continuous level of hospitality and support I’ve been accorded by Events Management Queensland and Tourism Queensland have been tremendous. I’ve made so many friends over these years. No words can express my gratitude, and I’m forever grateful. It literally takes a village and some, to have made this Gold Coast Marathon experience come true.
1st and 2nd July 2023 will see the 43rd edition of the Village Roadshow Theme Parks Gold Coast Marathon when once again the first weekend of July on the Gold Coast will all be about running your best and smashing personal barriers like the 63.3 Double.
I can, of course, sell you advertising tropes such as, “Come for the run, stay for the fun” or “Where Australia Shines” but why don’t I just tell you, “You’ve just got to experience it yourself!“. I know, I know. It doesn’t have the ring to it but after 10 years, I hope you’ll trust me 😊.
So thank you, Gold Coast for having me! I still have goals to meet and who knows what 2023 will bring. Join me then?
I stopped blogging about Week 11 because it was a case of pure survival for the entire family. The Mrs was the first to be down, testing positive and isolated in the bedroom. Soon after, the stress of rushing around, juggling work, cleaning, doing laundry runs, ferrying the kids to and from school and doing nearly everything else except cooking took a toll on my body and I came down with fever and throat infection. My fear immediately ratcheted up several notches fearing another case of COVID in the family, which fortunately wasn’t the case after repeated testing.
Sleeping in the spare room didn’t help and I didn’t get the rest I desperately needed. Thankfully I had sought treatment early and was already on antibiotics.
The Mrs made a surprisingly a quick recovery by Day 3, with the fever gone and testing negative consecutive days. By Day 5, she was able to leave room isolation and the additional hands were indeed helpful since both sons and my Mother were the next COVID casualties! It was a calamitous but unsurprising situation to be in with everyone stuck in the house.
With everyone except yours truly infected, the question then was what’s my risk mitigation plan. I was the one odd one out. Do they isolate in separate rooms or like my wife suggested, that I move to a nearby hotel room for the next 3 days before I fly off. That move would be akin to abandoning the post in the heat of the battle. Logical but not the appropriate thing to do. Leaving the family for a trip (Visa approval finally received 6 days pre-flight) was already a selfish thing to do in normal times, what more with 4/5 of the household down. The most pragmatic move would be that I isolate. My Mother’s symptoms proved the mildest of the lot and she was able to cook simple meals – porridge/rice, veg, eggs/meat – while the Mrs undertook the cleaner role. I broke the cyclical fever on my 2nd day of antibiotics and was able to help somewhat. I kept myself in the room mostly, going out only to get groceries and meds and disinfectants – hundreds of Ringgit spent on those essentials.
My last short run before coming down sick was June 20th, 6.4km. 4 days later, I was well enough to go for a 30-minute evening walk around the neighbourhood. A resident who saw me walking, familiar with my daily pursuits, asked if it was my rest day. The walk did me good. With movement, I was able to centre my thoughts, take in deep breaths and absorb the sunshine and oxygen.
I covered a little shy of 3km yesterday, the start of Week 12 (Race Week!). First few steps were heavenly even if everything felt off. After the jog, I savoured the sun at the park and marvelled at the rainbow. I followed that up with another one this morning, a 5km with 30-second cutdowns, from 6:15 down to 4:55, with a cooldown km at the end, a miniscule outing to work the legs. “Tomorrow is another day’“, as Vivien Leigh said in Gone with the Wind, and one can’t worry too much.
Weather forecast predicts the wettest weekend on the Gold Coast in recent times but a race is still a race. It’ll be my 10th GCM. I can’t imagine my first was back in 2011. Over the years, Good Times have evolved into Fast Times as I learned to train better and the Gold Coast have always been good to me. It would be sacrilegious if I don’t turn up and perform the best I can come July 3rd. My sense of belief might’ve been shaken the past week with the illness but I’ve not given up on the objective I’ve set myself since Dec 2021. The crew have trained well and from what we can see, we were at our fittest and strongest when we entered the taper phase last week.
The heavy lifting’s done. It’s time to summon the Warrior Spirit.
Kicked off the week with the usual easy Monday before the Commute Madness. The Tuesday Strength session was moved to Wed as I was just too wasted to tackle it. I knew I’d utterly fail any attempts to bulldoze through the 4 x 2.5KM with 800m recoveries. I was fresher (which is simply another way of saying “less wasted”) on Wednesday. The workout was OK, not spectacular. I wasn’t quite able to hit the set paces (tired legs) and I simply ran out of time before the rush into the office. Count me a voter for 100% remote work! Anyways, the average pace for each of the 3 sets were 4:40 > 4:40 > 4:39, essentially the quicker end of my MP and most definitely not the 10-seconds under as the menu required. I kept locking into MP which is a good thing I guess but we all know there’s a time and place for higher intensity workouts (yes yes, those Tuesday sessions) but it’s getting harder and harder to run these outside the track.
