35 Days To Go - Smashed It

Date & Time : 21/03/10 10:00
Distance : 13 miles
Total Training Distance (since beginning Sept 09) : 494 miles
Route & Stats : Broadland Half Marathon

By far the best run of my life to date. Everything was just great - the weather, the course, my performance, even the medal was cool.  Having previously stated that I was hoping to break 2 hours, I was delighted with a new personal best for the half marathon (I have only run three) of 1h 51m which was 9 minutes under my previous best which is 40 seconds a mile faster than I have run before.  Anyone who runs regularly will know that is a big improvement.

I was a little apprehensive before the start, not knowing how I would go and if my achilles tendon would give me grief again or not.  However, I had prepared well.  Got some carbs on board on Saturday, drank loads of water, a good nights sleep and got up early on Sunday, even remembered to put some sun cream on my shoulders - who would have thought that would have been the case only a month ago when I nearly froze to death in Bungay.

The weather was perfect, bright blue skys, light breeze, not too hot.   I got to the race start in South Walsham with plenty of time to spare and spent a few minutes soaking up the early morning sunshine and chatting to a few people.  Everyone who had run this course before was warning me that there were quite a few hills to deal with, which was a concern.   This only made me make sure I stretched my achilles even more.  After a couple of pre-race pee's and an energy gel I was ready for the off.   I jogged down to the start.

The race started bang on 10am.  I was in the middle of the field of 260 odd runners and set off at a fairly brisk 8 min mile pace for the first couple of miles, which is faster than I expected but I was feeling OK and just like the Wymondham 20m I found a nice rythym early on.   The first hill came at about 2 miles and although I slowed a little I didn't find it too much of a problem and more importantly no achilles tendon pain either.

My next checkpoint was 6 miles.  I wanted to be there somewhere between 50 and 55 minutes to give myself a good chance of going under 2 hours.   I was amazed when I glanced at my watch and found that I was at 50m 38s as I passed the 6 mile marker and was feeling pretty strong.   As the course was an out and back layout I knew that I had about a mile of a hill to climb just ahead of me, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it looked on the way down and having gone through 8 miles still on track to smash my personal best and feeling no pain in my legs I decided to go for it.

There were a couple of short nasty little hills on the way back which really slowed me down and felt like I was running through treacle, but after each one I managed to regain my rythym again and get my breathing regulated.  I passed 12 miles at 1h 41m 22s, I was feeling tired by then having really pushed myself in the second half of the race but thought to myself that I would never be as fit as this again or have better conditions so why not go for it.  So I did.  I got my head down and dug in, passing several runners in the process.  I knew I probably wouldn't break 1h 50m but I was determined to get as close to it as possible.  According to my Garmin I actually completed 13.1m miles in 1h 50m 17s however as always in these races that is never where the finish line is and I still had another 0.1 mile to go.

1h 51m 08s - Smashed It!!!

What a great feeling.  I finished 140 out of a field of 267, I think I have earnt the right to call myself a runner and not a jogger from here onwards.  You never know on a flat course I might be able to go under 1h 50m, perhaps that will be my next target after 25th April.

I loved every minute of it.   However, no more of this fun running, the serious business of the marathon now needs to be my focus again.  I need to get another couple of long runs in and then come Easter I can start the much awaited taper towards the big day.   Bring it on.