Keeping The Wheels Turning
by Lisa Weightman
20 April 2010
The marathon distance of 42.2km has the potential to sort out those who aspire to meet the challenge. Some athletes run exceptionally well over the shorter track and road distances, like the 10,000m or the Half Marathon and instant marathon success is often assumed. However, occasionally with the marathon challengers the “wheels just fall off”. As a result of good coaching I have not experienced “hitting the wall”. I complete each marathon and analyse the preparation and training for each race, only then do I realise that as the adidas quote says “impossible is nothing”...
I am fortunate to be coached by arguably Australia’s best marathon coach for women, Dr Richard Telford. Dick, as he is well known by many, successfully coached Lisa Ondieki, Nicole Carroll and in her primary years, Benita Willis. The only addition to the top five Australia women marathoners of all time, is the late Kerryn McCann. It is no coincidence that Dick has coached four out of Australia’s top five women marathoners .
2:22.36 Benita Willis Q 060579 3 Chicago,USA 22 Oct 06
2:23.51 Lisa O'Dea-Ondieki S 120560 1 Osaka,Japan 31 Jan 88
2:25.51 Nicole Carroll Q 140172 4 London,GBR 18 Apr 99
2:25.59 Kerryn Hindmarsh-McCann N 020567 5 London,GBR 16 Apr 00
2:28.48 Lisa Weightman V 160179 1 Nagano, Japan 18 Apr 10
2:28.51 Kate Harris-Smyth V 220972 2 Nagano, Japan 19 Apr 08
Dick and I worked together when I was a younger athlete, hungry for success, but struggling with the battle of continuous stress fractures in my tibia. After a stint in Falls Creek Dick introduced me to Pam Turney who has been a significant part of the journey for me to be the best I can be. I continued to be mentored by Dick, whilst training with Pam’s squad. I focused on increased massage and listening intently to my body. I was able to progress my career and tackle my marathon debut successfully.
The marathon is now my complete focus. Being coached by Dick again and following his exceptional advice from a physiological, psychological and tactical perspective has facilitated my continuous improvement, producing the results that make every training mile, every painful massage and every tear over constant injury absolutely worth it.
For Nagano Marathon the plan was to go out with the leading females. The best time in the group was in the 2hr25min ball park so I was keen to get my foot on the line. The goal was to race to win. Dick had meticulously planned of our program, paying particular attention to the physiological adaptations and looking out for any sign of over training. We continually assessed my improvements with confidence each and every week in training. He, in partnership with Lachlan got me into the shape of my life, ready for the big race!
The training for the event is much tougher than the actual event. When we train for the marathon every session has a purpose, from a slow recovery run to a solid 10km track session. Every session contributes to getting to that finish line, in better shape than previously, but more importantly, faster than anyone else. Every runner walks a fine line when training for a marathon; therefore, it is important to plan your race so that the wheels keep turning efficiently throughout the race.
We thought we were great planners...but when Lachlan, Kate (Smyth), Craig (Smyth) and I arrived in Nagano we were overwhelmed by the unbelievably detailed planning that the organising committee put in for the event. We were never left to fend for ourselves. We were escorted wherever we needed to go and we’d even get a call at 15mins past the hour to remind us to be down stairs by 20mins past the hour for a half past start! We soon learnt to dash out the room at 13mins past the hour!!
“Team photo - Lisa, Lachlan, Douglas Wakiihuri (Kenyan marathon legend), Derek Froude, Craig Smyth, Kate Smyth and Barbara Froude (Moore).”
The volunteers were so accommodating that they even apologised for the weather when we arrived to a cold day of less than 5 degrees and snow the day before the race. On race day it was almost as if they had ordered the perfect day...sunny, 13 degrees and an ever so slight breeze. Exceptional planning!
“A Snowy outlook. The view from our hotel window the morning before the race. “
On race morning we were up at the absurd hour of 4:30am, a bus to the Nagano Winter Olympic Stadium Athletics track at 6:30am and out taking pictures with the mascot 10mins before the race began. A composed and relaxed athlete before the start of a race is imperative for a good performance.
