Week 7 - Susex Beacon Half-Marathon Week
Week 7 - Susex Beacon Half-Marathon Week
What a week it's been!
Coming back from India was a knackering journey as I flew at 5am local time (check in 3am- euch) and went straight into work on Tuesday lunchtime. My earlier stated plans for a run on Tuesday night evaporated when I arrived home, knackered. Weds early morning didn't materialise and a work dinner on Wednesday night meant it was Thursday, three days to the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon and I hadn't trained all week.
I headed home after work and got focussed again for my run on the Thursday. 6 miles was the aim.. it was kind of an amalgam of what the three different runs were meant to be that week. I plotted out a map on gmap and headed for the door. I felt pretty bad for not having run all week so, particularly for the first couple of miles, really went for it. I managed to get back in around 52 minutes and I felt ok, a bit stiff but not too bad. What a crazy place I've come to... running 10K and feeling guilty that it's not long enough! That was enought to bring a smile to my face but not enough to remove the lingering trepidation that lay ahead of the Big Day on Sunday...
The Sussex Beacon Half Marathon, 19 Feb. '06
It was a cold, wet, wind-swept Sunday morning... yup, it felt like a scene from some dreary poem. Pam & Andy and Devika headed down to the start line. Unfortunately Pam fell ill on a recent trip and her medical advice was not to run the race. She was about as gutted as I was fearful - i.e. loads! Devika (and Andy!) were full of encourging words. We met up with some good friends, Carmel & Marthena and Carmel's boss, Bill, who were running the Half Marathon too.
I kept my bottle of water with me, even though there were a couple of formal Water Stations set up. I have gotten used to running with it and thought it better not to change my routine. I was wearing my gloves coz it was SO cold. They're woollen gloves, so they were getting a bit soggy in the rain, but it was that cold that I kept them on.
To the line... the countdown.. five... four... three... two... one... the starting gun! What a great feeling as everyone counted down together. I was in the second batch and set off at my own pace. The first couple of miles were pretty crowded but the momentum of everyone running carried me. I saw Devika, Pam & Andy after about a mile, when they cheered for me - what a brilliant feeling. I then got into a rhythm which felt good. Amazingly, at 5 miles, I was feeling strong and the split on my time was something like 40 minutes. Wow! Just focus on getting through it, I thought. I saw the three again - it really does push you along, it was so good of them to stand in the rain to cheer all of us along. I felt OK working through the mileage.. and I started doing loads of Maths in my head - was it really that I was going to break the magical 2 hour mark?? No sooner than I started having such cocky thoughts in my head that I started feeling a bit of a twinge in my left hammy. Doh. I kept going though and until mile 9, I felt well. I was picking random people in the group and trying to keep up with them. It was a good tactic and was a good way to add a bit of personal competition, without the other person realising you're doing it! A bit of tiredness started creeping in and the weather was horrific - cold, wet and windy. They gave us a great bottle of lucozade type of drink at around the 10 mile point, which gave me a great lift. I don't know if it was psychological or physical, but it felt like the end was in sight and I kept going for it. Mile 12 was a great point as I realised that I was indeed going to break 2 hours if I was just sensible and ran the last 1.1 miles with a steady pace. Seeing the finish line in sight.. what a feeling.. a bit of energy from nowhere.. sprint finish.. a smile on my face. YIESSS! I made it, I had gone from never having run more than 5k to finishing an official half marathon. I checked the time as we had these cool electronic chips we attached to our laces and my time was officially 1:51.22 (http://www.sussexbeacon.org.uk/results.htm). That was half an hour quicker than I thought I'd do it in! I was feeling a bit stiff, a bit sore and quite tired but the objective was achieved - I had completed a Half Marathon. Carmel, Marthena and Bill were there too and we were all very happy and relieved to have done it. I could feel I was developping a bit of a cold but that was going to be a problem I'd address on Monday. Today, I could feel proud that I had taken a step towards running a Full Marathon. Still loads to do, must keep the focus.
