Sydney Marathon

This Sunday dawned as a great day for a run. Sydney was going to be on it's best behaviour today.

A quick train ride took us across the harbour to the start line. This course would take us over the Sydney Harbour bridge, past the Opera House and out to Centennial Park before heading back to the City and across to Darling Harbour, the Rocks and then the finish.

One of my strategies in running a marathon is to try to find someone to talk to (ha, this is only my second marathon). Found a person crossing the Harbour Bridge and you would not believe it she knew my sister. I ran with her for about 5 km, saw her again at about 38km and then decramped her after the finish line.

This was going to be a marathon of toilet stops. 5 times in the first half!! Could be a new record.

Running up Oxford Street there was a guy calling out "you're all going to fail - pull out now". There were people still coming home from the night before and people hanging out of windows. One of the runners next to me said "whatever you do, don't look up". I took them at their word and didn't. The mind boggles. Plenty of police around this section.

In the Kona Marathon I really struggled from the 30km mark. I was interested to see how I would go here in the cooler temperature. I actually felt good to the 38km mark. There were a number of people on the side of the road under medical attention or just exhausted around this mark. A long way to go to almost make it. 38-40 was pretty ugly, but by 41km as you passed under the Harbour Bridge at The Rocks you can see the Opera House and therefore the finish line on the next headland. Most of this distance was also lined with spectators. Elizabeth was there for the photo shot. She did the Bridge Run, which although it was great, was very crowded.

After the finish a number of the runners were slowing going down a long set of stairs. A group of elderly people passes us laughing that they could get down there faster!



4:12 my best time by about 25 minutes. I think that I should be able to beat 4 hours, however the next marathon I do may be after a long swim and ride... we'll see.

The Finish

Kona Marathon

Made it...

This was tough. Hot, humid and long.

I already had a high regard for the Ironman triathletes that compete in the annual World Championships here, but now I consider them pretty incredible, whether they are the elite or the back of pack. This marathon started at 5:30am to avoid the worst of the heat but the triathletes do it after a 3.8km swim and 180km bike ride.

Our target

This is the finish line. We're really looking forward to seeing this later in the day. Americans really know how to set the scene. The day started with the passing of the colours and the American national anthem. Quite a moving moment.

The flag you can see on the right side of the finish line was actually flown on the front line in Afghanistan

Getting ready to head off

Calm before the 'storm'. Getting ready to go. Elizabeth is doing the 10km, Rochelle the half marathon (21.1km) and I'm doing the full marathon (42.195km)

The event was well organised. There were 20 drink stations, on average just over a mile apart stocked with Endura, water, ice and coke. As is often the case the volunteers were great. You really have to admire the volunteers, the race would be so much tougher without them. And they're always smiling!

Once the day dawned, there was a nice cloud cover for a while. This kept the sun off you but was not to last. By the time you got out onto the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway it was hot, no shade and long, long stretches. Still, there were people dressed up in grass skirts, pink skirts and one guy dressed as a volcano! Go figure. I was dressed trying to imitate a runner.

I was feeling pretty good on the way out, chatting to a few people, passing the miles and trying to run my own race. This was never going to be a fast one. First marathon and the humidity and heat meant that I really had no idea what I was in for.

Half way point: Natural Energy Laboratory Hawaii Authority (NELHA)

The half way point is always a welcome sight, however, there is a realisation that things are about to get much tougher. The second half was tough. The heat and humidity was high. There was no shade to hide in. About 30km into the race I was really starting to struggle. At the 32km mark (20mile) there was a guy there calling out that this was where the Marathon really started. It started some time ago for me.

It was now tough getting gels and sports drink to go down. Coke and ice were going to have to get me home.

The final 10km from Kailua-Kona to the finish line was one of the toughest things I have done - and I've done a few. I was down to running and walking now. Sometimes walking and running. Each shady patch was a walk stage. I knew I could make it, the only variable was time.

Half of Ali’i Drive was closed for the runners but it was amazing that most runners still ran on the side of the road, even around the curves. Probably a combination of fatigue and habit.

