Well my journey from c25k to b210k culminated in the Helsinki Half Marathon last Saturday helsinkicityrun.fi/en/ and I wouldn't have been standing at the startline without all you great people!
Being a newbie everything was obviously a brand new experience with plenty of scope for messing things up big time, but it was a warm sunny day, scenic route and everything ended up going well despite the usual reservations and concerns of the newbie!
So what did I learn?
Well it may vary between different events but everyones pace in the first few kms suffers (apart from those running the slowest - 3-abreast chatting - Grrrr) - So in future I'll be bagging a front spot at the group start or hanging right back for 5-6 minutes after the allotted group start to allow the field to thin out a bit. A minor learning point but important as it's frustrating jogging along in a queue at near to 7:00 when you'd planned 6:00 minimum.
It's true that you do get sucked along in certain groups and run faster than is sensible. I need to zone everyone else out and run my own pace. Fastest km was 5:35 which was a bit silly as I'd planned to run at 6:00 all the way.
I ran the first 10k too fast as it was only 10s slower that my 10k PB and 15k in under 90mins - so that was not a good idea but might be related to getting sucked along etc.
I paid for the earlier exuberance and started to slow after 16km and that's also because I hadn't done the later longer training runs in my Asics plan. Lesson learned.
Avoid the drink station energy drinks unless you know what sort they are. I nearly gagged on it and also spilled the sticky muck all over me! Took water from then onwards. I didn't walk through the drink stations but might in next race so I can do some leg swings and stretching (and avoid taking a bath).
I learned that I could actually run that far at a decent average pace (6:10) and with the 2hr barrier not too far off (or at least in sight) It's given me an incentive to train to run the HM again and do the longer training runs required.
It wasn't hell on earth (well the hilly bit at k20 maybe was - more of a hillock but seemed like Everest) and the feeling of elation at the end is fantastic! The runners' high was also great.
I didn't suffer any twinges and muscle moans while racing which felt odd/different, is that maybe due to adrenalin? My legs always moan a bit when training. Odd.
As this was my first HM it was going to give me a PB! My final splits and result was 10k 58:43, 15k 01:29:00, 20k 02:01:37, Hm 02:09:10 so faded massively over last 6km, jogged last 1km! So I was very happy to get within 30s/km of a sub 2hr time and will have that as a target for future events.
Thanks for all the help and support on this great forum!
Edit P.s I've also discoverd HM and marathon tourism/trips, so I may be off to do my first marathon in Tallin Estonia in September! We will see how the training goes first though...
Written by
Lordi
Marathon
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Sounds like a good race, apart from your struggle at the end. That’s where your training pays off! Do the longer training runs as per your plan (wags finger) and then you’ll be strong to the finish. It’s all about those training miles 😃
Yup! I did three or more of em on my plan. In winter too, which was a pain in the ass. I did them all in the dark in variously hideous weather 🙄. Still, they got done ✅💪👍😃🏃♀️
Fab report, Lordi! And I really like the sound of your Estonian trip, Tallinn looks lovely!
So far the only times I haven't gone out too fast at the start of a race were a 10k last year where I was late and started right near the back, so I had to sort of climb over people for the first km 😃. And at the London Marathon I couldn't go fast because of my bad leg, so people were streaming past me. I was actually quite glad of that sore leg in a way, I wonder if I'd have finished if I'd started more quickly!
Anyway. Well done!!!!!! That's brilliant that your legs felt good - could well have been the adrenaline, but that's part and parcel of racing. And it is such a good feeling, so glad you enjoyed it, and so much to look forward to, many more PBs I'm sure!
Thanks for an informative and helpful report (particularly as it’s my first half marathon this next weekend) I’ll try to keep your points in mind as I trundle the roads of Edinburgh.
Thanks for an informative and helpful report (particularly as it’s my first half marathon this next weekend) I’ll try to keep your points in mind as I trundle the roads of Edinburgh.
I noticed the 2019 HCR event registration is already open with a hefty discount! I'm toying with the idea of running this Helsinki one on 9th June too! helsinkihalfmarathon.fi/en/...
Congratulations. Good report. There's always something new to learn or do better and hopefully always another chance to put it into practice 😀. Her s to the next one!
Very useful report for us fellow newbies. It reminded me of my one and only parkrun where I started too far back and had all those chatters to negotiate on a narrow path! In the swimming pool we call them the parallel bobbers. They take up 2 lanes and are oblivious to the presence of others.
I was disappointed to see no reference to toilet issues as that is my favourite subject right now. Damn you people with in-control peristalsis and sphincters!!! ☺
I think I was a little dehydrated despite my best efforts, so I didn't need to pee until about an hour after the race and after about 3 pints of fluids! The WC arrangements were very good though, with about 30 portaloos at the start and a bank of them every 4-5 km around the curcuit near the drink stations. Something I hadn't mentioned before was that I got "the runs" later in the evening, maybe a delayed reaction to all the exertions if the day?
Oh Lordi, well done. Didn't have any energy drinks on my HM. Never tried them, and by the sounds of things its a habit I would be best to avoid. Great time too!
Well done Lordi! That’s an excellent time. A very interesting report and some helpful points in there for me in preparation for my first hm in September. Congratulations again!
Congratulations! Super report with lots of learning - not just for the newbies I would say! Everyone needs reminding not to go out too fast, it's a known hazard of races!
You are definitely hooked, and I will be looking up Tallinn - sounds lovely.
Great report Lordi, congratulations! Lots of great tips here. Yes, I would agree with the energy drink avoidance. Our race only had lime Gatorade which was not my fave. We had water stations every 2.5km so it was easy to overdo it. I had around three and then just ran by them. I think for my race I was able to hold back and just enjoy it with my running mate. We held a decent pace but I really did not push hard until the last km when I realized I had a bit more in the tank😊 Our race was relatively cool, but I can see from more recent runs in the heat that hot races are a completely different animal and would likely require different preparation. Much to learn.
I didn't mention the temperature in my report, but we've had a mini spring heatwave here in Finland. So we went from snow and ice to 20-25 deg in just over the space of a month. For me, it was very odd to run in warm conditions and it felt more like about 30 degrees during the race! I never used to take a drink on any training runs but I took a drink at every drink station during the race. If you run in warmer weather then a drink station starts to look like an oasis on the horizon!
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A long time coming, HM a last!
First HM run complete 
I've done it - HM place booked!! 😱
First time HM distance
First HM Distance Covered 😁