Having incorporated the 16KM MP into Saturday’s long run, Thursday was a comfortable 20KM, with the first 14KM completed in the old crimson VF 4% Flyknit (which I wore in 2019) and the remaining 6KM in the Alpha, simply because the 4%’s midsole came apart just after 8KM.
Friday was a short easy one, followed with the usual house chores. A rainy night ensured Saturday morning was cool. When I got to Peremba at 4:40am, Uncle Siah was already running! I quickly got in the 7.5KM warm up – not quite Chiam’s standard of a 10KM warm up just yet! – drank a few mouthfuls of On Amino before kicking off the main workout. The first KM (4:53) was a bummer. The old engine just needed to slowly come alive. Pace was see-sawing the first few KMs as my mind wandered to the still unapproved Visa situation as we precariously approach the final week and half before the flight. My attention snapped back to the task at hand only after a bit and only then there was some semblance of consistency. As it turned out, I lowered my 15KM PR by a minute to 1:09.27 after checking off the HM, 10-mile, and 15KM ones early June during the Simulator.
Sunday was when the drama kicked up a notch with the wife waking up to very bad sore throat and worse for the wear. I feared the worst and quickly went out for a very short run in anticipation of the prospect. True enough, her test came back positive and before she isolated herself in the bedroom, I handled the wholesale stripping of the sheets, pillow cases and what-have-yous to the laundry, sanitized the common contact surfaces, and while waiting for the wash cycle to complete, had breakfast, brought breakfast, moved the washed items to the dryer, delivered the packed breakfast home before returning to collect the laundry, stopping at the pharmacy for Panadol and several essentials. Back home, I showered, moved whatever things I need the next 5 days out of the room. By the time I was done, it was nearly 1pm. I’m unsure which of these I fear the most right now – the possibility of me contracting this so close to the race, if I ever get to race in the first place or if anyone else in the family is going to get it (we’ve so far all tested negative). It’s like somebody is taking pleasure in throwing me curveballs this go-around but like I told the guys, the greater the challenges, the sweeter the victory.
The next week is all about surviving and coming through unscathed for everyone, so blogging will be the last thing on my mind. Still keeping my chin up.
After rewarding myself with a Sunday rest day, it was back to the grind on Monday. Another extended weekend meant that I was able to avoid looping around the housing area and got in a nice 14KM at Cyberjaya. The morning was cooling but humid and the route chosen was somewhat rolling but it was OK. I thought about how ideal Cyberjaya is for Boston training (Kinrara being the other one), what with the wide roads, and undulating landscape. I like the apartments and condos in the area and fantasized about renting a unit there the next marathon training block. Won’t happen, though!
I failed Tuesday’s Strength workout badly, the body still unable to clear the recovery from last Saturday’s Simulator despite yesterday’s very comfortable 14. Completed just 1 of the 3 sets of 3x3K and told myself that it was OK to have bad days. The key is not to wallow in it and just move on. After all, marathon success hinges on the weeks and months of putting in the work and not on a single workout.
Wednesday was the obligatory easy run which I kept very much so to except for the topping up of a couple of KMs.
It uncharacteristically rained heavily on Thursday which resulted in a late start, which then resulted in not having enough time to cover the entire menu which was 2x8K at MP. Unlike Tuesday, however, everything felt ok and it was only due to time crunch that I had to bail. Splits were 4:48 > 4:54 > 4:44 > 4:45 > 4:44 > 4:43 > 4:43 > 4:39 (Average 4:45).
Friday was the same as Wednesday except for the addition of weekly house chores.
Saturday’s 32KM would be the final 32 in this training block. To make it a little challenging, I didn’t listen to podcasts nor music to kill time. I opted to cover the full 8KM loop 4 times which included some killer climbs just to add more steel to the mental setup. The discomfort has to be simulated in training so that one is able to deal with it when it inevitably comes during the race. Running the final loop with Sue and CY freshened things up a little and I closed the final 3KMs in 5:10, 4:40 and 4:24.
It rained much of Saturday night which made for a very nice Sunday morning run. The body and legs felt reasonably good considering yesterday’s 32 and I got the run I needed. There’ll be a miniscule reduction in mileage next week heading into a mini-taper but I’m trying to see if I can incorporate the 16KM MP into next weekend’s long run. I think that’ll space out the SOS workouts a bit more, providing an extra easy day in between.
On a related note, Philip, Sham, Cheong, and Uncle Siah are really really looking good. I’m expecting some breakthrough performances from these guys on July 3 and I’m praying that I’ll be able to join them!
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