What a week it's been!
Coming back from India was a knackering journey as I flew at 5am local time (check in 3am- euch) and went straight into work on Tuesday lunchtime. My earlier stated plans for a run on Tuesday night evaporated when I arrived home, knackered. Weds early morning didn't materialise and a work dinner on Wednesday night meant it was Thursday, three days to the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon and I hadn't trained all week.
I headed home after work and got focussed again for my run on the Thursday. 6 miles was the aim.. it was kind of an amalgam of what the three different runs were meant to be that week. I plotted out a map on gmap and headed for the door. I felt pretty bad for not having run all week so, particularly for the first couple of miles, really went for it. I managed to get back in around 52 minutes and I felt ok, a bit stiff but not too bad. What a crazy place I've come to... running 10K and feeling guilty that it's not long enough! That was enought to bring a smile to my face but not enough to remove the lingering trepidation that lay ahead of the Big Day on Sunday...
The Sussex Beacon Half Marathon, 19 Feb. '06
It was a cold, wet, wind-swept Sunday morning... yup, it felt like a scene from some dreary poem. Pam & Andy and Devika headed down to the start line. Unfortunately Pam fell ill on a recent trip and her medical advice was not to run the race. She was about as gutted as I was fearful - i.e. loads! Devika (and Andy!) were full of encourging words. We met up with some good friends, Carmel & Marthena and Carmel's boss, Bill, who were running the Half Marathon too.
I kept my bottle of water with me, even though there were a couple of formal Water Stations set up. I have gotten used to running with it and thought it better not to change my routine. I was wearing my gloves coz it was SO cold. They're woollen gloves, so they were getting a bit soggy in the rain, but it was that cold that I kept them on.
To the line... the countdown.. five... four... three... two... one... the starting gun! What a great feeling as everyone counted down together. I was in the second batch and set off at my own pace. The first couple of miles were pretty crowded but the momentum of everyone running carried me. I saw Devika, Pam & Andy after about a mile, when they cheered for me - what a brilliant feeling. I then got into a rhythm which felt good. Amazingly, at 5 miles, I was feeling strong and the split on my time was something like 40 minutes. Wow! Just focus on getting through it, I thought. I saw the three again - it really does push you along, it was so good of them to stand in the rain to cheer all of us along. I felt OK working through the mileage.. and I started doing loads of Maths in my head - was it really that I was going to break the magical 2 hour mark?? No sooner than I started having such cocky thoughts in my head that I started feeling a bit of a twinge in my left hammy. Doh. I kept going though and until mile 9, I felt well. I was picking random people in the group and trying to keep up with them. It was a good tactic and was a good way to add a bit of personal competition, without the other person realising you're doing it! A bit of tiredness started creeping in and the weather was horrific - cold, wet and windy. They gave us a great bottle of lucozade type of drink at around the 10 mile point, which gave me a great lift. I don't know if it was psychological or physical, but it felt like the end was in sight and I kept going for it. Mile 12 was a great point as I realised that I was indeed going to break 2 hours if I was just sensible and ran the last 1.1 miles with a steady pace. Seeing the finish line in sight.. what a feeling.. a bit of energy from nowhere.. sprint finish.. a smile on my face. YIESSS! I made it, I had gone from never having run more than 5k to finishing an official half marathon. I checked the time as we had these cool electronic chips we attached to our laces and my time was officially 1:51.22 (http://www.sussexbeacon.org.uk/results.htm). That was half an hour quicker than I thought I'd do it in! I was feeling a bit stiff, a bit sore and quite tired but the objective was achieved - I had completed a Half Marathon. Carmel, Marthena and Bill were there too and we were all very happy and relieved to have done it. I could feel I was developping a bit of a cold but that was going to be a problem I'd address on Monday. Today, I could feel proud that I had taken a step towards running a Full Marathon. Still loads to do, must keep the focus.
posted by Vinay at 9:56 PM
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