BONUS: Brisbane Marathon Redemption... Did She Get It? | Carly Barkle

Fresh off the Brisbane Marathon, a familiar Runbelievable voice returns for a special Recap episode.

When Carly Barkle first joined us in Ep. 18, she spoke openly about chasing redemption at the Brisbane Marathon. Twelve months after her first DNF, and her 6th bout of bowel surgery… the training is done, the race has been run, and now it's time to find out what really happened.

No polished summary. No social media highlight reel. Just an honest reflection whilst the emotions are still fresh.

We talk about:

• Whether she found the redemption she was looking for
• The race-day twist we had no idea about!
• The moments that tested her most
• What surprised her along the way
• How she feels about the experience now that it's over

Runbelievable Recap episodes capture the part of running that often gets missed… the raw reflection after the finish line, before time reshapes the story.

Because every runner has a story… and sometimes the most interesting chapter comes after the race.

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About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Transcript

Joshie 0:04

Hello everybody and welcome to the Fun Food Free Cast. In this mini episode, we catch up with former guests of the podcast to discuss their recent experience at running events. Some of these successes, others ethics fails, but they all have one thing in common shaping who we become. Today I'm sitting down with Carly Barkle, who just took part in the Brisbane Marathon. She's kindly decided to forego about 20 minutes of her recovery day to chat with us about her experience. Carly, welcome back to Run Believable. How are you feeling today?

Carly 0:36

Hello. Thanks for having me back. Yeah, I'm I'm actually feeling pretty good.

Joshie 0:39

Really? You'd gone for a run today?

Carly 0:41

Yeah, I did. Did you really? Well, I don't know if I'd call it a run, but um yeah, went for a little 5k shuffle just to flush the legs. Yeah.

Joshie 0:52

How many people would do that the day after a marathon? Now, look, we chatted with you back in January. Can you believe it was that long ago? Um, and I encouraged listeners to check out episode 18 for your incredible backstory. Now, back then you were recovering, I think it was your sixth round of bow surgery you just had in three years or something crazy like that. And for a bit of added context, there's a reason that we're chatting with you today. I'm going to play a moment from our conversation in January where you were reflecting on your 2025 Brisbane Marathon experience.

Carly 1:29

And I got to the store, the top of the story bridge for the second time, and it literally just felt like someone had shot me in the back of my leg. And I was like, what the hell was that? Went to walk, and I was like, oh my god, no, I I can't even walk. What the hell is this? Sort of cut the course and yeah, hobbled my way back to the the finish area.

Joshie 1:48

So was that your first um DNF?

Carly 1:50

My very first DNF ever, yeah.

Joshie 1:53

So hence hence why this year is re redemption for you.

Carly 1:56

Yes, very much so. Yeah. Don't care about the time, don't care how it looks. I just, yeah, I'm gonna finish this yeah.

Joshie 2:04

Now, Carly, going into yesterday's race, was that 2025 DNF on your mind at all?

Carly 2:10

Um, it was. The the second lap up the story bridge. Yep. When I got up. Triggering. Yeah, it was. It gave me the heebie jeebies on the second lap. Um, but no, I got to 28 and I'm like, well, I got further than last year. Um, but no, it it it wasn't really playing on my mind because I have had uh a full six months uninterrupted training block now. So I was I was gonna finish one way or another.

Joshie 2:38

You made that pretty clear when we chatted. Uh so let's actually go back to January. Is it fair to say that once you got medical clearance, you just went all in with your prep?

Carly 2:46

Yeah, I did. Yeah. Yep. I sat down with my coach and talked about my goals for the year, and he's like, Well, this is where you are now, and this is kind of where you need to be, and uh, you know, it's gonna be a lot of work. I'm like, yep, I'm I'm up for it, let's do it. So yeah, so I've had yeah, six months now of like really good um training weeks and yeah, built back to um some some sort of fitness, and yeah, it's yeah, it's been really good. I'm enjoying it a lot.

