Adidas Auckland Half Marathon Race Report
My alarm went off at 3:55 AM this morning. Race day! At last. 
The weather forecast was for heavy rain clearing in the early morning and for once it was accurate. It bucketed down in the night but stopped at about 4AM.
My dad had flown down from Christchurch to do the race as well so we both got ready and then my darling wife dropped us off at the ferry terminal at 5AM. The ferry terminal is just outside some of the more popular bars in Auckland and there was some poor drunk bloke staggering home after a hard night out on the town who made me laugh when he blurted out “You’re all F***G mental!” Yes we are mate.
We got the timing just right and managed to get straight onto a ferry. 25 minutes later we were in Devonport eyeing up the portaloos. I have to give credit where credit is due and say that the race organisers had definitely put in plenty of portaloos! There looked to be about 500 meters worth of them.
My dad has a regular training partner who was supposed to be meeting him but by the time the race started he still hadn’t shown up so we just ran. About 100 meters into the race he showed up! 7500 people and he managed to find my dad. I was impressed! I left them behind at that point and set off on my personal quest.
I had decided to try and maintain a reasonably conservative pace for the first half so that I would still have plenty in the tank in the second half. In all my races up until now I’ve always shot off and struggled quite a lot at the end.
The course was quite congested for the first two kilometers so it wasn’t too hard to be restrained. I must admit that I was extremely happy to be out running this event. It wasn’t that long ago that I weighed more than 300 pounds and the thought of exercise filled me with dread. Fortunately I’ve kicked the couch habit and am now a runner.
I lost quite a bit of time at the drink stations. I think next time I will do what I do in training and carry my water with me. It’s much easier and I know what to expect that way. It was hard to get at the water and I didn’t get much in either I think.
At the 10K mark my time was 52:36 and I was very pleased. The race had been very enjoyable up until this point and I was going strong. I was actually ahead of my projected finish time and I was thinking the hills that someone had warned me about hadn’t been that bad. Oh boy, how wrong can you be?
Kilometer 11 – 15 was hilly! It started off with some small hills, then some big ones, and then the bridge! The bridge wasn’t nearly as bad as I had feared it would be. It was long and steep but I had done a lot of hill training in my training and I actually kept a really good pace up all the hills. Not once did I even consider stopping. The marathon photo people were on the bridge so I made sure to give them a big smile and a festive fist pump as I went past. I look forward to seeing those photos in the next few days.
Kilometer 15 was where things started to go downhill a bit. Both figuratively and literally! Literally in that it headed downhill after the bridge and figuratively in that a few things started to go wrong with my run. Firstoff, I started to get some rather serious stomach rumbles and I really didn’t feel good. I also made a rather serious mistake with my footwear – I wore shoes I’d only done about 20 km in, essentially new shoes. This resulted in some rather nasty blisters and both my big toes are bruised under the nails. This made running rather interesting.
Kilometers 16 – 17 I started getting slower and slower. I abandoned my 1:53 hopes. I abandoned my 1:55 hopes. I abandoned my 2 hour hopes.
Kilometers 18 & 19 I started to hate running and worried that I wouldn’t finish. I thought about walking but really didn’t want to.
Kilometer 20 I thought HTFU and run! So I ran. Could I make two hours? Hmm.
Kilometer 21. Where’s my cheer team? Run! Where are they? Run! Where’s my lovely wife? Sprint, there’s the finish! What’s my time! 1:59:04!
I didn’t actually see my wife until about 30 minutes after the race. She took the photo above and so I must have looked right at her but I didn’t see her at all. Apparently my mum was cheering like mad too but I missed them both. There were so many people lining the finish. I went through the finish and couldn’t find them so I went to the Heart Foundation tent and got my free massage. Then I went back and found them all at the bag pickup area. It was a bit disappointing that there was no finishers medals for the half marathoners. The medals looked so nice too. For a $89 entry fee you think you’d get something at the end. Oh well.
It was really special having my family there at my first half marathon. I don’t know who was happier about me doing it. Actually I do. My mum is my number one fan. Hi Mum!
Immediately after the event I was a bit despondent about my time as I’ve run faster in my training runs but that only lasted for about 10 minutes. I’ve come such a long way. A year ago I couldn’t run 100 meters. Today I ran that 100 metres and another 21 km. Wow! I also set a Half Marathon PR. I should be able to beat that one too in my next HM in February. I’m rather happy that this overweight middle aged fellow has managed to become a runner.
I have to run a marathon now. I just have to.
