Puffing Billy - Great Train Race

My eldest daughter Brooke and I before the start.

What a marvellous day for a run. This would have to be the perfect conditions: cool and sunny! Which is quite different from some of the rubbish I have been running in recently.

Started out near the front of the field and planned to take it steady for the first 1.5km (all downhill) gradually picking it up through to the 5km mark and the Menzies Creek hill. From there just take it hard to the finish. Not sure if that is what I did though?

The first 500m was pretty easy as it was so crowded but still covered the first km in 4.02min with HR pretty low. From the Trestle Bridge at around 1.5km there is an uphill to Selby for about 1.5km. I worked this bit a little too hard with HR right on 170bpm and needed to relax and take the downhill from 3-5km nice and steady (HR 164) just to get things under control before the big climb up to Menzies Creek. Went through the first crossing without even hearing the train and covered 5km in 22.20min.

At this point I began to think that if I ran controlled I (might) be able to beat the train to crossing #2. With my HR right on the redline (168-170) I made it through with still no sign of the train. Around the corner, through the aid station, crest the hill and take the treacherous out-of-control downhill and get by crossing #3 with no train in sight. Obviously it is having a very bad day and I am having a good one.

Recovered a bit from 8-9km and then struggled through then next km up to Emerald. It was at this time that I first heard the sound of the train whistle and I thought my run was up. Made it through the (final) crossing#4 with no train near me and knew if I could hold it together I'd be a monty to beat it.

Struggled up the hill just through Emerald township - almost felt like walking here - but continued on and ran steady down the first part of the offroad trail to the finish. Saw three people on this streatch needing medical assistance and was able to push hard through the final 500m to the end. I finished in 1:00.39hrs, my best time since 2002 so really happy with that. (The train had a shocker and did 1:06.44!)

My heart rate average was 167 and my pace average 4.35 min/km.


Altitude chart with km markers - no flat bits here!

A great end to the week!

Weekly total: 3 runs for 33.12km in 2:43:09hrs.
April total: 14 runs for 169.18km in 14:21:52hrs.