Elizabeth and Rochelle were finished now with great efforts from both of them. Celebrations to be had by all. 

Here is Elizabeth finishing the 10km. A fantastic effort. Something she never thought that she would do. Bring on a half marathon now :)

Rochelle and her well deserved medal. Half marathon in the bag.

This is the moment I was waiting for, the finish line. Elizabeth and Rochelle were on the sideline, patiently waiting for me to get there and then cheering me on. I got a cheer from the announcer welcoming 'Greg from Australia'. It was great to be there

After the finish the first thing that happened was the photos. An unexpected moment, but appreciated, especially as this was my first marathon. 

Everyone had their own 'podium' finish. Superb

To back pedal a bit, the day before the marathon we went to a couple of the workshops that were organised. These were good. One was on nutrition and managing yourself out on the course. It was given by a couple of pro triathletes (whose names I have forgotten - sorry). A key theme was managing your heat. As you can see from the photos below, I did... just. I really started to heat up about 5 mins after I finished. I just wanted a cold Coke, but at that point of time they ran out.

A bucket of ice water over me (Elizabeth loved doing that) and a rest on the banana chairs at the MASH tent and I was ok in about 5 mins.

Would I do it again? In a flash...

Day 18: Libourne to Bordeaux - 62km

Well the cycle-touring had to come to this - the last day.
The weather is pretty threatening today. Quite cool and storms. The sky looks blue, the direction we are not going and very dark grey the way we have to head.
Getting out of Libourne was much easier than getting in and soon we were out amongst the vineyards. Actually were were still within Libourne when we can the the first Chateau!
Being Sunday morning it was pretty quiet in the roads so the riding was good. We soon realised that we were going to pass just behind the storm in front, so our spirits were high.

We were not sure how we would go for food today as it was a Sunday and we were only going through small villages, so our plan was to stock at the first place we saw open. At St-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens we stopped and bought a few pastries to put in our bag and thought we'd chance our luck one more time for lunch. This paid off. As we came down to the Dordogne, for the last time, we came to a great little town of Branne. We spotted a contemporary looking patisserie so we were a bit nervous - funny how 'modern' just did not seem to be 'French' anymore. However, it turned out to be a great little shop. Fantastic macaroons. One of them was like a cake, about 30 cms in diameter. Coffee'd and caked we headed off to the next boulangerie (about 200 metres away) to get some baguette sandwiches to take with us. This place was really alive for a Sunday morning. There was a stall set up with the weekly seafood and lots of locals around.

Oh yes, back to the riding. Up the hill and we were heading towards the bike path into Bordeaux. This is a rail trail converted to a cycling path. The piste cyclable Roger Lapebie. It starts in Sauveterre-de-Guyenne and finishes in Bordeaux about 59 kms away. You can still see the stations as you pass. Some have been converted to restaurants and other uses. At La Sauve the station has been converted to the Office de Tourisme and a cycling depo (Point relais vélo). Roger Lapebie was a legendary French cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1937 when he controversially used bike with a derailleur to change gears (they had not been used before).

After cycling over 2000km in France and about 24 km from the finish, we got our one and only puncture. As we got it fixed and were getting back on the bike we got hit by a rain squall and wind. It was sprinting (as much as you can on a fully loaded tandem) for about 1km and we were back in front of the shower.

Bordeaux loomed, and after one minor navigation correction we were crossing the bridge into Bordeaux just as another rain squall hit. These showers came with quite a bit of wind. We headed to the station - Saint Jean, for end of ride photos and celebrations.
It's been a great adventure

Now it's bike packing and the TGV back to Paris for two more nights and the LONG return home.

Day 17: Saint-Émilion to Libourne

This weekend is a big weekend in the region and so accommodation has been tough to get. We ended up going for Plan D and heading to Libourne. This is a bit of a larger town not too far from Bordeaux.

We booked into a good hotel to get a good bed for Elizabeth's back as it's starting to play up.