Joshie 3:14

And you had at least one B race during that time, didn't you? I know you ran noose, uh, which the conditions were pretty tough that day, weren't they?

Carly 3:22

Yeah, I just I ran a 5k there. Uh I don't I don't really want to talk about that. It didn't go to plan.

Joshie 3:29

You were still weren't you first in your age group? I was, yeah. Yeah. So talk me through, I guess, your your preps sort of leading up to Brisbane. I think your volume peaked at close to 100 Ks a week, didn't it?

Carly 3:43

Um yeah, I had a couple of weeks there that were 120. Um yeah, we we tried something different this time because I'm sort of um also trying to get some speed back in my legs um moving forward because I'm doing the half at um Gold Coast.

Joshie 3:58

Okay.

Carly 3:59

So yeah, I was trying to trying to get a bit of speed back in the legs ready for that while training for the marathon. Um so yeah, training's looked a bit different, and I've had um Dave's added in sort of some double threshold days on a Tuesday. So I'll do like a hard session in the morning and then go back and do another hard session in the ARVO. Um that that's worked really well. And and my long runs on my Sundays were um uh more sort of marathon focused workouts and that sort of thing.

Joshie 4:29

So like sessions basically as part of a long run?

Carly 4:33

On a Sunday.

Joshie 4:34

Yeah. So they weren't just like easy runs, you were actually incorporating intervals into those Yeah, in incorporating marathon pace into the Sunday long runs.

Carly 4:43

And then yeah, the Tuesdays were more aimed at um um yeah, more aimed at the half marathon, sort of building the quicker speed.

Joshie 4:52

Okay.

Carly 4:53

Ready for that? Yeah.

Joshie 4:55

So during that six month training block, did you have many setbacks?

Carly 5:01

No. No.

Joshie 5:03

Touch wood.

Carly 5:04

Which yeah, I've well yeah, touch touch wood. Um but yeah, pretty happy. I've I've been back to my surgeon.

Joshie 5:10

Yep.

Carly 5:10

Um so yeah, not not a hundred percent successful, but pretty pretty close to. And I'll just just have to see him every six months now. So that's that's all pretty good. Um yeah, no, no more surgeries, hopefully, touch work required. And that's all, yeah. So I'm just I'm I'm truly grateful and just making the most of it. Yeah.

Joshie 5:35

So having had such a good six month period, you trained well, you tapered well, did you did that add any pressure to the race yesterday?

Carly 5:43

No, do you know so many people were like, oh, what's your goal? What's your goal? And I just kept saying, My goal is to not DNF like last year. And they're like, Yeah, but surely you've got a goal. And I'm like, I actually don't like I I don't know where I'm at. I I didn't have um I mean like I would have would have loved to have gone around my PB, which is 315.

Joshie 6:05

Right.

Carly 6:06

Um, but I I didn't have a set goal. Um and David sort of set a marathon pace for me and I I was like, oh I I don't know about this. Um but yeah, my I my goal was just to see how I was feeling on the day, really, and just if I was feeling good, have a crack. Otherwise, my yeah, my goal was just to finish.

Joshie 6:28

So took me through the the race. I mean, did you did you sleep well? Did you feel ready at the start line?

Carly 6:33

Yeah, I did. Yeah, I was so excited. And because I haven't raced since or you know, our marathon since October last year. Um, yeah, I was just super excited to get out there. Yeah and I was yeah, I was definitely ready.

Joshie 6:48

And uh we'll talk a bit more. Uh I don't know if you remember, uh I saw you on course. You look so focused. I called out to you twice. I don't know if you remember.

Carly 6:56

I I did. I did recognize, yeah, there was a few people actually that um because usually I'm just head down and I and the first lap, actually I think I saw you on the second lap, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah. Because on the first lap, um we had all the half marathoners start at exactly the same time as us.

Joshie 7:13

Yep.

Carly 7:14

So the first lap was like really, really crowded. Um, and it was hard to move. So I didn't really recognize anyone yelling out the first lap, but the second lap was a lot easier to kind of yeah, spot people and whatnot. But yeah, I did.

