Good evening everyone. This will be long, I can feel it in my waters.
I’ve never been so thankful to our youngest child. Our son is off to Vietnam tomorrow so came over to see his sisters and nephews - and us of course. Guess what? He actually cooked dinner too. What an opportune time after my race. 🙏 I couldn’t have stood in the kitchen. 😅
Mr Cheeky and I headed over to Cardiff for 8am. I’d goofed massively and omitted to book a park and walk space at the stadium like last year, probably because I entered this year’s race last October! So I was frantically looking for guaranteed parking online last night, and found a space on JustPark 🙏 Perfect. We found a little cafe and had scrambled eggs on toast and coffee before heading to the event village.
OMG the number of people! I didn’t get running until 10:40am after waiting in my pen from 10am. The atmosphere was buzzing and the weather kind. Grey, dry and not too warm.
Set off nice and steady. A fast time isn’t on my list of important things, but running non-stop is. Don’t know why, but it’s how I like it! There are 2 decent hills on the course; a long drag at 5k and a short, steeper one at 12 miles, amongst other smaller ones. Last year I ran out of steam just after the Barrage and had to Jeff the 2nd half of the race, walking the 12 mile hill. This year I felt strong and trotted along happily, eating the 5k hill for breakfast.
It’s always around 12-14k I realise why I should strength train though, and my hip flexors began to grumble. I had some electrolytes, chugged some water and downed some jelly babies (all whilst running) and felt better. I had a feeling I mightn’t make it up the 12 mile, but I did. So happy! 🙏 Mr Cheeky was cheering me in with a km to go, and I managed a sprint finish. The support on the course was immense too.
My time? Slow at 3:19:31, but my mission was accomplished. I never felt out of breath and I know with some regular exercises I can improve on that for Bath in March. So that’s what I’ll do. 😇 My hips keep reminding me, so no chance of skipping them!
Thanks NRC HM Plan! Worked wonders and I’ll be restarting it after the GSR! Coach B was with me all the way today and he helped a lot.
Thanks to all my running buddies for your support too, virtual and actual. Invaluable.’❤️
Next up GSR in 2 weeks! Yay. 🤸🤸
Written by
cheekychipmunks
Half Marathon
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Congratulations cheeky; you nailed it; again!! Is the photo misleading or is that medal the size of a manhole cover? However big it is, you have earned it. Lovely family event to follow; not sure how that can be improved upon. Perfect day 🙂
Thanks Beachcomber66 ! No, not misleading, the medal is gargantuan and full of heft. 😅 They were even being put round our necks, rather than simply handed out - it felt reallly special!
We had a lovely evening, quite chaotic with the 2 older grandsons playing their guitars (although I’ve heard worse from some 70s punk bands 😂), but I didn’t need to do much. 🙏
You will need to cross train to be able to wear that one for any length of time 🙂. I like the idea of it being “awarded” like that. Brilliant; and well deserved.🙂
Great run for you today CC, like me this morning I ran all the way but that was a 10K, however, if it had been a HM there would have been a few walking breaks, congratulations on running up those hills, you have kept to the NRC Half marathon plan, that's why you did so well today ✅🏃✅
Whoop!! Whoop!! 🙌🙌 Congratulations on your non stop HM cheeky! After the start of the year you had I can understand how pleased you are with this 🫶🏻👏👏👏
Ahh thank you TailChaser ! I was ridiculously proud of that achievement, and you’re right I had a very underwhelming time last winter. Just need to get stuck into some proper strength training now, as I literally do zero and it shows! 😂 Come and run Cardiff one day. You’d love it! 🥰
I wanted to get an early bird ticket yesterday but missed it because I was teaching and by the time I got home the price had gone up to £53 so I decided I'd do other local ones instead!! Sorry cheekychipmunks !
That’s a shame Cowladyrunning , yes it’s expensive. I paid £45 plus a booking fee, and that was in the 2nd wave. Bonkers. Well I’m sure there’ll be other years for you. 😀
You’re very kind Shake-and-run . Strong in terms of determination perhaps, but not physically, which is why I’ll be embarking on proper strength training when my hips have forgiven me! No denying it’s what I have to do, and I can’t ignore it any longer. 😅
Well done cheekychipmunks - and what an awesome medal it is! 🏅😍You’re right, it was busy - for runners and us spectators! 🙂 We had a good family meet up in Cardiff yesterday, although only one of us was running. Great atmosphere though and I did lots of cheering and managed to see my sister a couple of times on the course.
Well done for being there and smashing another race! Just brilliant.🙂
So glad you enjoyed it too Sandraj39 , and that the heavy rain held off. It lashed down on our way home. I hope your sister had a good race and her huge hefty bling!
I had a blast, and will be looking out for the early bird signup for 2025! 😀
Thank you Dexy5 ❤️ My hips had already started to grumble around 14k and I was having a conversation with myself about at least making it to 10 miles before giving in and jeffing if needed. I’m so glad I didn’t need to! 🙏
I can relate to the hips. I think I need to do my physio exercises on both sides now, otherwise I’ll be stronger on one side than the other. I’m doing split squats, upright pigeon pose and bridges.
