MM #7 finish is 4.08. 4th best MM, 8th best (of 25) Marathons finished

More photos to come...
Official results @ HERE, (and the photos)
My strava comments from here;
............................ 28km split; 2.32 (in PB ballpark) but hit wall hard from 33km onwards, couldn't/didn't get it done... 5k 22.31 by garmin my best 5k split on strava GPS and my best 5k split for a few years... 10k about 48min by garmin (49.05 officially ?) ...half splits about 1.51/2.17 Felt stronger and felt like maybe I was too conservative/ slack at times and had some minor drinks issues but realistically with a 48-49min 10km time it was always going to be a big ask to get under 3.50, although I had hopes for at least 28km of maybe doing it.... Be very attractive to retire after 25 road marathons and 7 Melbournes, but 3 more to a spartan shirt, and still unfinished PB business means its not my last road marathon if the injuries stay managed, and the finances improve. Hope I never have to survive on that little amount of money again... was worse than last year in some ways...Don't regret it, but just wish it was easier. Wish I could spend more time on preparing better for a race like this and less time on trying to figure out the bills every week, but if thats the way its got to be, then the PB might not happen again, as family priorities become more and more important.... we shall see... Have lots to thank God for, and huge positive to be a part of MM again for the 8th time... not many get to do that... One of the highlights for me this year was the hot air balloons flying above us at the start.... After getting my race numbers at the Expo on the Saturday and putting in my drinks, buying some gels and chomps, I started the the walk from the MCG back to my hotel a few km away (no trains or taxis, as trying to save what little money I had left, which proved to be very wise the next day... I had about 2-3 hours of sleep after flying in on the red-eye as has been my annual tradition for 8 years.... Was a bit tired after walking from Spencer St station to MCG and then across the Yarra River carrying my luggage all morning for several hours, and stopped at a picnic table alongside the Yarra River, where I took the photo of this sign above "that says the upper path along the Yarra is not for cyclists... One of the things about the Yarra I noticed was the abundance of rowers, usually with a cyclist on the lower path calling out instructions to the rowers on a megaphone. The sound of these megaphones was a constant background noise along the Yarra, something I am not used to hearing. Also Melbourne has small birds which I don't ever see in Perth...so the whole time I was there it feels like you have stepped into an alternate reality, and a nice interesting one at that... Sensational.... I think I fell asleep for awhile at this sign before continuing onto the hotel to check in at 2pm... The 4.08 was not the result I had been hoping for all year, but I think its a good effort overall... I need to have a much better year financially if there is to be good times ahead for my family, and I am to build the sort of training momentum (including a lighter body, as 80kg+ will not get the job done very easily) that will result in a sub 3.30 or better PB that I have dreamed of for many years... Back to square one and try again in 2015??? Could have another PB shot at Ratts Nest, but I think its probably a bit pointless and expensive, as I need to start the process again, and I need several months of building, and I need to clear a truckload of bills, plus consider my wife and kids needs a bit more maybe....... Not sure about 6 inch, but like Ratts Nest it doesn't really interest me much. Been there done that enough times (7 finishes)... No such thing as a Spartan in the 6 inch and I've already got the red spike for 6 finishes there, so not really that keen on racing that again just now... Its pretty much over for me now in 2014 I think.... Runningwise I think in many ways I am in a better place this year than I was in 2013. My Six Foot and Melbourne Marathon results were marginally better in 2014 than in 2013, and my Gold Coast half was only slightly slower. My 5k split at Melbourne is getting close to where I was at in 2012, and I think my hill strength is better and I am a better trail runner now...
My weight is better than it has been, but still struggling to make progress with that. My injuries and recovery is getting harder to manage. My knee/s are getting worse I think, not sure how much longer they weill last especially the torn ACL one...
Financially 2014 was by far one of the toughest of my life mainly because of all the time off work due to car repairs early in the year, and the resulting massive drop in income and the resulting stagnation of debts, and sliding of my credit score.... Things have been considerably better in recent months, and it feels like slow progress is being made, but its a long way back...
Time to go hit the trails I think, maybe try for a 4th Six Foot track finish or maybe invigorate the mind and body with some new races in 2015, or just with a better approach to the same ones...
Hoping there is still something left in the tank for 2015 and beyond, and the base is well and truly there for an assault on the PB mountain in 2015, if enough things go right... PB at Six Foot, and solid Gold Coast and Melbourne results gives me hope the best is yet to come... although I'm pretty sure my body is starting to degenerate a bit at 40 years young in some ways, and priorities are changing a little as my wife and children start to explore some new options.... Its important to me to assist them with a better future, so I may need to get a bit more choosy about which races I am involved in from here... Big thanks to God most of all, and to all the people who have assisted me in the 2014 running adventure.... its been better than 2013 mostly, but hoping that in 2015 the opportunity to take things up a notch is still there...
more race photos coming soon, when I can spare the cash to buy them...