Joshie 7:27

And I yeah, you looked focused. I wasn't sure because I see your photo of you running, and I wasn't sure if you were like, what the hell is this creepy said?

Carly 7:35

No, no, I I did see you and I knew who it was. I was like, oh hey. Yeah.

Joshie 7:40

Um, so what was the first slap like? I mean, you mentioned that they started the half marathoners and the marathoners at the same time, and I was there for a lot of the first slap, and gosh, it looked like pandemonium. Just we having to weave in and out of people, was it pretty hectic?

Carly 7:53

Yeah, it was so hectic. It was insane. I I don't remember them both starting together at the same time last year. I could be wrong, but um, and I think there was also a lot more people on course this year. Um, but yeah, this the first case, so you know the first K is always pretty crappy, yeah. Trying to weave in and out and get your pace and whatever, so it's pretty crap. But um, so that was the first K, and then the second case sort of heads uphill, and because there are so many half marathonners, they're trying to like smash it up the hill, so they're like cutting you off and weaving in and out, and everyone's trying to do the same thing. So I actually ended up going out on the wrong side of the road just to get away from people. Um yeah, it was it the the first the second lap was a lot easier to run people-wise than the first lap because it was just so yeah, everyone's trying to do their own thing and not really a lot of regard for anyone else. So that I yeah, it was it was hectic and so crowded.

Joshie 8:52

How long did it take you to find a a rhythm?

Carly 8:55

Um I felt the first 10 Ks, I felt amazing. I don't know I don't know that I'd say I'd had a rhythm because of the hills.

Joshie 9:04

Yeah.

Carly 9:04

Um, so I was sort of had a pace that I would that I wanted to stick to on the flats, and then my plan was to run to heart rate up the hills so that it didn't spike and I didn't sort of Yeah.

Joshie 9:17

Yeah. Yeah. So you slowed down a bit going up the hills then and yeah.

Carly 9:21

Yeah, I did. Yeah.

Joshie 9:22

So you get to halfway one loop, um, how's your pace? How are you feeling? Were you on track at that stage?

Carly 9:31

Um, to be honest with you, I didn't even know, like I was looking at my splits occasionally. I have have just have it on my 1K splits for watch. And um I was checking them occasionally, but I was more running to feel than anything.

Joshie 9:47

Yeah.

Carly 9:47

Um, and I don't often do that. I I sort of, you know, when I've run Gold Coast in the past, I kind of every K I'm checking that, you know, am I on pace? Am I on pace? Um, but I still, yeah, the first 10Ks was you know how some days running just feels so easy? And you just like, I love running, this is great. Like, yeah, I just felt like everything was comfortable and I was sort of in two minds what shoes to wear, and ended up going with the um the Tokyos, the ASICs Tokyos. Yep. Um then the meta speeds are they? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was like, oh, I'm so glad I wore these shoes. These shoes are concluding. Yeah, just I had a brilliant, I just felt amazing the first 10Ks. And then halfway I was still yeah, still feeling really good. And um, yeah, switched over my nutrition. I feel really well. Um, so yeah, everything was still yeah, going to plan. I was, yeah, still feeling really good.

Joshie 10:45

So I saw you, which would have been, I think, at the 34k mark, and then by the time you returned on the other side, that would have been about 37, I believe. So um you looked focused on.

Carly 10:57

I didn't even notice. I was gonna say I didn't notice you at 37. Yeah, yeah. Because at 36, I had um, I don't know if have you ever had like IT band issues?

Joshie 11:08

Only once, but not from running, actually, from cycling. It's um yeah, when that hits, yeah.

Carly 11:13

You know where it kind of like it connects at the bottom of your knee and you get that horrid knee pain. Yep. So at 36 Ks, I just got that stabbing knee pain, and I was like, Oh, I know what this is, this is IT band. So yeah, for the last, I didn't even see you at 37. I was just like, just ignore it and fucking run. Like I'm not stopping. Yeah, I was I was in a bit of pain probably then at 37.