“Lisa, Kate and Tiffany Froude before the race with one of the Nagano Marathon mascots!”
The gun went off after significant ra ra ‘ing from Naoko Takahashi and we set out on the streets of Nagano as Craig and Lachlan rode their bikes to the 5km point. I saw the boys at 5km and carried on to the next refreshment station. At 10km I attempted to take my first drink, but it was snatched by the defending champion Irena Timofeeva. A new experience for me!
We carried on another 5km and I was feeling great running with a few of the Japanese male competitors. The pace of the pack was slowing slightly as my guess is that they were hoping the Japanese woman would not fall off.
As the race progressed the pack of men and women started to dissipate. I went with the faster men and we continued on past Lachlan, just before the 21.1km point. At half way I was excited about how great I felt and disappointed that there wasn’t a faster pack ahead to chase.
As the kilometres passed I continued to feel strong. My legs were tired, as they do get running so very far in one go, but I was confident that I was not going to meet “Mr Wall”! I spent a significant amount of the second half of the race pushing along on my own and passing some of the Japanese male competitors who had slowed.
You can plan for many things in a race with meticulous preparation, but some things you don’t see coming. When I passed Craig standing beside his bike with 7km to go I thought...Lachlan...where is he?? Little did I know that his wheels had fallen off...the bike he’d borrowed to ride around the course lost its left pedal. It fell completely off the side of the bike! While I was finishing the tougher section of the race, Lac was half riding, half scooting, trying to make it back to the stadium in time to see the finish!
“Lisa with 1 km to go.”
He made it back in time to see me with a kilometre to go and as he yelled “Go For It GOA” with a huge smile on his face the moment became real. As I ran the final kilometre into the baseball stadium I thought about our interval efforts together in 35 degree heat over Christmas at Nagambie, the early morning runs before work, the stint in the Alfred Hospital, my last session with Lac and Allan Failla the weekend before the race, but most of all, I thought about how amazing it is to complete all the planning and preparation as a team and to be able to realise the goal at the end. I just couldn’t wait to see Lachlan and get a big hug.
"Post race press conference. Lisa with translator and first Japanese finisher.”
After the race we spent some time in doping control, completed a press conference and then headed back to the hotel with the pedal- less bike in tow. Through meticulous planning and continual evaluation you can prepare the legs, heart and lungs to stay in the battle and prevent the “wheels falling off”. However, you cannot prepare for the “wheels falling off” the push bike of your number one supporter. Ironically, the Japanese were so thoroughly prepared they even equipped their mascot with a spanner, on call for emergency repairs!! Unfortunately there was nothing he could do for the bike, so we loaded it on to the back of a taxi and headed back to the hotel!
“Lachlan with mascot. Unfortunately he couldn’t fix the bike!”
Australians have had great success over the half and full marathon distances in Japan over the years. This year athletes such as Jeff Hunt, Martin Dent and Nikki Chapple have ran exceptional personal best times. I could not speak more highly of the Japanese and their passion and love for the sport of marathon running and for their incredible manners and hospitality. If you love the marathon and you haven’t completed one in Japan, go for it, it is a wonderful experience. But be sure to get prepared...and you just might get to that finish line before everyone else !!
Link to the results:
Thank you to everyone who messaged both Lac and I on facebook and email this weekend and for sharing in the excitement. Friends and family play such an important part in the life of an athlete and I feel fortunate to have such great people in my life. xo
During my first week of recovery from the stomach ordeal I found a fun project to help me transition back into the sport that I love. As an adidas athlete I’ve been fortunate to be given the new miCoach unit and have been, in true “running geek” fashion, trying it out.
"The closer I got to winning and running better the more I committed myself to the next stage," says Weightman. "But I had a few false starts along the way and lacked a lot of confidence through my early 20s due to lack of preparation with injury in the lead up to major races."
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