Half bloody marathon


The thought of doing a half marathon with no crowds to cheer me on, no reward of random snacks at the end and no immediate medal when I have crossed the finish line was a bit daunting to say the least.


However in the lockdown I have seen people running marathons on their balconies and in their living room, so I decided to put on my big girl pants and get on with it. Plus I would get my medal eventually in the post if I did complete it.


I was supposed to do the Goodwood Grand Prix half marathon with Run Through on 20th April 2020. However, Covid-19 has changed all of our plans and all running events were cancelled, but I received an email from the company saying if participants who had signed up did do a half marathon and send in the evidence, then we would get the medal, t-shirt and goodies. Brilliant!


I am not one to turn down the opportunity to get something shiny but it did take a lot of willpower to actually get my arse off the sofa and complete it.


So yesterday, when the weather was the crappiest it has been for a few weeks was when I thought, yes, today is the day!


It was windy, it was cold, it was spitting but I figured the track I wanted to use which was usually full of dog walkers would be empty. For the first 5k I was all right, and then everyone and their blooming dog seemed to come out because the rain stopped. It was still cloudy and cold but the people were out in force. Much to my annoyance.


I ran over the grass and away from the track to dodge everyone and nearly went over on my face a few times on the uneven ground, it would have been a good excuse to stop and abandon the idea but something kept me up right.


Thankfully, because I really wanted those random snacks.


When I hit 15K, a wall started to appear and I was pretty close to hitting it a few times. I will be honest I did have to walk a little bit but my walk and run pace are not far off so I sucked it up and ran as much as I could.


It was then I realised that I probably should have done some actually proper training instead of thinking a few 5k would be enough but eventually 2h 19m 58s, with an average pace of 6.37/km which I understand it a pretty respectable pace, (No one better tell me otherwise) I finally finished.





I had a bit of a paddy when I thought I had fallen short as Strava didn’t give me my half marathon trophy. The air was blue for a little bit until I saw I was on the May half marathon leader board in position 76,197. Banging.




When I got home, it was a toss up weather I was going to pass out or throw up and I said to myself ‘NEVER AGAIN.’  But nearly 24 hours have passed now, I feel really proud of myself and am now thinking...wouldn’t it be epic to do a full marathon?!



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 reasons to get outside and run right now

Image
1 .You never know what you might find  Dirty knickers, money and sex aids are just a few things I have found on my runs. Get out there and get hunting. Don't pick up anything too dodgy though, if you find a huge stash of cash it is advisable to send it to me and I will take it to the police...probably. (Honestly they are not mine....) 2 .You will get encouragement from strangers It is amazing what a smile, nod or little wave can do for your self esteem when you are running, especially when it comes from another runner. You feel like you are in it together and part of a team even when you are on your own. Beware of accidently stalking other runners to keep up with them, they don't like it. 3 .You get the benefit of fresh air Yes, initially you will feel like you are going to pass out and your lungs might burst, but then you will hit a natural stride and you will feel on top of the world while breathing in all of the goodness around you. Well, providin
Read more

Mile by mile: Half marathon thoughts...

Image
Mile 1: I’m here, I’m ready, I feel great. Going to smash this in no time! Probably should have trained harder than doing a few 5k’s but I’m sure it will be fine. It is 5k 4 times, plus a little bit - easy. Mile 2: To make sure I get to the end I will try and keep up with someone with a similar pace, I will try to not be too obvious. Mile 3: Someone must have moved the mile 3 marker. The distance from 2-3 miles was much too far, the runner I was copying seems to have disappeared. I will look for a new mark. Mile 4: Over 5k done, quarter of the way there if my maths is correct. Get in! I’m flying through this. Mile 5: So 5 miles is halfway to 10 miles, when I get to 10 miles the end will be in sight. I’m feeling amazing.   I’m going to book a marathon as soon as I have finished! Mile 6: Nearly halfway, I have a new runner I am following, think I am annoying him as he keeps looking back at me and my noisy hydration vest. Mile 7: It is very hard to drink and run. Choked and sp
Read more

Homefield Park run review

Image
Where: Homefield park, Worthing Difficulty: 3 out of...out of a score I've not really put too much thought into. Let's go with 5. Difficulty: 3 out of 5 Loops of park to get to 5k: I worked it out to be about 0.8 per loop so however many that is, 6ish? First ever run around this route, nice and simple, some slight slopes. Difficulty rating is high because of all of the dogs running around.  Not sure who has right of way, me or the mutts. Glared at a couple and think I came the closest I have ever been to being bitten.  Hospital is visible on part of the route, which makes you appreciate the fact you are not in there. Though, after struggling for breath at one point, it might have looked like I should admit myself.  If you like animals, this is one for you, with countless dogs and squirrels to dodge, you won't be bored.  (That blurry ball of fluff is a squirrel.) If you don't exhaust yourself there is even an outdoor gym to get stuck into. (Covid
Read more