Worth giving the Nike Training Club app a look cheeky? The routines are broken up into 10 minute or 20 minute chunks, so I am much more likely to do them. Easy to follow videos. I have been doing them every day, just about, for 7 weeks or so. Seems to be helping.
Good tip BC. I was wondering if I’d give that a try and use it as training for Bath rather than the usual HM plan. I assume there’s a HM “stepping stone” …… 🤔
I found the app when I downloaded the NRC Marathon plan; it is cross referenced in the running plan for each week, so it does start easy and builds up. The focus on strengthening each leg separately has helped me; my balance has improved. It’s a mixture of yoga, strengthening and pre run warm up and post run cool down. Some are 20 minute sessions, some just 10….little and often means that I actually do them….that is the secret for me. Worth a look anyway.
That all sounds grand 🤗🤗🤗. Scrambled eggs beforehand and coach Bennett supervising 👍👌. Pleased the weather cooperated. It really helps doesn’t it 🙏
I had to set to and cook dinner when I got back from a long run yesterday when I was tatered 😤. It was the last thing I wanted to do. It resembled a car crash but was delish ☺️😁 To have someone else cook for you was fab 😀😋👍
Thank you misswobble . 😀 Scrambled eggs isn’t a usual pre run breakfast for me, but we had time to kill so we thought why not? It was delicious and gave me tons of energy. The first few kms flew by, not even a toxic 10! 😋
Yes, the weather was great for us runners. The heavens opened on the way home in the car though, which would have been miserable for runners, but worse still for the thousands of spectators.
I seriously appreciated my son cooked dinner and it didn’t touch the sides. 😅
I ran a slow run around local streets and the park this morning followed by a HIIT workout. OH was footballing but when he got back I made fried eggs on buttered and toasted homemade granary bread It was lovely🤤
I’ve got a homemade muffin for later on 🧁 (minus the creamy top) 😀
Whoop whoop 🙌👏🏻🥳 Huge congrats on your non stop HM, especially that last hill, which is a very mean trick 😬 Sounds like a wonderful day, made all the better by having the whole family together. Fab bling too 😍
Thank you Sandie1961 , yes it is quite cruel. Not very long, but any hill at 12 miles isn’t welcome, and it was fairly steep too! At least I knew to expect it. Last year I didn’t, and it was the final nail in my jeffing coffin! 😅
He was such a comfort yesterday Beatlesforever ! A familiar voice in amongst thousands and thousands of people. It was such a wonderful event, thank you for your kind wishes! ❤️
Wow this is fabulous Cheeky!! 🎉. I would have most definitely done a lot of walking. You have great stamina. I really love that bling 🥇. What a superb day xx
Wow! Would you look at that beauty!!! I might have to work on my shoulders in preparation for next year’s bling 💪🤣 That looks amazing 😍
That sounds, and looks, fab Munks. I love the castle and of course I’d feel right at home too 🤣 A big well done on sticking to your plan and getting to the start and crossing the finish line, and also for getting a car park space so close to race day! That would be a major stresser for me.
I’m sure the crowds there are as enthusiastic as those in Bristol so I’m already there. Bring it on for a HU meet in 2025!!!
Oh Irishprincess you’d love it - I had to bend down (bit painful with my grumbling hips mind!), as it was placed round my neck! I even got a full name personal shoutout for my sprint finish! Felt really special, as were the epics crowds virtually the whole way round the course! Can’t wait for next year’s meet-up. 😀
Just got in for next year! Missed the first early bird (completed all my details and then it wouldn’t take me any further. Talk about stress!) But I got in in the second. I’m so excited already! 🦋
Congratulations cheekychipmunks ! No chance of me spotting you yesterday! Those crowds were huge! We walked a long way from the start point and just managed to get to the front of the railings but still missed seeing Kenny, but we did see him at the 8mile point, finish area crazy too ,soooo hectic. Brilliant you ran all the way I'm super impressed xxx
I thought of you aliboo70 - it would have been easier to literally find a needle in a haystack than to spot each other wouldn’t it? 😅 I hope Kenny had an amazing time and loved his hefty bling as much as I did! 🏅🏅
I was there watching my sister run aliboo70 - totally agree about the crowds, especially at the start and finish.😬 I saw my sister just after mile 6 and then as she came down the hill before finish line! I felt very emotional!🥹 Hope Kenny had a good run too.🙂
Thanks so much RunSkippyRun ! I’m remarkably proud of my non stop run. I’ve done a few non stop HMs before, but not for a good 2 or 3 years, so this felt particularly sweet. 🙏
Thank you so much IRunning ! I highly recommend the NRC HM Plan. I’ve done it a few times, but this time round I extended its ‘weeks’ to more like 10 days and was able to run the 5 runs per week it had on offer. Ordinarily I’d just do three or maybe four. Enjoy, it’s great! 👍
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Chilly Half race report