Melbourne 2011 v Perth 2004,2008 splits comparison

Ive reposted this in better detail at the bottom of HERE

This is a reproduction of part of my blog of my 2008 Perth Marathon where I ran my second best marathon a 3.55.10 (8 seconds outside my PB)...and also some info from my writings about my Melbourne Marathon 2011 of 4.02...In brackets and bold I have started adding Melbourne Marathon 2011 splits and also my 2004 Perth Marathon PB of 3.55.02 in red firebrick text linked to race report also 2004 Perth hereas comparisons of 3 of my 4 best marathons. It has confirmed my suspicions that my 28k and 30k times in Melbourne Marathon 2011 were probably my 2nd fastest splits ever in a road marathon, and at 30km I was well and truly in the ballpark to PB at that stage. At this point I was 2minutes behind my 2004 Perth Marathon splitsfor 28km or 30km in a road marathon, and 3 minutes ahead of my 2008 Perth Marathon splits for 28km and 30km where I ran 3.55.10
This might seem inconsequential for some, but for me its useful analysis for the future hopefully...
Melbourne Marathon 2011 time was 4hrs 2 minutes 49 secs.
Half splits 1.47/2.15. Got to 1km in 4.07, 2km in 8.42, 3km in 13.10, 6km in 27.40
10km in 47.35, 14km in 68.31, 20km in 1.41.06, Half in 1.47.35,
28km in 2.26.56 and 30km in 2.38.49.
Due to too big a gap between drinks at 25km and 37km, and need for an extra gel into the headwind,
I badly faded out to 7min 30 K's using a walk jog strategy to survive to my drinks at 37km in 3.31, and then came home ok although battling severe cramps after getting to 39km in 3.45.
PB chance wasted! very disappointed, but a good run still.
Pleased I explored some uncharted territory in first 6km and at 28km to 30km, which may help me if God gives me another opportunity to try and smash the PB...

Perth Marathon 2008;
Half marathon splits 1.46.25/2.08.45
14k splits; 67/82/85

5k splits;
0-10k; 22.55/24.31/
10k-20k; approx. 25.20/27.20
20k-30k; about 29min/about 32min
30k-40k; 32.25/29.36?

1k-4.20 3k-13.18 4k 18.06 5k 22.55
Ran at the back of 3 hour pace group from approx. 500m-1500m.
Saw Nathan (3.10),Clown (3.09) and Epi (3.19) go past soon after I let them go.

***OPPORTUNITY ONE (if extremely well prepared, should have stayed with Epi or Nate a bit longer...

6k-27.47 7k-33.35 10k-47.26 (fastest 10k this year)
Hitting about 4.30-4.55's...
12k-57.06 (fastest 12k this year) 13k- 62.10 14k-67.11 (fastest 14k this year)
settled into about 4.50--5.10's...
Got caught by 3hr 30 pace group (including gunner) just after 14k, and lost touch with them at my first major drinks stop at Como Beach, someone said "stay on the bus"...but I had to deal with my drink and gel, and coudlnt do it, and after that I knew that a sub 4 was going to be more likely today, despite a pretty good start hitting the times I wanted no worries at all...

***OPPORTUNITY TWO lost to do better (if I had been better prepared), should have gone with Gunner and the main sub 3.30 group then.

Struggled to get going after that, and after the Raffles/Canning Bridge, my rhythm,motivation etc went down the drain, as usual in the concrete section towards the turnaround and back to Raffles, which I dont like running...although some of the Tompkins park bit is ok...
16k-1.18 20k-1.40.03 21.1k-1.46.25
Finding it hard physically and mentally to stay motivated from there on, but tried to work hard through Tompkins Park...
24k 2.03 25k 2.09 28k-2.29 2011 (Melbourne 2011;2.26.56) 2004 Perth; (2.24.18) 30k-2.41.11 (Melbourne 2011; 2.38.49),2004 Perth; (2.36.00), (In the 2005 PERTH MARATHON when I ran 4.02.29, my 30km split was 2.41)


***OPPORTUNITY THREE; needed to work harder in this tricky concrete dominated section and should have tried to go with Gary Carlton (This legendary Marathoner and last years Pres, and regular Comrades runner did 3.38, despite very bad injury and Comrades a few weeks before) when he went past at about 24k, as one astute hills group runner suggested to me at the time...Again concentrating on my drinks, and poor prep meant it slipped away.

32k-2.53.15 (fastest 32k this year) 33k-2.59.57 34k-3.06.46 35k-3.13.36
getting sore, and struggling to get uner 6 min per k. left hip and knee soreness, worked through it, and hung in there, hoping to hold onto the sub 4 and maybe a PB...
Saw Hunna go past during this bit, found out later she was one of the regular posters on WAMC this year...during the race it was just another of the many people who said hello, some I knew, some I'd not met before in person, or didn't recognise...


Waving to my Dad near Como Beach my last Gatorade stop for the day...

***OPPORTUNITY FOUR; If I had done more long runs, had better lead in in the last few days, I would have been able to go with Hunnas little group, and staying with them to the finish would have snuck me under the PB just...

So these lost opportunities are things to remember if I race again, to try and recognise and capitalise on next time hopefully...

36k-3.19.10 37k-3.25.08 38k-3.31.11? 39k-3.37.10?2011; (3.45) 2004 Perth; (3.34.07)40k-3.43.12?
pushing hard to try and get under 4 hours, and give the PB a shake...hurting!
Going ok though, starting to get some 5.50-6.10 per k stuff going...
had drunk all 3 gatorades, and 2 of my GU's, plus some pepsi (at coode st) which gave me a good kick in the last few km, by about 39k...

41k-3.49.11 42k 3.54.26