I’d like to use this opportunity to say something to my wife Sally. Darling, getting to the point where I could run this race was a lot of work but I know it was a lot of work for you too. You’ve supported me from the beginning and I could not have done it without you. I know I’ll never be able to express how grateful I am to you. Without you I would still be lost. You are the most amazing person I know and I love you. I’m always amazed that you love me too. Just as well considering we’re married! Thank you.
And thank you to all of you as well. This blog has really helped me achieve this goal and without all of your cheers and bits of advice and whatnot I don’t think I would have been nearly as successful. Thank you all.
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November 2nd, 2008 19:34
Congratulations Andrew!!!!! Excellent result and a great race report. A sub 2 hour on your first go and what is a tough course is something to be very proud of.
The last few km’s are tough but this adversity makes finishing all the sweeter.
Glad you didn’t post any blister photos though (save them for the next post)
Aarons last blog post..Sunday Morning – Weigh In and Run
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AndrewE
reply on November 2nd, 2008 7:37 pm:
Thanks Aaron.
Twitter: AndrewENZ
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November 2nd, 2008 20:18
Well done on cracking the two hours. I’m sure you’ll only get quicker from here.
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November 2nd, 2008 22:39
Congratulations and Great Job!
And thank you. Your blog is an inspiration to everyone who has faced a personal challenge and perseveres to make their goals happen. You trained for this, so enjoy the moment.
Your comments to your wife almost made this Spartan weak, but there’s no tears in Sparta!
Well done! Good luck on all your future endeavors!
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November 2nd, 2008 23:03
Hi Andrew, I am a kiwi from Tekuiti, now living in Toowoomba, Qld. I have been following your blog with interest for a while. I just wanted to say congratulations on a job well done. Doing longer races is addictive and I wish you all the best for future ones. You did great, keep it up! Maybe one day you can come and join us for the Gold Coast marathon.
Gillian
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November 2nd, 2008 23:13
congrats to you AND TO SALLY.
it says a lot about you/your relationship that you recognized her HERE and not just at home…
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November 2nd, 2008 23:51
Andrew well done on a great race and a great race report! As Aaron said a sub-2hr result is excellent for your first half. I was interested to see that your first thought was “I must run a marathon now” because I think my thought was pretty much the same as I ran across the finish line of my first half.
Get a few more HMs under your belt though, a marathon is much tougher !
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November 3rd, 2008 00:43
Congrats! This is a great race report. I hope that maybe you’ll do another half marathon before setting out for a full one. Now that you know what it’s like, you know how to approach it and set goals for it. But for the next few days enjoy what you just accomplished, and take a few days of rest. You deserve it!
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November 3rd, 2008 01:26
Fantastic! Congratulations on a great race and all the training that you did to get there. Great job!
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November 3rd, 2008 01:31
Congratulations on finishing the race under 2 hours!! What an awesome accomplishment
And how happy to do you look in the picture to be running??
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November 3rd, 2008 05:14
congratulations Andrew you must be so proud, your post brought tears to my eyes, full waterworks!
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November 3rd, 2008 05:46
Congrats on a your first 1/2 and am sure there will be many more to follow. You have had an amazing 12 months and with hard work and determination you have achieved another of your many goals. Big ups for Sally to for being a great supporter, cause without the support from family it is so much harder.
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November 3rd, 2008 05:47
Congratulations on the Sub2 finish. Great work!!!
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November 3rd, 2008 07:10
Great race report, sub 2-hours in the first half marathon has to be a great achievement. Don’t be disappointed about your time if you ran faster in training. It all depends on the course, running conditions, and other factors which can determine your finishing time.
Make the marathon your next goal!
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November 3rd, 2008 07:26
WOW. Congrats! I loved reading your race report, it was great.
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November 3rd, 2008 07:51
Andrew,
I’ve been a lurker for quite a while. Just wanted to come on line to say CONGRATULATIONS on your race and to thank you for blogging and for being an inspiration to the rest of us. Keep up the great work!
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November 3rd, 2008 08:41
Congratulations! You look so happy in that photo. That’s the whole point of running, if you ask me.
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November 3rd, 2008 09:40
Congratulations Andrew it is the best feeling finishing your first half marathon. Well done and enjoy the feeling that lasts for days
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November 3rd, 2008 10:20
Congrats Andrew! Sub 2 hour 1/2…that’s fantastic! You are an inspiration to all. How nice for you to recognize your wonderful wife too…having that kind of support makes all the difference , doesn’t it?
Great, great job!
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November 3rd, 2008 11:07
Great job Andrew! Isn’t the half great? It’s my favorite/the perfect distance. So excited for you coming in under two hours; that’s my goal moving forward. Once I hit the <2hr half, I’ll do another marathon. You’ve done that, so I agree, you should do a full.
ps – I came to the word “organisers” and thought, hmm he’s a bad speller. Then I remembered where you live. We have some really good friends from Canada and the same thing happens when we read their emails. I suppose English was English before it was “American” so your way is probably the right way, I suppose.
