Hi half marathoners!
How are you getting on with your training so far? The weather’s not been very helpful, has it!!?!! Tell us about it 😊
My half (Brighton) is coming up in less than two weeks, and last night I had two separate dreams about being late for the start!!!
We had a few people choose the 'what’s it like to run a half marathon?' question in our poll. Linda said, well that’s easy - all you need to say is “Awesome”! 😄 I thought I would put together a patchwork stream of consciousness of what I can recall of some of the half marathons I have run 😊
★ The day before
I’m resting my legs and we’re having the usual dance around what we’re going to do this evening - Saturday Night! I always feel like a bit of a heel for wanting to be boring, just eat pizza and get an early night. But really J doesn’t really mind (especially since pizza is his favourite food!), so we go out early, or find a film, he has beer and I have water. If we’re at home I sleep in the spare room - I say “sleep” but I don’t do an awful lot of it. But it’s fine, I’ve been keeping up with my Zs all week and I know adrenaline will get me through tomorrow!
★ The morning of
I give up trying to sleep and make a cup of tea, and some toast loaded with peanut butter and tomato slices - or a bagel and peanut butter if we’ve travelled. I have a bath or shower, and then I go through my faffage list™ on my phone and check I have everything I need. I put some warm clothes, chocolate milk, cash, in my little back pack - and make sure the bag-drop tag is on it, or it’s in the plastic bag they’ve sent. I get my running gear on, struggling a bit with the awkward race number pinned to my top. Eventually I’m all ready to go, and with a flicker of nerves I set off.
★ Getting to the start
Walking from home, or from where I’ve been staying, or from where I’ve parked the car, I join groups of people in running gear. We’re all going the same way with quiet intent, conversations muted, but as we arrive at the ‘Race Village’, or at the simple starting line, the volume increases quickly and excitement builds. There may be queues for a coffee van, and stalls selling energy bars, or for smaller events just a few earnest-looking marquees for bag-drop and last-minute registration. I’ll say “hi” to someone I recognise, or stand and take in the atmosphere alone - I’ll follow someone’s else’s cue and have a quick runaround for a warm up. Often there’s music blaring, maybe a local radio station has set up a stage, perhaps we are getting a warm-up with a local fitness guru. It’s a spring morning so it’s a little chilly, I’m hoping to keep hold of my outer garments for as long as possible, and I jump up and down as I queue for the loos and the bag-drop tent.
★ The race begins!
I surrender my bag and find the start line - maybe there’s a particular starting corral I was allocated months ago when I registered, or if it’s a smaller event perhaps I’ll just slide into the first space I can find. As everyone takes their place it gets crowded and the collective body-heat makes it feel really quite warm! I listen to conversations and laughter. Perhaps some people are speaking a bit too loudly and I move forward to a quieter spot.I see people stretching calves, quads, hamstrings and shaking out their arms and legs.
The radio announcer starts a countdown and we join in: 10, 9, 8...3,2,1, GO!!!! Confetti shoots over us, and my heart leaps into my throat as we start to shuffle forward. We move across the starting timer mat, under the inflatable arch, and I hear watches beep beep beep. We break into a jog, and then a run - heralded by a pipe band perhaps, or the speakers playing the theme from Chariots of Fire. We turn the first corner. I’m trying not to start off too fast, but I’m eager to run!
★ Onward!
We settle into a rhythm. Pairs and groups of people chat about anything and everything as they run. I exchange a quip, and salute the first mile marker. Spectators are thickly crowded, or largely absent, but anyone there is calling out words of encouragement to us. We hear the names of runners shouted out - read from their race number or printed running top. We pass groups of charity supporters - calling out when someone’s t-shirt marks them as one of the generous clan. Where the crowds are thinner, the sounds of running predominate - shoes on the road, breathing, gasped conversations, perhaps the rustle of a plastic cape, even music played from a phone (I’ll frown and move away). Somebody is giving someone a pep-talk; “I’ve just got my 10,000 steps!” laughs a woman. Where the crowds are bigger there is music, a child with a sign saying “Touch here for a power-up!” (trust me, it works), jelly babies and slices of orange offered on plates.
★ Water stations
We hit the first water station and dodge the cups or bottles that have been discarded in our path by those who have gone before us. Fresh cups of water are arranged neatly on tables, and volunteers young and old sweetly hold them out to us to take. I grab one with thanks and spill half of it as I try to drink on the run. Some of the water goes up my nose! Or perhaps I’m carrying my own drink for this race and I sail past the tables. Perhaps I have decided to slow down and walk, even stop for a second, to get a good drink. If there’s High 5 citrus on the table I’ll make a beeline for it - love that stuff!! I’ll have a plan in place for the water stations, and usually I’ll stick to it…
★ Carrying on
As we tick off more mile markers, the field spreads out and we have more space. Where earlier on I was needing to look down often to make sure I wasn’t about to trip over someone’s foot, now I have room to look around and savour the adventure I’m undertaking. I start to feel like I’ve been running for a while and slow my pace to take a breather. Someone overtakes me, and then a little while later I pass them. I may spend most of the half marathon seeing this person from time to time. There is a high possibility I will spot a man in an 'Um Bongo' t-shirt (yep, there he is!), and I will see multiple ‘Vegan Runners’ and members of the local running clubs. My stomach twitches and I fetch a handful of jelly babies from my running belt, or perhaps accept one from a tiny, confused looking child at a kerbside.
We pass through housing estates, enter quiet wooded areas, circle magnificent city landmarks, cross bridges, run up and down hills, go through tunnels, brave the weather, run down the middle of normally busy roads that have been closed for us. We pass the halfway point, and someone starts singing Bon Jovi. We get to the last 5K and a group of us paraphrase the band Europe in a rousing chorus of “the final parkrun”!!
As I get more tired my pace ebbs and flows. I see someone who is nursing a cramp at the roadside and call out - “you OK?”. They grimace and start hopping along behind me.
★ THE FINISH!
We pass the Mile 12 sign and I experience a mixture of feelings - so near and yet so far! I’m tired, but I pick up my pace… and then I slow down again. Someone is standing on a park bench and yelling encouragement. The crowds thicken as we approach the Mile 13 marker - we can see the finish line!!! Cameras are pointing our way as we surge forward through those soupy final metres. I sprint, or perhaps I have nothing left and just marvel as someone hurtles past me. Or I have been racing someone with grim determination round a final lap of a stadium, and refuse to let them beat me :D. I cross the final timing mat, raise my arms and grin - I am done! I’m out of breath and perhaps feel a little bit sick, but I’m so happy!!! I get a medal, a bottle of water, and a smiling “well done” from the volunteers. I stop for a second to take it all in, then I start to shiver so I go off to the bag drop and my warm clothes.
Happy running, cross-training, and resting everyone!
roseabi and linda9389 xx
February 11th, 2020
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Spring 2020 Half Marathon Group list: docs.google.com/spreadsheet...
HUHM Strava Group: strava.com/clubs/huhm
Previous posts:
Welcome: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Training plans: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Let's get to know each other!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Getting the most out of your training: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Food & drink on the run: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
How to make the most of your race photos: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Have a very happy holiday period!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Happy New Year!!!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Aiming to be race-day ready !!!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Speed intervals & hill training!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Long run - length and timing: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Pacing: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Motivation: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
