I felt that shakes could do with a bit of support on the Shakespeare quoting front, as Gus Hedges would say!
The event in question; a HUHM Half Marathon attempt. After a virus and then covid interrupted HM plan, I wasn’t in the place I wanted to be in terms of preparation. I would have liked to fit in an 18k, then a taper week; but the HM train was set to leave the station this week, so I either had to jump on or look on and wonder. The latter was probably more sensible, but since when has that been a relevant consideration for me! Sunshine and a chilly breeze made it a one shirt run, but I carried a long sleeve top for the post run walk home; I was glad of it.
I had a bit of a moment before I set off. My last HM, in 2021, followed the sudden death from SUDEP of our then 38 year daughter in Canada. I was going to run the GNR, but I got the dreadful phone call as I was changing in the hotel. Ironically I was running for epilepsy action. I decided to run an HM on my own two days later; the hardest run I have ever done. I wondered then whether I would ever run this distance again or indeed whether I wanted to. I think that HM organising this event, the involvement of amazing VRBs and the fact I was doing the NRC HM Plan just to get a bit of structure into my running made this possible.
I set off in philosophical “we will see how far I can get mode” with Coach Bennett in my ear. I ran along the route of a long closed railway line in the general direction of Whitby (actually Slapewath for those who know the area). I then turned and ran along the road past the Gisborough Hall Hotel, before rejoining the railway line near to the cricket club, and I then proceeded on to my usual cafe route. It is not the easiest HM (170m elevation gain, most of which is condensed into two hills) but I see lots of dog walkers, plenty of wildlife, occasionally, another runner, and there are beautiful views of the hills which form a semi circle around our town; so it has a nice feel to it . I fell into a steady 7:45/k pace and didn’t stray far from it, either up or down. I was surprised to find that, comparatively speaking (i.e compared to other runs)I sailed through it, until the last 50m. Somebody had left a rock in the middle of the trail and I hit it hard. I just waited for the muscle pull or cramp to start ….but no, I had enough left in my legs to stay on my feet! Of course I made sure that the run finished 2 minutes walk from the cafe! Double egg roll, triple chocolate brownie and bottle of water later I was ready for the walk home.
I ran the whole distance, except for climbing up some near vertical steps, pausing only for quick drinks of lucozade sport. I just took regular quick sips rather than huge gulps. Coach Bennett told me to!
So that was it! Not a pb, but my objective was just to finish. 21.1 in 2:45:36 according to Garmin, and 2:44:29 according to NRC. What matters to me is that I got out there and made the attempt. I know that I can do this again now; thanks so much to everyone for putting up with my bleating and to our amazing organisers for making this happen!🙂
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Beachcomber66
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YOU ABSOLUTE LEGEND BC! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I’m so happy for you! You did it! 🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️
Wow, I bet you feel great after that! It’s spurred me on no end, and I can’t wait for Sunday when I do mine. Simply awesome. Gosh I’m as happy for you as I’d be if it had been me this morning. After all the hiccups and doubts you had. Ok I’ll stop enthusing now, but you’re a flipping hero! (Going now …. promise!) 😂
Congratulations to you BC66, a very detailed report regarding your HUHM, well done on getting a sub 2 hours 45 minutes time, I bet you enjoyed your Lucozade Sport and triple chocolate brownie after the run.
I am going to run the 10K Healthunlocked Spring run on Wednesday morning, I am not sure if I will run another Half Marathon, if I do it won't be until the Autumn.
Thanks Al; enjoy your run on Wednesday. I have taken to flat sports drinks rather than fizzy tablets; I suffer from inflation if I run with the latter!
You are awesome 😎💯 I'm well impressed, you had COVID soon after me so you've come back really well. I have worked with people with epilepsy and known 2 who passed by SUDEP and saw the devastation of their families so you have my deepest sympathy and admiration to be able to carry on and be such a positive influence on so many of us here
Thanks Sola. I haven’t really mentioned Jill here before. It goes too deep. Running an HM just brought it all to the fore again and it spilled out onto the page!
