This was the first half marathon I was going to race, I had ran a half marathon before, but that was just to keep my sister company on her first marathon. Now that she is a seasoned marathon and half marathon runner she doesn't need me to keep her company, so I was going to try and put in a decent time today.
My pre-race preparation went completely to the dogs when I woke up an hour later than I wanted and only had 55 minutes to get to the start line. Kit on, breakfast scoffed, kit bag grabbed, half arsed roll on the foam roller. 45 minutes to get to start line. Drive to the event village, and find the road already closed. 20 minutes to get to the start line. Sod it, I knew the race didn't start until 10 am and no runners would be out, so I sneakily moved the cones and went through the closed road. The car behind me did the same and kindly replaced the cones. Parked up and headed to the Derby Runner tent to pick up my race number. 12 minutes to get to the start line. I spot a fellow Team Derby Runner,
"Hey dude, where is the team tent?"
"Over by the finish line, 5 minute walk that way"
"Cheers, good luck in the race"
I start running against the oncoming runners and spectators heading for the starting pens, get to the team tent drop my bag off and our Team Captain is standing there with my race number in hand and 4 safety pins already opened, primed and ready for pinning to my vest. 8 minutes to get to the start line. time for a couple of jokes about making my way through the back markers, and pre race nerves,
"which way are the loos?"
"Just round the corner mate, you've got plenty of time"
4 minutes to get to the start line. After a quick stop off at the loo, it was a gentle jog back towards the starting pens.
I scan the pens looking for my sister to let her know I was here when fellow Team Derby runner Rob yelled me over. 45 seconds before the race was due to start at 10am. I vault the pen barrier and join Rob for some friendly "what time do you call this" banter. I need those 45 seconds to attach my racing chip and for my watch to find a GPS satellite signal. The race started about a minute late which was a bonus as my watch takes a while to get a signal, and my watch, like me, wasn't to be rushed and waited until we were moving towards the starting mat before pinging success and letting me start the clock on today's race.
I go out steady still chatting to Rob about pace and tactics for the next 13.1 miles, and the tactic was simple, run every mile in roughly 7 minutes and 30 seconds. We both had fancy enough watches that displayed our pace, all though mine was set to kilometres rather than miles so i was aiming for around 4 minutes and 30 seconds for each kilometre. This is how the first 5 miles went, chatting about running previous races, and the pace was steady and we were having a jolly good time. Rob's hip hurt around the 5 mile mark and indicated his chattiness would decline. This was fine by me and I happily looked around fields and trees and we progressed. We soon noticed we where catching up with runners we had started near, but our pace was still steady.
Rob's steady pace tactic was paying off, we reached the half way marker and Rob pointed out "This is where the race starts" and he was right we were still fairly comfortable and picking off runners who had gone out a bit quick, and were now suffering in the heat and struggling to maintain their earlier pace. I always burn off the start line at races and then just keep going through the pain and slow down towards the end. This works Okay at Parkrun, which is only 5km, and even in obstacle races where I can get a slight rest on the obstacles, but in a half marathon pacing is a genius tactic!
I'm taking a cube of energy from my 'Cliff Blok' every even numbered mile marker and my energy levels feel Okay. At mile 8 my legs feel Okay and my ITB hasn't flared at all, this is going pretty well. when Mile 9 hits I am starting to struggle. 10 miles is a long race for me, 10 kilometres is my regular race distance and training distance, so I'm now in unknown territory. I'm now struggling to stay on Robs shoulder, negative thoughts start to creep in, overwhelming desire to slow up and even walk come to mind. I know that if Rob pulled away 5 or 10 metres I would drop my pace and never catch up again. At this point Rob lets me know;
"Don't let me slow you down, go for it if you like"
"I wish, I'm struggling to keep up"
So Rob must be feeling the pain too, but we keep our steady pace going, picking off another runner every half mile or so. This is keeping me motivated, we are still 'racing', we are still gaining places, moving up leader board, little by little. We only have about 5km to go. "Just a Parkrun to go". The scenery is very familiar now we are definitely on the way back to the event village, the crowds are getting bigger and we both skipped refreshments at the final water station.
At the 12 mile marker, all I could tell myself was "only 10 more minutes, then you can stop". We had discussed picking up the pace for the final mile, but that was a long time ago, the heat, the exhaustion was kicking in. entrenched in our pace, we couldn't go any faster. However we were still nicking a final few positions. The marshals were increasingly supportive and formative of how far until the finish. My replies, and thanks to the marshals were less cheery and a little more than a grimace and raised thumb. We hit the 400 metres to go marker earlier than I expected and tried to push for a fast finish. With 3 or 4 paces it was clear i wouldn't keep up that speed for 400 metres so dropped back to the usual pace and waited until i could see the finish line before dropping the hammer and emptying, what little was left in, the tank. There was three people between me and the finish line, Rob and 2 other runners. I started my finale and pulled past Rob, encouraging him to make these final 2 runners with me. He stepped it up and a glance over my shoulder saw him take them both following me over the line a single second after me.
HUGE thanks to Rob for dragging me round at a steady pace, my usual method of burning off the start line and holding on for as long as possible would not have working at this distance and in these conditions. HUGE thanks to the other Rob, captain of Team Derby Runner for having safety pins and race number ready for me.
HUGE thanks to all the marshals and race directors for putting such a great event.
HUGE thanks to all the members of Team Derby Runner for there support and advise over the years i've been running with them,
HUGE thanks to the bacon butty stand. Amazingly simple. One massive hot plate of bacon and a stack of bread rolls. No choices, no options, no thought needed. Walk up say "Yes please" and swap £2.50 for a bacon butty. You need simple choice-less, quick, delicious, food when you could quite happily eat anything at this point.
