On Sunday was the Great South Run (hereafter GSR.)
This was my third time in as many years at the run and I was looking forward to my day out at the coast...aiming for a sub 1 hour run.
We had been warned for about a week by the weather men that there was due to be a heavy storm on the Sunday evening so I had expected high winds but nothing prepared me for what the coast had in store.
It is well known amongst runners that the last two miles of the GSR is tough as it is a two mile stretch along the seafront which often has a headwind.
Lining up at the start though it felt like a scene out of Winnie the Pooh and the blustery day. Race organisers were already telling us to save energy for the last slog alongside the sea and that no records would be broken (except maybe the wind strength!)
So off we set around the very familiar route of the Gunwharf, HMS Victory and through the city towards the coast again. The headwind even in the city was so strong that it actually made me have my first ever thoughts in a race that I wouldn't be able to make it to the end. I made it past 6 miles and thought that at least I was half way.
As I passed the 8 mile mark the headwind literally hit me and I couldn't believe it. It was horrendous. My running speed deteriorated rapidly as did the cleanliness of my language. It was the most awful running moment I can say I have ever experienced and that finish line took an absolute age to come!
When it did I had a face like thunder and was not so impressed with my time of 1 hour 4 mins 55 secs. Definitely way off my expected pace although I did take some comfort that the elites were also around 3 minutes off their usual pace too so perhaps it was not too bad to place 169th out of 25,000 after all.
I can't say I enjoyed the run (hence why I didn't even take a picture at the end to share with you) but I did have a nice day overall and have signed up for the 25th GSR next year already.....
Tuesday 29 October 2013
Monday 14 October 2013
City 13 done: Munich
Yesterday was the Munich half marathon.
After last week's performance and getting a PB I had decided (and told by my trainer) to take it easy on this half marathon as it was my third in as many weeks.
So I came out to Munich with the idea of having some currywurst, beer (post run) and just to enjoy the run.
It was an awesome course that finished in the Olympic Stadium so it was a really nice way to finish with the final few meters being one lap of the stadium. My usual pop tracks saw me through the 21km but I regret not having put some Karftwerk on the playlist....
I completed the run in 1 hour 23 mins and 48 seconds which placed me 53rd out of 6,000 runners so was still a good result. In my age group I was 11th...sadly now being in the over 30s.....
Can you spot me at the start?
Just a few more meters to go...
Finished:
After last week's performance and getting a PB I had decided (and told by my trainer) to take it easy on this half marathon as it was my third in as many weeks.
So I came out to Munich with the idea of having some currywurst, beer (post run) and just to enjoy the run.
It was an awesome course that finished in the Olympic Stadium so it was a really nice way to finish with the final few meters being one lap of the stadium. My usual pop tracks saw me through the 21km but I regret not having put some Karftwerk on the playlist....
I completed the run in 1 hour 23 mins and 48 seconds which placed me 53rd out of 6,000 runners so was still a good result. In my age group I was 11th...sadly now being in the over 30s.....
Can you spot me at the start?
Just a few more meters to go...
Finished:
Sunday 6 October 2013
Cardiff Half Marathon
Today was the Cardiff Half Marathon.
I had decided to enter as I have run in London, Edinburgh and Dublin so Cardiff was a missing capital for nearby countries!
I hadn't realised that it is known as a fast course and only once my running coach told me that it was "super fast" that I thought maybe I could beat my PB.
The course was brilliant starting at the castle in the centre of the city and going all the way out to Cardiff Bay which was stunning.....it was such a glorious day it was perfect to run alongside the water for a while.
I was keeping good pace and really pushed myself with the aim of going sub 1 hour 20 minutes.
Crossing the line I was absolutely chuffed to bits to have made it in 1 hour 19 minutes and 22 seconds....a brand new PB! That placed me 139th overall out of around 19,000, 127th out of all the men competing and 82nd in my age category!
Loved it!
The castle at the start line:
Finnisher medal:
I had decided to enter as I have run in London, Edinburgh and Dublin so Cardiff was a missing capital for nearby countries!
I hadn't realised that it is known as a fast course and only once my running coach told me that it was "super fast" that I thought maybe I could beat my PB.
The course was brilliant starting at the castle in the centre of the city and going all the way out to Cardiff Bay which was stunning.....it was such a glorious day it was perfect to run alongside the water for a while.
I was keeping good pace and really pushed myself with the aim of going sub 1 hour 20 minutes.
Crossing the line I was absolutely chuffed to bits to have made it in 1 hour 19 minutes and 22 seconds....a brand new PB! That placed me 139th overall out of around 19,000, 127th out of all the men competing and 82nd in my age category!
Loved it!
The castle at the start line:
Finnisher medal:
Some nice congratulation tweets from other athletes:
Ealing Half Marathon
A little bit behind on updating the blog....that's what happens when work gets in the way!
Last weekend (29th September) was the second Ealing Half Marathon. Again it was a very welcome present that the start and finish line were literally around the corner from my house which means not dropping the bag at the bag tent and no setting of rediculously early in case of problems getting to the race!
It was fun to run around my stomping ground although two things:
1) I had forgotten how hilly parts of Ealing is!
2) In some ways I think the end of the race was harder knowing the area so well...when you know exactly where you are and how far you have to go it actually seemed to make me more tired!
Despite that I came home in 49th place out of about 4,000 with a time of 1 hour 21 minutes 30 seconds which was an improvement of two minutes from the year before.
Start line:
Finisher photo:
Last weekend (29th September) was the second Ealing Half Marathon. Again it was a very welcome present that the start and finish line were literally around the corner from my house which means not dropping the bag at the bag tent and no setting of rediculously early in case of problems getting to the race!
It was fun to run around my stomping ground although two things:
1) I had forgotten how hilly parts of Ealing is!
2) In some ways I think the end of the race was harder knowing the area so well...when you know exactly where you are and how far you have to go it actually seemed to make me more tired!
Despite that I came home in 49th place out of about 4,000 with a time of 1 hour 21 minutes 30 seconds which was an improvement of two minutes from the year before.
Start line:
Finisher photo:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)