We all inspire and support each other here. You are doing wonderfully well coping with your own terrible loss, with running (great 10k) and lovely family playing a big part. 🙂
I understand, I only mentioned what happened to Willow because of my name, sometimes it helps to share, and yes it's a wonderful running forum, I love reading about other people's running experiences, 🙂
Thank you Shakes! Always an apt ( but far too flattering) quote. I didn’t study A &C. Coriolanus was one of my A level plays…I have always wanted to use the “Common cry of curs” speech but have never found the moment…still time 🙂
Phew Beachcomber66 ! When you mentioned hitting a rock in the the path I was dreading what you would say next. I am so glad that it didn’t end in disaster.
I remember that day of the GNR well and our hearts went out to you, those of us that knew. So I’m not at all surprised that today brought back those memories. It was great that your first official race then became the Great South Run where you got to be with your running buddies from the class of 2018.
So a big congratulations is in order, and a virtual hug is being sent your way. You must be so pleased that you have reached that HM again, and I’m so proud of you. 😘
I clearly wasn’t looking where I was going…..too close to the winning post! It was a shock, but my mental audit of moving parts on my legs was over in a flash. All this work with CB might be paying off.
Amazing BC! And running all the way - what an achievement! Glad you were able to reach that distance again after that previous awful experience. My son has epilepsy but thankfully it is now well controlled by a combination of medication and he hasn't had a seizure for many years🤞
Thanks JP. 🤞 indeed. Our youngest has it too, but not the same type as his sister. He takes his meds and is very sensible about alcohol. His seizures are well controlled too. 👍
Fantastic run! Just shows you what a determination can achieve. So glad your altercation with the rock turned out the way it did and not like mine which stopped me running and doing pretty much everything for a while.
Thanks Birdlady. The margin between “getting away with it” and picking up a significant injury is tiny. I was lucky; sadly you were not. Nothing you could have done to change that. A good recovery plan required! I find that once I have a plan to work to, I am ok. It fills the need to feel as though I am making progress.
Fantastic run for you BC66. Not a pb but it was a personal achievement for you and you finally got around to facing and conquering it especially after your bad bout. I feel the way you set off was the right way and like you thanks to this forum I have found the wise words of Coach Bennet to be a huge help. I always put NRC runs on for my runs and have used and find their training plans very good. Hopefully you will get to enjoy more. Fair play sir!
Thanks Freecloud. The NRC people know what they are doing. Learning to trust them was the key. I need another plan now. Marathon ? 30 years too late for that 🙂
Thank you RW. The remarkable thing is I dreamed about her last night, which happens rarely. She had dropped in for a surprise visit (as she sometimes did when she was at Uni in the UK) and I woke up smiling. HMs will be ok in future.🙂
Thanks Week 7. I wasn’t daft about the covid though. I know that my heart rate was headed back to my normal lowish levels, so I was pretty confident that my system would cope. Turned out ok 🙂
I feel great this morning. No aches or pains. That is certainly something! It was strange. I was convinced that I was “under cooked”, but as soon as I was into my stride everything felt ok ….apart from the rock of doom strewn in my path! Bugs can’t stop us Linda 👊
Many congratulations! 🏃🏻♂️🎉🏃🏻♂️👏🏃🏻♂️🎉🏃🏻♂️👏🏃🏻♂️🎉🏃🏻♂️🏁🏃🏻♂️🏅I am shaking my head in wonder. You must be so fit to hardly have come through Covid and still run the HM distance. Brilliant! It sounds as if your various injuries have settled down. I am really pleased for you.
I am so very, very sorry to read of your daughter's death. And really astounding that you were able to run a HM in lieu of the GSR just 2 days later. Again shaking my head in a different sort of wonder.
Congratulations BC! Amazing run - very clever to end near a cafe! It's such a great achievement- I hope you feel amazing. I'm very sorry to read about your daughter. I can see why the half distance holds so much challenge for you.
Thanks CLR. I feel remarkably niggle free. The lady in the cafe said that I will probably feel it tomorrow 🙄. Wednesday is swimming day, so that should sort things out. I am really pleased to have got through this run. I think that future ones will be easier….although I am 71 years old of course!
