Morning all!
Aussie here with a rather belated race report. No fancy dress this time (although arguably some fancy tights) and we're at the Richmond Half Marathon this time for another 13.1 miles of fun in the sun!
Up bright and early and loaded up with a banana and a flapjack, I'm off on the bus to Richmond and the lovely Old Deer Park for the start line. Arrived in plenty of time, loads of runners are here already (4000 running today) and the race village has a real buzz about it. This feels like a "proper race" and it's all a bit nerve racking now... off to drop my bag off (which means dropping off my jacket) and it's a bit chilly out but the sun is shining and after a quick trip to the loo (no queues - these guys got it right) and I make my way into the starting pens... We're off in waves again today with a minute or so between waves and I line up behind the 2:10 pacer. I run into a friend of mine who started C25K about 3 months after I did.. this is his first race and he's quite nervous about it all... I offer to run alongside him but he wants to just "run his own race" today and I'm totally cool with that... I decide that I might aim for a PB in that case, so I move a bit closer to the pacer...
Within about 10 minutes we're up near the start line and ready to start the 13.1 mile journey from Old Deer Park, around Kew Gardens and then down the towpath through Richmond, past Ham House towards Teddington Lock and back... Having just done that route in my head, I realise suddenly how far this is going to be! Oh well - that's what I've trained for, I've done it before... let's go!
We're off now and running up Kew Gardens Road on the footpath.. quite crowded at times and I remember to just let the first few miles happen at a reasonable pace and try not to race ahead.. that's what having the pacer is for after all!
3 miles in and first water station... I'm carrying water but it's starting to warm up now so I grab one of the plastic cups... what a disaster that was... gulp some of it down, almost choke on it... spill more than I take... bah.. throw the cup away and carry on Aussie! I'll stick to my water bottles thanks!
At about 4 miles I decide that the pacer is actually too slow (a mistake I'll regret later) and push on past.. I'm feeling great - we're on the towpath past Kew Gardens heading towards Richmond and passing Old Deer Park again. I'll see that finish line again in a while... On we go...
Mile 6 and I'm at about 59 minutes... well done Aussie... a sub 60 minute 10k in a HM... you are powering on! The towpath section from Richmond through to Ham House is great... people are out on the river bank enjoying breakfast in the sun, we're running past them and they're cheering us on... Mile 9 is another water station and then we head back towards Tedddington Lock and the towpath again... my average pace is under 6 minutes per km and I'm almost 10 miles in... a quick look back at a u-turn point and I realise the 2:10 pacer is about 1/3 mile behind me... brilliant...
And then it hits me.. this section of towpath from Teddington to Ham House is rough, rocky and not quite as bouncy as the pavement has been been before... and, something else, I'm tired... really tired... I want to walk... my feet hurt... I know immediately what I've done... I've gone out too fast and I'm flagging now... I think to myself "well, it's just a ParkRun from here". That helps a bit, but not a lot... not many runners around me now and I've slowed it down a bit to recover... I'm not going to walk... I tell the gremlins to be gone and soldier on... Miles 10 to 11 are the toughest I've ever done...
And then we're back on more solid ground and running back towards Old Deer Park and the finish line... along the towpath under Richmond Bridge and lots of people are out having brunch and cheering us on... I'm exhausted but feeling better for having the crowd push me on... just a mile to go now...
Suddenly I realise I'm being overtaken... a lot... I'm still on a decent pace (but it's slowed) and still in 2:10 territory, but I'm tired from going out too fast.. the smarter crowd are now no doubt loving the fact they're overtaking in the final miles (I know I do slightly enjoy it when I get it right)... Oh well... lesson learned...
And then "lesson taught" as the 2:10 pacer comes past me... oh dear... she's on fire now.. dialing in the speed in the last mile and she's on for a sub 2:10 finish with the pack that stayed with her... bravo! I can't keep up with them though..
Through a car park now (!) and then under a pedestrian bridge and I can see the finish line... and hear the crowds... loads of people have stayed behind after their early finish and are cheering the later finishers on... love it.. Okay then Aussie... you're maybe not PB'ing today, but I think I can push out an attempt at a sprint finish... quick glance at the Garmin and I see it saying 2:07ish... umm... wow... 3 minutes under my previous PB and I can see the finish line... that's it then... PUSH ON! Push through the tired legs, push through the burning lungs... it'll be over soon...
Cross the line in 2:08:27 ... a new PB and almost 2 minutes off my first HM a month before... Exhausted, but very happy... great medal, a tech shirt and a buff and a pretty cool goody bag are collected.. I pick up my bag, grab my milkshake and pretty much collapse on the grass!
Was an awesome race... I enjoyed it and learnt a lot...
1) Follow the pacer.. She finished in a 2:06...
2) Plan your races carefully - in hindsight, two HMs in a month was always ambitious...
3) When your body says slow down - slow down..
4) Fuel well.. I think I should have got some more water down during the race..
5) Remember to smile...
6) Enjoy it...
No more HMs planned until September now but the long run training will continue through Spring and Summer... I'm planning a 17 mile "little run" in a few weeks... this week has been recovery week and I've done a bit of exercise bike and a nice and slow 5K to reverse taper... Another 30 minute run planned tonight too..
I still can't believe I ran two HMs and an 8.2 miler in a month.. and like all of us, this began with a step off the couch and a "gentle jog" for 60 seconds with the lovely Laura...
Happy running everyone... enjoy your Easter Break! I'm on holiday next week so my running opportunities will be much more flexible... most excellent!
Hills tomorrow... and I need help... 
fast half m
Another Great South Run post!!😀