Time: 01:39:00
Position: 177th
My pre-race preparation went completely to the dogs when I woke up an hour later than I wanted and only had 55 minutes to get to the start line. Kit on, breakfast scoffed, kit bag grabbed, half arsed roll on the foam roller. 45 minutes to get to start line. Drive to the event village, and find the road already closed. 20 minutes to get to the start line. Sod it, I knew the race didn't start until 10 am and no runners would be out, so I sneakily moved the cones and went through the closed road. The car behind me did the same and kindly replaced the cones. Parked up and headed to the Derby Runner tent to pick up my race number. 12 minutes to get to the start line. I spot a fellow Team Derby Runner,
"Hey dude, where is the team tent?"
"Over by the finish line, 5 minute walk that way"
"Cheers, good luck in the race"
I start running against the oncoming runners and spectators heading for the starting pens, get to the team tent drop my bag off and our Team Captain is standing there with my race number in hand and 4 safety pins already opened, primed and ready for pinning to my vest. 8 minutes to get to the start line. time for a couple of jokes about making my way through the back markers, and pre race nerves,
"which way are the loos?"
"Just round the corner mate, you've got plenty of time"
4 minutes to get to the start line. After a quick stop off at the loo, it was a gentle jog back towards the starting pens.
I scan the pens looking for my sister to let her know I was here when fellow Team Derby runner Rob yelled me over. 45 seconds before the race was due to start at 10am. I vault the pen barrier and join Rob for some friendly "what time do you call this" banter. I need those 45 seconds to attach my racing chip and for my watch to find a GPS satellite signal. The race started about a minute late which was a bonus as my watch takes a while to get a signal, and my watch, like me, wasn't to be rushed and waited until we were moving towards the starting mat before pinging success and letting me start the clock on today's race.I go out steady still chatting to Rob about pace and tactics for the next 13.1 miles, and the tactic was simple, run every mile in roughly 7 minutes and 30 seconds. We both had fancy enough watches that displayed our pace, all though mine was set to kilometres rather than miles so i was aiming for around 4 minutes and 30 seconds for each kilometre. This is how the first 5 miles went, chatting about running previous races, and the pace was steady and we were having a jolly good time. Rob's hip hurt around the 5 mile mark and indicated his chattiness would decline. This was fine by me and I happily looked around fields and trees and we progressed. We soon noticed we where catching up with runners we had started near, but our pace was still steady.
Rob's steady pace tactic was paying off, we reached the half way marker and Rob pointed out "This is where the race starts" and he was right we were still fairly comfortable and picking off runners who had gone out a bit quick, and were now suffering in the heat and struggling to maintain their earlier pace. I always burn off the start line at races and then just keep going through the pain and slow down towards the end. This works Okay at Parkrun, which is only 5km, and even in obstacle races where I can get a slight rest on the obstacles, but in a half marathon pacing is a genius tactic!I'm taking a cube of energy from my 'Cliff Blok' every even numbered mile marker and my energy levels feel Okay. At mile 8 my legs feel Okay and my ITB hasn't flared at all, this is going pretty well. when Mile 9 hits I am starting to struggle. 10 miles is a long race for me, 10 kilometres is my regular race distance and training distance, so I'm now in unknown territory. I'm now struggling to stay on Robs shoulder, negative thoughts start to creep in, overwhelming desire to slow up and even walk come to mind. I know that if Rob pulled away 5 or 10 metres I would drop my pace and never catch up again. At this point Rob lets me know;
"Don't let me slow you down, go for it if you like"
"I wish, I'm struggling to keep up"
So Rob must be feeling the pain too, but we keep our steady pace going, picking off another runner every half mile or so. This is keeping me motivated, we are still 'racing', we are still gaining places, moving up leader board, little by little. We only have about 5km to go. "Just a Parkrun to go". The scenery is very familiar now we are definitely on the way back to the event village, the crowds are getting bigger and we both skipped refreshments at the final water station.
At the 12 mile marker, all I could tell myself was "only 10 more minutes, then you can stop". We had discussed picking up the pace for the final mile, but that was a long time ago, the heat, the exhaustion was kicking in. entrenched in our pace, we couldn't go any faster. However we were still nicking a final few positions. The marshals were increasingly supportive and formative of how far until the finish. My replies, and thanks to the marshals were less cheery and a little more than a grimace and raised thumb. We hit the 400 metres to go marker earlier than I expected and tried to push for a fast finish. With 3 or 4 paces it was clear i wouldn't keep up that speed for 400 metres so dropped back to the usual pace and waited until i could see the finish line before dropping the hammer and emptying, what little was left in, the tank. There was three people between me and the finish line, Rob and 2 other runners. I started my finale and pulled past Rob, encouraging him to make these final 2 runners with me. He stepped it up and a glance over my shoulder saw him take them both following me over the line a single second after me.HUGE thanks to Rob for dragging me round at a steady pace, my usual method of burning off the start line and holding on for as long as possible would not have working at this distance and in these conditions. HUGE thanks to the other Rob, captain of Team Derby Runner for having safety pins and race number ready for me.
HUGE thanks to all the marshals and race directors for putting such a great event.
HUGE thanks to all the members of Team Derby Runner for there support and advise over the years i've been running with them,
HUGE thanks to the bacon butty stand. Amazingly simple. One massive hot plate of bacon and a stack of bread rolls. No choices, no options, no thought needed. Walk up say "Yes please" and swap £2.50 for a bacon butty. You need simple choice-less, quick, delicious, food when you could quite happily eat anything at this point.
Time: 01:39:00
Position: 177th
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