running race (Two Bays Trail Run) 2:40:08 [4] 27.3 km (5:52 / km)
shoes: Asics Trabuco
Just a bit flat, really. Made it up the Arthurs Seat hill okay, even marginally faster for the first 4km than last year, got caught in a train of people who were more tentative than I wanted to be on the singletrack around the hillside so couldn't stride out much, was completely empty (and rather dry) by the bottom of the big hill at about 7km, would have been perfectly happy to just sit down and go to sleep by the roadside. Made myself eat a nutrigrain bar through 7-9 and keep plodding along the farm roads as everyone I'd overtaken on the descent passed me again, also people from the 2nd wave start (Jase was powering along). I took nearly 25 min for 8-12, but kept reminding myself that the next 15km would be way better than the first 12, looking forward to getting into Greens Bush. Which really is nice: lots of little ups & downs & boardwalks & footbridges among stringybarks & yakkas. Only problem was that I'd often catch people on the downhill, overtake them just at the bridge, then get passed on the climb out of the creek - everyone must have thought I was so rude! Also couldn't easily drink on the run with the bottles I had and needed to stop to scull each time I got thirsty - very lucky that it was a cool cloudy morning.
Started leapfrogging a (possibly English or maybe Kiwi) girl from about 16km, and continued to do so until the very end. The 27km marker was a bit early and although I figured I could hold her off for 300m no worries, it turned out to be a bit further than that and so she took the finish sprint.
Ended up a couple min slower than last year. Not happy with that but given that I died at about 8km, was satisfied with the resurrection - and also after last week's run had thought I could even be as slow as 2:45. So it was okay. Felt like a bit of a fraud afterwards having driven back to Dromana and then seeing the 56km runners finishing, but no way I could even have contemplated the return run!
4km splits - assuming the markers were in the same place as last year)
2012 2011
26:16 26:33
21:03 19:24
24:50 30:14 (5km to 13)
22:29 16:22 (3km to 16)
21:57 21:05
23:35 23:18
19:57 21:13 (3.3km)
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2:40:08 2:38:13