Goodbye Roth

So much effort goes into these races with preparation, planning and of course the training. The race happens so quickly and then your sitting having a casual drink after the event talking about 'what was and what could have been'. Typically, the book of excuses is handed around pretty extensively.....
These distances are so self confronting, self reflecting and is more about looking into yourself than your actual physical ability. How many times do you sit and look at those doing the race and think, 'with a body like that, how on earth are you going to go fast'.'
You can sit and watch these races from afar and make comment and think they seem easy and geez those times seem fast, but the reality of it is, the times on the board are real and to achieve them never occurs by chance.
My personal reflection is mixed as I remember the day and especially the pain the run brought me, but those feeling pass quickly and you honestly think 'why didn't I go quicker'. The truth of the matter is that you gave the best your body was willing to give on the day and whether your time was quick or slow, it was an honest assesssment of YOU. I wish and still think back to 6 weeks ago when I was feeling at the top of my game and really in the sweet spot of training, that I could have continued that feeling, but the reality of life and the challenges of being healthy, I had to deal with Bronchitis and also a taper through France, I gave the best I had on the day. Physically it may have been in the vicinity of 80% of my best, but in hindsight, understanding and being 100% ready mentally was my undoing. I still remember the feeling when I was running at 5:00min pace during the first part of the run and saying to myself that this was the pace I wanted to keep for 42k!!! Little did I know that I wasn't motivated and strong enough to endure the pain to keep this pace for more than the next couple of k's and have a walk to justify the fact that this was meant to be fun and that I was simply on a holiday away from my real job. To put it simply, the people doing sub 10's and lower really are superb athelete's, but further are simply stronger than most mentally, as I am convinced this is the difference between the 9's and the 10's....

ohh, so you would like a race report, i will get to that soon ok.....