Coming out of St-Émilion we followed a route suggested by the tourist office for a while, but as they has trouble with their lefts and rights, we ended up abandoning the thought and made our own route. More great scenery, more vines, more sticky roads. We even passed a Menhir, one of the ancient standing stones just out of Libourne. You can find a lot more of these in north-west France - and in Asterix books.

We went for a walk through the town and stumbled across a local fashion parade.

The weather is colder and slightly drizzly, so an afternoon rest was in order.

Tomorrow takes us to Bordeaux and the end of our cycling. Hopefully the weather will be ok and we'll pick up a good cycling track that leads into Bordeaux.

Day 16: cruising the Chateaux, vineyards and villages of St-Émilion

Just a really cruisy day as we start to draw this holiday to a close.

We rode the back streets and lanes of the Saint-Émilion area. Past magnificent Chateaux, wind mills, churches, tractors pulling trailers loaded with grapes and workers in the fields harvesting. At one stage the road was so thick with the juice of the grapes you could hear the tyres sticking to the road.

We would have liked to stay another night in Saint-Émilion as it is a big celebration of the harvest tomorrow night and the town has been booked out for some time. Oh well.

The afternoon brought the sipping of Champagne and Grand Cru vin rouge. Not a bad way to round out the afternoon.

For dinner we went to a pizza restaurant under the Kings Tower. In their wine list they had a Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1961 @ €4800 a bottle. Probably would not go with our pizza.

Day 15: Bourg to St Emilion

No tolls for us!

Today we passed many Chateaux. Some grand and magnificent, some just Chateau in the wine sense. Just like we passed vines that were old and gnarly, middle of the road and ones that were just planted.

Today's ride was undulating, through the small villages and lanes into Libourne, quite a large city for lunch. But still the Office de Tourisme was closed for a couple of hours for lunch.

On to St Emilion. This is the area of significant Chateaux. We went through Pomerol, the most expensive wine real-estate in the world. The grapes still looked like grapes to me!

The harvest was on in a number of places and grapes were to be found spilt on the side of the road.

St Emilion is a beautiful place, heritage listed in 1999. We will spend tomorrow night here as well, though in a different hotel - it's all we could get.

Day 14: Pauillac to Bouges

Well some days are simply tougher than other days on the bike.

We woke to a cool, crisp Bordeauxian morning. The sort that starts to move the grape leaves from a deep luscious green to fiery red. After a good French breakfast we set off back down the Estuaire de la Gironde (Gironde estuary) with a gentle tailwind. (tailwinds are always gentle and headwinds - furious)

We passed magnificent Châteaux, one after the other. Our timing here was great as it is the vintage and the harvest has started. We saw workers, like ants, move through the vines. We also saw them on the side of the road, bused in, with smiles on their faces waiting for the word to start picking.

We were crossing the estuary today so headed to Lamarque to catch the ferry to Blaye. The ferry was about 50 mins late so we just waited and rested and listened to the reggae music coming from the cafe. The ferry that arrived was packed with a coach and quite a few camper vans. Once it was unloaded the cars, a motor bike and ourselves were quickly loaded and off. €3:60 each and €1.60 for the bike.

No sailing this afternoon!

Our research had said that there was very little accommodation in Bourg so we booked a B&B from the Office de Tourisme at Blaye. It turned out to be a quaint, rustic or whatever adjective conveys a basic place to sleep. The lady was very friendly and the shower was good.

Much of the second half of today was along side the estuary. Occasionally we wandered into the vineyards. We saw where the mighty Dordogne River converges with the Gironde River. A good way to round out last weeks riding.

Off to explore Bourg.

Bourg is a great little sleepy village on the edge of the Dordogne River. It used to be on the Gironde, hence it's full name Bourg-sur-Gironde, however over time the rivers have moved!

For our afternoon Rosé we went to a little bar down near the harbour. €2.80 for two Rosés. Now that was cheap. The friendly lady in the hotel suggested where to eat dinner, actually she was telling us the only place to eat dinner. Fortunately it was great.

Some enquiries have suggested we may have some difficulty with accommodation at St Emilion. We really want to visit there so we've booked in for Friday night. This will through our plans out the window, so we'll have to male it up again from here.