It was a very early start and only just light when we pulled up in the car park in Milton Keynes. There had been a lot of discussion about weather and temperature and what to wear so with TailChaser in shorts and Katnap with bare arms I felt a little over dressed in long sleeves and leggings, but I was glad because stepping out of the car, it was very chilly. We had a photo meet up with some Fordy runners and an efficient toilet queuing experience, a half hearted attempt at the warm up and we were off, me in the last wave and the Kats in the one before mine.
Who knew Milton Keynes had so many miles of beautiful places to run? The course was pretty much flat, with well surfaced wide paths that ran alongside the canal, through pretty parks, alongside a river and past picturesque cottages. We were only next to traffic for about 200 metres. There were encouraging marshals and water stations with fortifying sweets and gels at regular intervals.
This was only the second time I had attempted a half marathon and I really was unsure about it. But I was soon able to settle into my rhythm and pace and just keep going. At the first water station I paused to drink (the water was ice cold and served in plastic cups, I couldn’t manage it and move), I could hear church bells and the view of the church was so delightful I took a quick photo. A bit later I was running in a small group and there was much hilarity when a lady said ‘I’ve got to stop to have a baby’ , it reminded me to chew on an apricot. I got talking to another lady who shared my love of Shakespeare (she was an English teacher too) and we settled in to run together and before very long we were over half way. My new friend was an experienced marathon runner but was recovering from a recent back problem. We were well matched in pace and found plenty to talk about.
We were on our 3rd Parkrun (I’d broken it down this way) when it started to get hard. We walked short sections (particularly where there was an uphill gradient) and it started to spot with rain. By the final Parkrun the rain was heavy, we were soaked, cold and very tired. Thankfully there was a lovely long downhill section and we ran it all, back to the canal where the puddles were getting bigger. We had been warned not to wear our ‘pretty new shoes’ as there was some standing water on this part of the course. My waterproof Ghosts had kept my feet lovely and dry until now, but even they could not cope when the water was deep enough to come over the top!!
I crossed the line at under 3 hours (a PB for me) but my watch said I had only done 20.9 kms so I ran a few laps of the field before I stopped it. Katnap was waiting with a jacket to escort me back to the car where Tailchaser was huddled under a blanket. I did all my post run stretches as I tried to get out of wet clothes and into dry ones in the back of a car!!
Katnap had reminded me I had a T-shirt to collect so once I stopped running around the field I’d queued to get it, with the rain and mud and my fatigue I’d forgotten what I had ordered so gratefully accepted what was given to me. Back in the car I discovered it was a rather nice hoody! Too late to go back and change it now!!
It was an incredible experience. Will I do another half? I said I wouldn’t but there is a rather nice flat one in Bordeaux next year!
Written by
Shake-and-run
Half Marathon
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Very well done Shakes; your first official HM race. So lovely to do it with the Katz too. Great pics. Thats a good idea, breaking it down to 5km parts. I remember doing that for my first 20 minute run on c25k (seems totally absurd now, but necessary then). Enjoy the bling and hoody.
What a super write up! Makes me want to do that race next year! Great time too, and a hoody and medal, spoilt runner! Breaking it down like that is a good idea, I'll try that on my next long one.
Thanks Curlygurly, running with mile markers instead of kms was a bit of a shock too, they are so much further apart it takes ‘forever’ to reach the next one. 4 Parkruns worked for me.
Brilliant run Shakes. Running a HM race is brave; running one in December is braver still! I have run 3 HM’s, but only in the safety zone of my familiar trails. It seems to me that a lot could go wrong for me before the end of HM training. Maybe I need to listen to WS!
Oh my! What an experience, how lovely to run with friends and be met at the end. You did amazingly, I really enjoyed your report but not the rain and cold towards the end, really felt for you 😊
😈😈👿 We’ll definitely have to do Bordeaux now - you’re going to be to HMs what I am to marathons - if you’re going to do one, it’s got to be somewhere different and somewhere memorable, and preferably only once a year 🤣
I’m so glad you had such a great experience, despite the horrid weather at the end. What you didn’t mention were your horsey heroics on the way home!
Very well done, I’m really proud of you (and even more proud of your horsey heroics, especially when you were so tired!)
I think I had better explain. My fuelling for the run could have been better but with an early start it was not good enough. I ate a protein bar and drank coffee afterwards but I was starting to feel the effects when we stopped for a bit to eat at about 2.30pm (I think). I was feeling rough, couldn’t eat and was tired. As we drove through a village near home we met a horse, fully tacked but riderless coming up the road. I immediately jumped out of the car and took hold of the reins and lead him away from trouble. He was quite big and very hot and the occupants of the car behind were convinced he was a race horse and were ringing the police. He stood quietly for me while assessed the situation. He was unhurt, his tack was not broken or displaced and I think he was heading home not away from it (the racing stables were at the other end of the village). I was concerned for his rider but needed to get him somewhere safe. A livery yard was near by so I took him there and after a bit of faffing about someone recognised him and took him off me. The rider was located unharmed and all was well. It took me a short while to link back up with the Kats, not helped by my phone being left on the beck seat of the car. Not heroics, just doing something I had the skills and experience for!.
Great write up Shakes. Congratulations on a brilliant run! Maybe I should investigate Milton Keynes one of these days. I’ve never been there. Love the horse rescue too 👌🏻. What a day to remember 😃
thanks IP. No hero just glad to be able to help. Amazing how we can go from feeling dead on our feet into horse-saving mode in a nanosecond. The power of reflex and adrenaline!!
lovely write-up! I enjoyed that! 😀. Ugh to being cold and wet and having to get colder by peeling off the layers. The wonderful feeling of dry clothes and a warm top is just so good though 🙂
Running with like-minded folk on a cold winter’s day sounds good to me 😀
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