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November 3rd, 2008 11:21
Congratulations!! You’ve done well!
And why am I not surprised with you lining up more half marathons and a marathon next year?
No, not allowed to wear black next time!! Took a while to finally find you in the crowd of all these runners who also wears a black cap, black shirt and black shorts! Really need to get you a clown hat or something like they do in the ski fields for easy identification!
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November 3rd, 2008 12:23
Way to go Andrew. Your first half in under 2 hrs! That’s great. I loved the race report and thanks for making me teary-eyed toward the end of your post. haha
Fabulous!!
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November 3rd, 2008 14:00
I’ll admit it: I got a little misty-eyed reading your report.
I would’ve been impressed with your results, regardless, but the fact that it didn’t come so easy is all the more reason to admire you. Well done, Andrew!
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November 3rd, 2008 14:32
Hi Andrew,
Well done on your halfmarathon time – nice to see a fellow HeartRacer doing so well!
My experience was a bit worse than yours – I couldn’t find the 2 hour pace-setter so I made the (wrong) choice of starting with the 1:50 pace setter. That tired me out too fast at the start, and I could only manage a slower pace during the second half, clocking in at 2 hr 23 minutes.
All the best for your future training!
Williams last blog post..Highlights from the 2008 Auckland Marathon
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November 3rd, 2008 18:48
Hi.. Congrats!! Me too sometimes i do participate that kind of sport events along with my family even though we don’t win in any single race. he.. but the most important for me is to with my family as part of our bonding.
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November 3rd, 2008 19:24
You are too bloody awesome. Words fail me, Andrew.
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November 3rd, 2008 20:44
Woohoo WFD! And to get under that 2 hour cut off when you were feeling like that shows how mentally strong you were for this one!
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November 4th, 2008 00:04
WTG Andrew! You did awesome. that was a great race report.
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November 4th, 2008 01:32
Awesome! That is exactly what I needed to read to get ready for a half myself. Of course, I need to start training for it since my last one was blown out of the water. I’m proud of you! WAY TO GO!
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November 4th, 2008 04:11
WOOOOOOOOT!
Congrats and great job! It is such an amazing feeling to reflect and consider where you were this time last year. We are all very proud of you!
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November 4th, 2008 04:54
Brings a tear to me eye! Well done.
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November 4th, 2008 05:37
What to go Andrew. Congratulations on a great first race!
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November 4th, 2008 06:20
Nice run! Stomach issues are certainly no fun, and even moreso in a race. Congratulations on a wonderful sub 2-hour HM! I am nowhere near contemplating such a distance in my running “career”, but perhaps somewhere down the line I too will be contemplating an attempt at 2 hours or less.
Again, congrats!
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November 4th, 2008 12:02
Great job Andrew. Nice race photo too.
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November 5th, 2008 09:41
Dang Bloglines.. sorry for the delay in commenting.
Well done! Breaking two hours is awesome!
Love the action shot. You look clear eyed and fresh. An most importantly like you’re enjoying yourself. And you look lke a runner!
No medal? That’s pretty effing piss poor at that price.
So another half in the beginning of the year…are you going to up yourself to the full distance in the future?
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November 5th, 2008 14:38
whoo hoo!!!!!!!!! congrats on completing your HM! Can’t wait to see your progress training for full! Congrats again!
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November 5th, 2008 14:58
Wooohooo!!!!!
Congrats Andrew!!!
Sub 2 hour…GREAT time!!!
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November 10th, 2008 13:18
Another great race report! I’m sure hills make quite a difference! I was impressed recently by a local woman… she ran a hilly marathon one Saturday and THEN ran another marathon the next day on Sunday! The story didn’t give too many details, but it sounded like she runs TWO MARATHONS on a weekend with some regularity.
Yes, you have to run a marathon now! All in good time!
I loved the comment about the portaloos… with all the water I drink, sounds like my kind of venue!
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November 12th, 2008 14:02
fantastic! really pleased for you andrew…
sub-2:00 in your first half is great and i agree – your next one will be even quicker.
you’ve come a long way. you should be very proud!
shame about the medal (or lack of one)
–steve
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November 14th, 2008 10:15
I’m way behind — so what else is new. Actually sad that I’ve missed this as a current event.
Andrew — you are truly an inspiration. You have come so far in such a short time. The incredible time you put up isn’t even relevent, it’s that you did it.
Congratulations, my friend. Looking forward to following your journey to a full marathon!
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May 25th, 2009 10:03
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