Sunday 4th September 2009 - Cricklade Half Marathon

Cricklade half marathon today; to sum it up in - 3 words Sack - Of - Shit.

I had been umming and ahing since thurs whether to do it today or not, cos my quads have felt hideous and i had nasty blisters from a hot stroll in the desert and a week off training and on boozing.

I also started a proper cycling training plan this week which i think is why my quaddies hurt. Not in an injured way, in a way that says "ouch i'm not used to working like this" As i wasnt sure if i was running i was still in hollyday mode friday (and last night) so went out dancing wearing silly high shoes that made me feets a bit squished!

Might haev also drank a *bit* to much of captain morgans finest yesterday quads still ft super tight so kept giving them the odd rub througout the day, then met some friends for dinner, which led to several pints of stowford and a bit of a sore head this morning. Woke up and decided that my legs were still a bit tight but i'd run the half anyway just to get out.

So all summer this has been my PB planned race - flat as a pancake, local, not too busy... perfect... then this week i'd felt so unprepared i was having doubts, plus i've not raced more than 10k since may despite keeping my fitness for endurance - just not at speed. Met peeps from Running club before and they were all doing the 10k, and were surprised i was doing the half cos its swindon half next week .. "and?" one asked how i was, i told him of my achy leggies, he said "have you been training too much?" "no, i had a whole week off" "thats why then, they're used to doing stuff"Anyhow!!

So the race: Started at the front of the pack, red mist had descended, pain killers had just about taken the stiffnss away...was leading lady for the first km, went through the first mile slower than normal for this length of race, i like to do the first couple in 6.30ish min mies, but this was 6:40, then 13.40, 21... kept getting pains in my shoulders, maybe from swimming? thought if i could hold onto about 7 mm pace i could get the pb i was aiming for (yes, i wasnt s'posed to be racing!!) from here on my legs started yelling alsorts of meanness at me, i took a dextrose tablet every mile til 6, and each mile getting progressively slower and my psycological (psycho more like) side started to waiver, as i coud see my pb slipping further and further away.

In theory if i ket going at the pace i had averaged at that point i might have scraped it but the speed i was slowing down was making my face go :-( - about half way i looked to my right and saw a little blonde whippet in green appear on my side who was it? Only Chrisse! Said hello etc and she said "i'm not enjoying this at all" "nor me, its a real fucking struggle" attempted to stay with her for a bit but had no fight in me, about a mile later, i had a Rob Naylor moment, i wasnt even running at puke speed but after a minute or two of chundering, getting my composure back i carried on.

I missed the 8 mile marker which messd with my mind even more and was getting cross and arguing with myself constantly, half wanting to pull up half just wanting to get back - the quickest way was to run. So carried on relentless, but it felt like i was running on the spot, and barely covering the ground . Got to 11 miles in the time i usually get to 12, most upsetting.... ploughed on.

I felt like puking again but managed to stop myself and shuffled my sorry carcass through the finish line with a huff. looked at my watch - 1hr41 (though official results say 1:39) so far off a pb its unreal. was 7th lady but i wanted top 5.

Lessons learned:

1) don't take a week off training.
2) don't go on a two night drinkathon and expect to run well!
3) you can't get a PB every time.
4) being triathlon fit don't make you half marathon fit
5) perhaps do a long bike ride before my next one going by my last tri performance this is a potentially good plan!!

Not all doom and gloom really, i learnt a few things, and i have also come across compeed!! (thanks for the recommendations, i did start warming up a knife to cortorise it, but didnt require it!!) xx