Joshie 11:40

So tell me about the IT band issue. I mean, is that something that settled or did it just hurt for the last five Ks?

Carly 11:47

Yeah, it killed. Okay. Um, yeah, and I um I I didn't have any IT band issues leading into it. I've had it in the past, like years ago, so I knew what it was. But yeah, I had um my hips always get really tight and I have acupuncture for that.

Joshie 12:02

Okay.

Carly 12:03

Um, but yeah, didn't didn't have any IT band issues leading in. So it's it's a bit bit tender today, and it sort of hurt. I've got a hill that I've got to run to get home. Um, so it hurt running up that a bit today, but yeah, it'll be all right.

Joshie 12:18

The very fact that you could even run today, Carly, is quite extraordinary.

Carly 12:22

Yeah, I I feel pretty good. I've got like the top of my calf muscles is a tiny bit sore from the the hills, but um, but yeah, I feel pretty good.

Joshie 12:31

So did you feel as though that pain um from the IT band was at risk of um derailing you at all, or did you know it was something that you could actually manage?

Carly 12:41

Um I was hoping it was something I could manage.

Joshie 12:45

Yeah.

Carly 12:46

I I literally would have just limped over the finish line if I had to, though.

Joshie 12:49

Yep.

Carly 12:50

Being that close to the finish, yeah.

Joshie 12:53

So I've got to ask then, at what point did your mindset suddenly shift from I'm going to finish to perhaps something bigger might be happening here? Um, as in like Yeah, like I mean, there would have been a point where you went, not only am I going to finish, I think I might be on to something a bit better here.

Carly 13:16

Well, I still didn't even actually know.

Joshie 13:19

Okay.

Carly 13:20

So in I think it was it was only like the second K. Um, I was sort of just chugging away up the hill. Um, and the 315, oh there was two 315 paces. So sort of maybe one at the front of a pack and one at the back. And one 315 pacer passed me, and I was like, okay, cool, like whatever. And then a second one come by and I was like, Oh, I'll see how long I can stick with this fella and just because my PB's 315. I thought unlikely on a healy course, but you know, I'll I'll just see what I can do. And then I had a couple of sub 430Ks in there, and I was kind of like in my mind going, Oh yikes, I better better slow down a bit just in case I blow up. And then the other side of me was kind of like, Oh well, like I don't know where I'm at. I might as well have a crack. Yeah if I blow up. Well, at least I know.

Joshie 14:15

Yeah.

Carly 14:15

Um see I s I actually stuck with that 315 piece. Um and they were running faster than me up the hill, so I just kind of would let them go, and then I'd catch them back up again on the downhill or the flat. And I stuck with him or maybe I think he started getting faster. I didn't slow down much, but he started getting a bit faster. He was incredible pacer too. Shout out to him. Um But then I think I was still with them when I got the knee pain. And then they sort of there was probably eight or ten of us sort of stuck with him the whole time. And we sort of that last five K we spread out a lot. Okay. Um and then yeah, I was like, oh well, he's gone. So and I actually didn't look at the total time on my watch, so I actually still had no clue what I was sitting around. I didn't know how far ahead of me he'd gotten, or you know, if he was sitting dead on 315. So I was kind of like, oh, you know what? It's gonna be, I guess, a pretty good result, regardless. And um, anyway, I I got got across the finish line and a fella that is actually in one of my run clubs that I've never personally met, he finished um just ahead of me. Okay. And I said to him, like, introduce myself, and I'm like, Oh, how'd you go? And he told me his result, and he goes, How'd you go? And I'm like, Oh, dunno. And I waited, like, you know how you press stop on your watch and it falls in the streets.

Joshie 15:46

Oh, it does a spinning wheel, yeah, yeah.

Carly 15:48

Yeah, so I I waited for him. I was like, Oh, I'm not sure. So I'm standing there waiting for my watch turn, I was like, Oh my god. He's like, What? And I'm like, I just ran three, I was 314.03, uh oh four. So yeah, I just I ran a PV by a minute, so I was like, oh. So yeah, I was stoked. Really stoked.

