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THE
ZONE
I paced the SUB
3hr runners recently at the Canberra Marathon. I tried my
hardest to hit 4.15/k pace however the first half of the race
found us running closer to 4.05 than 4.15. I finished with a few
minutes to spare and totally enjoyed giving ‘High Fives’ to all
of the SUB 3 runners as they entered the straight.
It was not easy
As 3hrs
approached I casually walked under the clock and registered
2.59.58. I must confess though, not training for a Marathon and
running 2.59.58 is not far off, effort wise, what it felt like
when I was well tuned and running close to 2hrs.
After the race
my partner asked me if I ever felt the desire in the race to
just take off and see what I could possibly run. I advised Susan
that it’s just not there anymore & I don’t have the want/ hunger
to milk every last bit of energy out of my body. I no longer
have the desire to ‘enter the zone’.
My running
career has turned full circle and I totally enjoy the way I am
now involved in the sport.
Lisa was one of
the toughest
I had a
conversation with Lisa Ondieki at the 2004 City to Surf centered
around what life is like now that her international running
career is over. When it came to training and competition Lisa
was one of the most dedicated and toughest individuals I have
ever witnessed. Lisa was so focused when it came to training and
competition.
I can recall a
number of occasions where I acknowledged Lisa in passing only to
receive no response. It was not the fact that Lisa was
unfriendly, it was more the fact she was likely to be thinking
about the next race or training session.
Like a
place you stayed in for 20 years, and then left
Lisa is now
completely removed from competition and may ‘jog’ a couple of
times a week with her daughter. Lisa shared the very same
reflection about her running career as I do about mine. This being that it
was like a zone you stepped into, stayed there for 20 years or
so, and then left.
To look through
the Canberra Marathon race guide reinforces my own belief that
being in the zone is not something that is peculiar to runners
at the top end. To discover Colin McLeod ran 2.47 at aged 60 and
2.54 at age 65 on the very same course as my 2.59.58 simply
blows me away.
To perform to
your optimum you need to be switched on in training and
competition. Make the most of your time in the Zone. You won’t
be in it forever.
Yours truly (471), keeping the SUB
3 runners honest
Footnote:
If you ran the Canberra Marathon
you would have had the pleasure of seeing Susan. She was the
whistle/ pom pom cheer girl at the 40k mark. Should be more of
it!
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