I thought it would be great to get up on Monday an see the sights by going for a run. I only wanted to go for about 45min so I headed off in one direction and thought if I go out straight I will come back straight, all good in theory. As I turned around to go back I spotted a canal and thought I will go down here as there is a canal right near the hotel this will take me all the way back, WRONG! As it turns out Birmingham is built around a whole canal system with many canals going in many different directions. Two long hours later I found my way back and all I could think was thank goodness I am a distance runner.

 

Later during the week athletes started to arrive in their droves and I started to feel like a very small fish in the ocean and a fraud. I came to realise that getting up in the morning and just doing whatever I feel like for training really does not cut it on a world scale. My biggest fear was that I would come dead last.

 

Race morning came before I new it; I didn’t know how to warm up for a world championships race so I just followed the Americans hoping they wouldn’t notice. When I got back from warming up it was time to put my numbers on and let me tell you trying to puts numbers on your back by yourself is not easy I think I pulled a muscle. I ended up asking one of the American team managers to help me (thank goodness).

 

The Opening ceremony was just before the start of the race and the children of a local Birmingham school paraded all of the nation’s flags and the best Country was first, Australia. I was very pound standing there watching our flag fly. Every single nation was represented in the female race so the field was strong.

 

On the start line I stood, it was cold, wet, raining and roads were really slippery, but I didn’t really notice as I was just excited to be there. As the gun went off the commentator said, “Ladies and Gentlemen you are watching the best women in the World”. I thought wow they are the best in the world and hey I am one of them sort of. I started the race out very cautious as I did not want to blow up and have my worst fear of coming last come true. I went through the first 10km in 34min and 26^th position. It felt so easy and comfortable and the course was really nice lots to see. I was running with American and Japanese girls. The American and I stayed together and we took it in turns taking the lead it was so cool I felt like a race car. After a while I dropped the American and continued on my way. The second half was not as pretty, as this is where all the hills were hiding. I was fine going up them I was passing people but on the down hill everyone was passing me. No matter how fast I turned my legs over I could not keep up.

 

I switched off the last half of the race I knew I would not pick up too many places and with the hills knew a PB was out of the question so I just kept it on cruise control. The last 500m I thought let’s go and picked up the pace if I didn’t leave it so late I could have picked up a few more places but it was not meant to be. I came 31^st in 1hr 12min 55sec. I was a little down on myself I felt a little disappointed with the outcome but it was my first international meet of many (I hope). If anything it has built on my hunger and desire to be the best I can be. I love the sport, I love the opportunities it has given me and no matter what, I will be running until the day I die.

 

I am still going to stay true and not embark on my first marathon until I am 26 years old. I want to do it right and get really fast at the 5km, 10km and half marathon. Who knows maybe even attempt to set an Australian record at the half marathon distance and set myself up to be one of the best marathon runners. I have not planned for much else in relation to my running but this is a plan I will try and stick with.

 

My next BIG goal is to run at the Commonwealth Games. As the marathon is out of the question due to my plans the next distance is the 10km track. This is a mighty big ask as I will need to get very, very fast in a short time but what is the harm in dreaming big??? Absolutely nothing!!

 

In the mean time I will just do what I do and plan away for 2016 Commonwealth Games Marathon.

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It takes such a long time to get from Sydney to Birmingham. That is the longest time I have ever spent on a plane. The fourteen hours from Sydney to Dubai on an A380 was not bad because I slept the middle seven hours or so. However, the seven hour flight to Birmingham just dragged on, probably because it was daytime outside.

 

Trying to slip into the normal training routine without knowing where to run was a little tough, but because of the myriad of canals throughout Birmingham, running away from traffic could happen. Unfortunately, running on the canals, its best to go out and back, or risk getting lost and finishing miles away from the hotel, or running for longer than planned (like Cassie managed to do).

 

Being one of the first athletes in town, it kind of felt like I was on holiday and not here for a World Championships. However, as the days passed by, more and more athletes were appearing. Before too long, we (the athletes) went from being the minority to the majority.

 

On race day, it was a bit of a gloomy day but what can you do. Went through my normal breakfast routine, then went back and watched telly for about an hour before heading over to the athlete area near the start. I warmed up for around 15 minutes or so over the last 500-600m of the course. A lot of well wishes were yelled out from people. I guess it was because I was donned up in the Aussie tracksuit, but it kind of added to the nervousness. Seeing others warm up, it was interesting to note that there was nothing anyone did that was really any different to me. Run for a period of time, do some drills, do some strides, get the track suit off and race.

 

I started near the back of the pack as I figured we’ve got 21.1km to run, I think I can handle being a little slow off the line and not having to throw elbows. The opening 5km was predominantly downhill, but it was surprising that the pace wasn’t really on. I ran at a comfortable pace, running fairly even splits to reach 5k in 14:38, at the back of a big pack of 50. I felt like I maintained the rhythm I had, but when I turned the corner to reach 10k, I saw the clock already over 29 minutes, and I had an uphill climb to contend with. 10k in 29:54, slowed a bit, but I was still feeling pretty good. Now I was into the back half, it started to be easier on the mind. 10k through to 15k was a series of false-flats with a sharp downhill thrown in about 13k, I think. When I hit the 15k mark in 45:18, I thought to myself “stop stuffing around, and pick it up, try and pick up places.” Trouble is, I think everyone ahead of me had the same idea.

 

The last 5k, being the opposite of the first 5k, had 3km of overall climbing to the finish, which is tough in itself, let alone the end of a half marathon. I managed to keep it rolling to about 1km to go when it really started to hurt. It’s hard to will the body on when it is screaming at you to stop. I hit the last 400m and tried to let fly. I told myself to run hard all the way in, because I can’t lose any places now. Finished in 64:16 in 43^rd place. I’m happy but, like all athletes, wish I’d done better.

 

Racing against such a quality field makes you realise the jump from being at the top domestically, to get to even just mid-pack internationally. That first international race, you just aren’t sure of how to race against these people you’ve never raced before. You don’t know if they will blow up or not. I passed a lot of athletes who were almost walking with 3km and 4km to go. These were guys who had been right up the front in the opening 5km setting the pace.

 

This race has made me hungrier to succeed and become a better athlete. I’m looking forward to doing my Marathon in February, as I think that I can run very well if I get it right. This second half marathon has made me respect the full marathon distance a little more, but it has solidified the belief Ken and I have that I will make a good marathoner. But for now, I will focus on NSW 3000m and then Zatopek 10000m. I want to run two PBs before the end of the year in the only 2 races I will get to do on the track this season.

 

Looking forward, I’m hoping that I can qualify for the Commonwealth Games in the Marathon, and possibly the 10000m. I think to be a good marathoner, you also need to be a good 10000m runner. Zatopek will allow me to see exactly where I’m at in my preparation for Beppu, and I always enjoy that race. I hope that by the time London 2012 rolls around, I can stand on the start line of the marathon and really feel like I can mix it with the best.

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