Joshie 16:07

So you must have emptied a tank in those last few Ks then.

Carly 16:10

Um I think our last two K's were like uh I think I did a maybe a 426 and a 428 pace.

Joshie 16:17

Yep.

Carly 16:18

Yeah.

Joshie 16:18

So that's quick.

Carly 16:20

They were I think down I think they might have been downhill though. I I don't really remember a lot from the last couple games. I know there was a nasty hill in the last five. Um, but yeah, I think the last couple might have been sort of downhill. So yeah, I just yeah, I did embody a tank. I was like, oh well, I'll just go for it. And yeah, so yeah, like just stoked.

Joshie 16:40

How did you feel when you looked at your watch? I mean, was there a part of you that was like, oh, I I have to wait for the website to update and make sure it's official?

Carly 16:47

Um no, I didn't care about that. No. My actually I think my watch was 3 14.06 and I think the official time was 3 14.04. So yeah, yeah, but no, I was yeah, absolutely stoked.

Joshie 17:01

So have you at all reflected back not just on that result, which is incredible enough as it is, but it just in the context of your journey and what you've been through over the last six years, or sorry, over the last three years in particular.

Carly 17:12

Yeah, do you know like probably haven't had time to reflect a lot, but also I mean, there's there's probably part of me that thought I'd never actually get back to where I was, let alone better than, you know, and and still like, you know, run a PV on a Hilly course. That just yeah, kind of blows my mind. I didn't didn't expect it. And I think maybe because I didn't also put pressure on it as well, and I wasn't sort of yeah. And I probably probably haven't had time to um to sit and sort of think about it. So I was busy all afternoon yesterday.

Joshie 17:49

Yeah.

Carly 17:49

So I think I ended up doing like 56,000 steps for the day or something. Yeah.

Joshie 17:57

And so obviously you would attribute a hell of a lot to your commitment to the process. I mean, as soon as you got that okay medical-wise, you just went all in. How much of your success yesterday do you attribute to I guess your your coach as well?

Carly 18:13

Oh, Dave's been amazing. Um yeah, best coach ever. Um you know, right from we, you know, went and had coffee and sat down and had a conversation about my goals and you know, what it was gonna take to sort of get back there and whatnot. And like I I know it's a lot of hard work. And um, you know, last year I was getting um what's the word? Not not depressed, but really um unmotivated or really sort of down about not being able to hit paces, and it just felt like I was trying so hard and just wasn't improving or getting anywhere. Whereas I I've come back and we sort of we we built back um fairly slowly to start with and um you know took a while to add in those those double days and whatnot and built up the Sunday runs and that sort of thing. So um, yeah, I I definitely wouldn't wouldn't have been able to do it without him. And I literally when I I crossed the finish line yesterday and um got a cup of water, got my medal, and then the first thing I did was get my phone out and I messaged Dave and I was like, I just ran a fucking PB. Like that was my message, and I was like, I'm so stoked. So yeah, but no, he's he's incredible, and yeah, I yeah, I'm truly like grateful to have such an amazing coach.

Joshie 19:38

Yeah. And you're proud of yourself though for the hard work as well and your determination.

Carly 19:43

Oh, I am, and it was like training felt a lot easier now, obviously, because I'm not fighting infection and I haven't got you know the draining to worry about and just yeah, just it felt easier. And I was having really good sessions and able to hit the paces, and it was kind of uh I almost couldn't believe that I was doing the pace. Not easily, like I was working hard, but it wasn't, you know, I wasn't just hanging on to get there sort of thing. So yeah, it gave me gave me confidence, I guess, in that yeah, I could I could do it.

Joshie 20:19

Now Bristol in 2026 was a redemption rate for you to say that you've achieved that?

Carly 20:25

Yes, and um, I think yeah.

Joshie 20:28

Now Kelly, thanks so much for giving up some of your recovery data with the