I titled my Strava activity, "I did it! I don't know if I'll do it again! (I kinda hope I do!)" I ran it as two guided runs back to back: the "Thank you" run and the "13.1k dress rehearsal."
So yesterday, I set out with the hope of nailing my first half-marathon distance and I did it!
(May I claim an upgrade to my badge please?)
This wasn't just impatience - strictly it should have been a 12 mile run this time (10% rule), and in fact the NRC plan had an 8 mile run this week, 12 next and 13 in a few weeks' time. I had a few reasons for nailing it now: First, if I decide to do Colchester Half Marathon in March, I wanted to have a couple of easy weeks then get back to an earlier stage in the plan with time to build back up. Second, I've felt a couple of times recently on the longer runs that I was reaching the limits of what I actually wanted to do. Third, there was a nice symmetry to reaching a peak goal before the end of December having started running in January.
Back when I started the HM plan, I just wanted a structure to my training with a balance of easy, speed and distance work. I didn't want to have to think about the detail myself and I wanted guided runs. I figured I would work out along the way where I would stop - maybe 8 miles, maybe 10, maybe the full 13. As I progressed, I figured, why not, I'll carry on to the end and that got modified with thoughts of the Colchester race.
I planned today's route to be flexible should I decide to cut it a bit short, with numerous opportunities to lengthen or shorten. It took in several elements of my favourite runs around the town - Wivenhoe Trail, the University grounds, the town section of the River Colne and the Abbey Field.
Starting really gently as usual, I was soon ticking along at a pace a little below 7mins/km, which may have been a little quick, but it felt very comfortable at the time. I kept this going on the level to Wivenhoe and before long I was turning to climb out of the Colne valley up to the University of Essex. That was a longer climb than I imagined - being the one part of the run that was new - but it wasn't particularly steep. My recollection was that the pace dropped back a bit here and never recovered, but the data tells a different story!
The route through the Uni was a bit undulating but it's a very pleasant area to walk or run, before a short section of town running around Tesco and Hythe station. I caught the level crossing at the wrong time and so I have two overall times - Strava cut out the wait for the train, Garmin didn't, so there's approximately a four minute difference. I got caught at a couple of pedestrian crossings too.
The town section of the River Colne path was where I started to feel it - around miles 8-10. I was still doing ok, but the gremlins started to creep in and I wasn't sure at this point if I would finish. Had I been wise, I would have modified my route to avoid a steep climb back into the town, which really could have killed the run off. But I managed it with the inevitable effect on pace.
Abbey Field was circumnavigated at a pace much closer to the earlier level, but I was seriously tiring now and my Tailwind supplement ran out with a couple of miles left. I was forced to slow the pace and was quite close to base when I entered the final mile. Struggling now, I determined that I would finish, because if I stopped at 12, that would mean running another 12 just to get that final mile and I didn't fancy having to do that!
My breathing was fine and my legs were not hurting. There was a little discomfort in my feet but nothing to write home about. It was purely lack of energy that was dragging me down at this point and I'm not sure how I kept it going. But I did, and ran through the distance to reach 13.2 miles before hitting the stop button and walking a few hundred metres back to base.
Whether I will do it again is in the balance. Clearly I would need my second bottle to have supplement in it because lack of energy at the end was looking to be the decisive factor. But I don't know if I want to. It's slightly bitter-sweet at this point; I was hoping when I nailed 13 miles I'd feel excited to enter the race.
I feel like I will probably keep the structure of the plan going till the end of the month, at least for the recovery and speed workouts with abbreviated long runs, then decide for January 1 what the next starting lines will be. I have some goals for 5k and 10k, so definitely some structured running as that has worked so well these past months. And I'd like to do some work on two wheels and learn to swim, so plenty to think about
Here's the link to the run if anyone would like to check it out - strava.com/activities/10394...
I should have stuffed some sweets in my pocket, that's the first time I've felt quite like that and it's not nice!
So pleased I’ve run my first Half Marathon! 😊
Virtual half marathon race report
First half marathon completed
First Half Marathon 
Manchester Half Report
