Well, what a day, I don't really know where to begin!
For the beginning of the race I just took all the atmosphere in and just really enjoyed it! Not far in, I was running down a slight slope and I was just amazed by the sea of color that I could see for ages down this really long straight road! I remember going, wow look at that, and another runner next to me said the exact same thing straight after! It was very beautiful and amazing! So I kept on running and the first 10K of the race went so quickly, I suppose that was just adrenaline and taking in everything that was around me!
The second half of the race was when everything started to hurt a bit more and the further I got, the more pain my legs, feet and hips were in but I soldiered on giving myself little pep talks along the way! I even got a blister about three quarters through too which was steadily getting more painful! I was getting slower and slower and was definitely grimacing through the pain for the last few miles! But I didn't stop, no matter what! The crowd support for the whole race was amazing and really spurred me on and definitely gave me an extra boost when I needed it!
The last few miles were really painful and tough! As I swung round the corner passing the bridge by the bus station, I saw two runners that I knew who were running for the same charity as me on the side line (they had already finished but were waiting to see me come round), and they ran alongside me for the last mile! As soon as I saw them, I had a real kick of adrenaline and felt my pain drop significantly (it's amazing how adrenaline and endorphins act as a natural painkiller!)! I went from a probably 9 min per kilometre to a 6.7 per kilometre (so said the Nike tracking app) so I really upped my pace for the final stretch! Although it was hard and I really didn't know how much longer I could keep that pace going, the two runners encouraged me all the way, giving me tips and telling me that I was nearly there! I couldn't believe that I was going so fast despite being in so much pain five minutes before, I had no idea that I still had that in me! The runners peeled off as I turned into Great Pultney Street towards the finish line, but I could still hear them shouting, screaming and encouraging me to keep on going which really helped! For the last few metres I gave it all I got and all I had left, went right up against my red line in terms of effort and finally the moment I had been waiting for for months came, I crossed that finish line!
Now I should have just kept on walking straight after crossing the finish line but I just stopped dead because I really had to catch my breath from that really hard effort. I immediately felt a bit light-headed and dizzy because my blood pressure and heart rate obviously dropped following my sudden stop. I knelt down on one knee and almost sat on the floor but a medical marshal told me to get up and lean against the railings. So I did, fighting to get my breath back while the two medical marshals kept an eye on me to see if I was alright. I gradually got my breath back and didn't feel dizzy anymore, so then I shuffled over to the runner's village where I was greeted by the two runners who ran with me for the final mile and they told me that I ran the race in 02:57:00 on the nose! I couldn't believe it and was so happy! I still am! I went into this race with a goal of just running the whole thing without stopping (which I managed to do!) and maybe push for a sub-3 hour half marathon if I could but wouldn't be too disappointed it I didn't. I couldn't have done it under three hours without those two runners pushing me on at the end, they were amazing!
I am in a bit of pain and feeling sore now so I am resting on the sofa now with my medal round my neck and finisher's T-shirt on and I am still grinning and buzzing! But for some reason, I really do not feel hungry and don't fancy anything to eat. Apparently this is normal and I've experience this once before, but it may be a good idea to eat a little something. I was planning of having some pasta and chicken but I might just have a pitta bread or something because I really don't fancy eating a lot to be honest...
This whole thing, the HM training and the actual race itself and so on, has been one hell of a journey and adventure for me and I can't believe I finally did it! I also had to overcome a lot of obstacles like a sudden hospital visit, personal uncertainty and of course the whole uncertainty that the virus has caused during race week! But I endured through all of it (it was not easy) and now today I ran, conquered the distance and was victorious! Every pain-filled step I took today was totally worth it, now that I am on the other side! The race is a great analogy for other areas of my life - keep on pushing forward even when it feels uncomfortable, even when it is painful, in the hope that things do get better and greater things are yet to come. For me, this is the meaning of endurance. This is why I run.
My first 26.2
Three race reports in one 