I’m pleased to say I completed my first ever Half Marathon Race this morning.
It was a tough start, having been surviving on an average of 3.5 hours of sleep a night for the past three weeks (the problems of hot flushes in the night - oh if only I were allowed HRT) I was already apprehensive. Then last night, after I’d got my kit ready and overdosed on carbs making me feel 🤢 , I went to print off my race receipt and QAR code, and decided to quickly check the website for info about parking and directions... oh my Lord, complete meltdown... the website said the race was now starting at 11 and I’d got my whole morning planned around the 12.30 start they had advertised and put on my ticket. I then spent a good half hour panicking, not knowing which time to go for, and what to tell my stalwart group of supporters.if it was still at 12.30 I didn’t want everyone arriving an hour and a half earlier, on the other hand I didn’t want to drive from Luton to Windsor expecting to run at 12.30 and find I’d missed the race.
Thanks to roseabi who suggested I tweet and also found a Facebook link, we discovered that 11.00 was the new time for the race. Plans for an early night and attempt at a good night’s sleep were thrown into disarray as I then had to phone my friend, sister, niece and Dad who were all coming to support me. Once I eventually got to be just lay there muttering, “ Those bloody gremlins will go to any lengths to sabotage a race.” Mr Razouski decided I needed the best chance for a good night’s sleep -and was fed up with me having a melt down, (What difference does an hour and a half make?”)- and opted to sleep in the spare room. What a love.
Sleep was still elusive, gremlins whispering to me about having trained all my long runs at 12.30, “What will you do about breakfast now? Pre-run snack? Hydration?” But eventually I dropped off.
This morning Mr R was great, packed the tiffin I’d lovingly made for my fan club, and the blueberry lemon poke cake I’d made for a post run celebration into the car and we were off.
The fam were soon gathered, but my “friend” and self appointed coach, who had talked me into doing this particular run on a Saturday so that he could watch (he has church commitments every Sunday) was nowhere to be seen. I tried hard not to fume as we lined up for the race!
I’m guessing all my faffing before runs at home stood me in good stead for the rubbish race briefing, which had to be restarted 3 times because no one could hear. 🤦🏽♀️. And then eventually we were off.
I set off way too fast and did the first 5k at average of 5.15 per km ((30 seconds faster than my normal pace), but knew I needed to slow down or risk burn out. The next 5 were ok and at a better pace, but running 4 laps of Dorney Lake has to be THE most boring run ever. You can see the whole course stretched out in front of you, and it wasn’t long before the gremlins were whispering in my ear, about how much further it was, “Are we nearly there yet?” The whined. By the end of lap three I was willing to throw in the towel, but my coach, who’d appeared after lap 1, Mr R. and my dad, sister, brother in law and niece were there, cheering me onwards. I couldn’t let them down.
2 km from the end gremlins were telling me to walk. I was knackered and so tempted. “just a little walk.” They suggested. But I knew if I stopped now I would probably be unable to start again. The pace dropped and for the last km, I thought I’d been lapped by the world and his dog (ok not his dog as they weren’t allowed). I assumed I must be one of the last to finish.
And then the finish line was in my sights as I dragged my legs one in front of the other like some creature from a Hamer House of Horror movie 🧟♀️. But good old niece was there, urging me on, and started to run beside me. 🏃🏻♀️Who knows where I got the energy from, but I managed to pick up the pace (and my legs) and sprint over the finish line.
Knackered? Couldn’t talk... couldn’t breathe... couldn’t stand up...
But I’d done it and mapmyrun says I did it in 2 hours 3minutes. Whoop whoop.
And although I never want to run that boring course again, I was pleased that there were showers on site. Even more pleased that my dad was making a brew ☕️ in his camper van and we could all tuck into the post-run cake 🍰 and some tiffin 🍫 .
Now lounging in the bath with a glass of 🥂while Mr R. Is cooking steak. 😀
18k- I DID IT!!