Another Half Marathon

I ran my 5th official half marathon at the weekend.  Because I don't run halves very often, I haven't yet reached the stage where I feel completely comfortable with the distance.  I think when you are only doing one a year, each time feels like starting from scratch.  I've been proud of all my halves and have always managed a respectable (if not speedy) finishing time but I still find the distance intimidating and I never quite believe that I'm going to be able to complete it. 

This time round, I decided to follow a proper training plan and do what it told me to do.  In particular, if it called for a long and slow run, that was exactly what I would do.  I had to rid myself of the silly notion that taking longer than 6 minutes to run a kilometer was something I should feel ashamed of.  On the contrary, slowing my pace was the only way I was going to be able to tackle a half marathon distance without burning myself out too soon and having to experience the agony of trying to hang on in the latter stages of the race.  In the past, I have tried to run my halves at the same pace as I run my 10K races and if I could just about get away with that a few years ago, I have to accept that I'm not getting any younger and I need to approach things a bit differently now. 

The 8 week training plan went quite well.  I managed all the long runs without picking up any annoying little niggles, I took rest days when told to do so and I felt like I was in good shape.  I also took care with fueling and I realised that a gel at the halfway stage, supplemented by electrolyte chews, glucose tablets and Love Hearts gives me the energy I need without the queasiness I experience when I opt for jelly babies.  I have also discovered the power of chia seeds added to a pre-race bowl of porridge.  I have been taking multivitamin tablets with iron too, which may have helped my energy levels.

Of course, you can't plan for everything and one of the factors beyond your control is the weather.  On race day it poured.  It rained all day.  The only thing to do was accept you were going to get soaked and then just get on with it.  I told myself that at least there wasn't an evil head wind to contend with.  To be honest, the rain was okay once I got used to it.  There was even something quite calming and fresh about it.  What I didn't like though was the puddles.  They were huge and you don't realise how much extra time and energy you use up trying to navigate your way around them, sliding around the muddy edges.  If it was parkrun, I would have just run through the middle of them, but I was anxious to avoid wet feet on a long run because I know it increases the chances of getting blisters.  Fortunately, Body Glide (another new discovery for me) and anti-blister socks meant my feet were fine, despite a good drenching.  I didn't suffer from squashed, bruised toes either.  Could this actually be the first time I run a half and don't lose a toenail?  Let's hope so.

The event was a timed challenge where people complete as many 6.55 mile laps as they wish within a 6 hour time period.  So, it was two laps for me, but lots of people were doing marathons.  Unlike road races in the big cities, there isn't a crowd of spectators to cheer you on, so the encouragement comes from the other runners as they pass one another.  I was very impressed to see one runner juggling.  I don't know how many loops he ended doing but I was absolutely in awe each time I saw him.  I've seen people juggle at parkrun before but never at a distance event in the pouring rain.  I kept telling myself that my own task was comparatively simple.  At least all I had to do was run.  

My nice, steady pace, averaging 6.22 minute kilometers, worked well and although I can't pretend I didn't get tired and have low points where I questioned why I was doing this, I knew I could keep it going.  I remember looking at my watch and realizing I had got to 10 miles, the 'just a parkrun' part of the race, i.e. when there's only 3 more miles to go, which is usually when I start to really struggle in a half, but this time I felt like it really was 'just a parkrun' and that helped me mentally in a way it never has before.  It wasn't until the last kilometer that the desperate need to get it over with hit me.  So I gave it everything I'd got left (which wasn't a lot) and I made it to the finish.  I'll never forget approaching the Puddle from Hell for the 4th and last time and thinking, "I've had enough of going round the edges.  This time I'm going through it."  And I did.  I splashed triumphantly through the horrible, cold, muddy, ankle-deep water and dragged my weary self to the finish line.  My youngest daughter was there to meet me (something that really kept me going on the last stretch) and she said I looked like I had been for a swim.  We had a warm drink and some cake in the community centre before heading off to Tesco to get some snacks for a Mother's Day tea.  I was flagging as I wheeled the trolley around the store, treating it like a walking frame.  We still had a longish trudge back up the hill to get home.  I'm not sure how my fatigued legs kept going.  

Overall, a very positive race experience for me.  I was happy with my time, I was happy I hadn't needed to walk any of it, but most of all I was happy because I felt I had learned something.  My training and the race had taught me how to run a half without feeling like it was going to kill me.  I felt like I had learned something about pacing and I had finally discovered a strategy that worked.  I had also realised it isn't all about race day.  It's about giving yourself credit for all those days you went out on your own to pound the pavements and trails. It's a celebration of mental toughness, having the dedication to train and prepare yourself for the challenge. It's sometimes said that the actual race is like a victory lap and I totally get that now.  I feel that if/when I do another half, I might just feel a little less intimidated by the distance and believe in myself a bit more.  It feels like progress. 

Of course, running in the rain always does make you feel a bit bad ass and running a half in the rain makes you feel like an absolute machine.  I will never forget how wonderful it felt to get home, take those wet clothes off, have a hot shower and put my Oodie on.  Sheer bliss. I felt very content as I curled up on the sofa to watch Crufts.

As for the medal, isn't it the most beautiful piece of bling?  An absolute whopper too, the size of a coaster.  I can't stop looking at it.