Well I didn't know your age but that's even more impressive. My 76 year old father in law (farmer all his life) loves to talk about how he used to run to school over the mountains but muses how he can't now - (he is still farming and active though) - I just want to keep saying you can! I'm sure if he took it steady (c25k?) he could!
Brilliant BC, clearly a runner with fortitude as you make it sound almost like a walk in the park...I'm sure it wasn't, not with 170m elevation 😳😂
I don't know if you've talked of the loss if your daughter on here before, but I am so tremendously sorry, I can't begin to imagine what you and your family have been through. Considering the situation, I'm not surprised you had a moment before setting out...as I said, a runner with fortitude 💕
Thanks Run46. No I haven’t really mentioned this before; this was my first HM since and it just brought all the emotion to the fore again. My usual control slipped a bit when I was posting 🙂
Definitely not a walk in the park, but in truth, the run itself was a bit easier than I expected. I kept it slow of course, but I think that I have got to credit the NRC HM plan. Things like breath control exercises during the run helping me to limit heart rate increases, running form, running with less effort without reducing pace and taking in the surroundings all contributed to making me feel more relaxed. I was a bit worried at one point when I “felt” the outside of a calf a bit, but nothing developed and it settled down quickly. CB’s voice in my ear really helped.
I found myself looking at the 25k plan this afternoon…..but no; there comes a time when common sense has to kick in! Enjoy your runs 🙂
In each of the 3 HMs I've done in the last 2 or 3k I've found myself wondering why I put myself through it!I have no doubt that if ever I manage to train & prepare well enough that my run goes as smoothly as yours, I will not be able to stop myself considering the metric marathon. 26.2k...it's only another 5k right! 😅
Congratulations BC on overcoming the physical and emotional challenges in preparing for and completing your HM. I am so very sorry to hear about your daughter and send you my best wishes.We visited your area a couple of years ago and drove past Gisborough hall hotel, so I felt part of your run. I must pay a visit to the cafe on our next trip!
Thank you CSMN. No, I will not be running a metric marathon . It is that sort of romantic notion which can get me into trouble! I have the option of running a HM race now (I probably won’t !) and that is definitely enough for me. An HM pb might be a reasonable target. I think I have learned a bit about running over the last few weeks. Hopefully that will keep me running for a bit longer. 👍
It's funny how our notion of what's romantic changes over the years 😂😂😂I would love to have a shot at a metric marathon, or even a marathon, but I can't see myself committing to the training and time required.
10 miles is my favourite distance. I think of it as a morning or afternoon out enjoying the countryside, rather than a run!
10 miles is a good distance I agree, especially when topped off with a flat white. I managed a pb this year( one benefit of starting to run late in life). Needs to be treated with respect though; proper preparation/ build up etc.
I’m a bit late to your success party BC but my congratulations are still warm 😍
You’ve have had your fair share of obstacles and setbacks so this achievement must feel very sweet. A huge well done to you 💪
I am so terribly sorry about your daughter. No words are apt but it says a great deal about you that your usual friendly, supportive persona on these forums was, and is, constant.
Well done BC; and enjoyed the story of your run. 👍
So sorry to hear about your daughter.
A friend of mine, his brother was found dead at the bottom of an amusement park slide; they reckoned he'd had a seizure on the way down. So sad - such an awful ailment.
Thanks FP. That is absolutely tragic. Thankfully the SUDEP mortality figures for people with epilepsy are very low; about 1/1000 I think, but that is no consolation for the families concerned.
The only consolation we have is that our daughter had a very full 38 years. We and she never gave the condition an inch. She had a hugely successful academic career which took her to Alaska and Canada, rubbing shoulders with grizzlies and moose, and as a talented and inventive environment scientist, she has left a legacy of academic papers and research methods related to water quality and climate change which will be cited for years to come. She certainly made her mark.
I need to return to writing about running in this forum now. It was running the HM which conflated things in my mind; people here have been very kind. 🙂
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Steady 10k