After a really busy time reading and working on Uni work and not much running, a very early start took me down to Brighton this Sunday just gone for the half marathon. A good group of us in good spirits considering it was 7 am on a Sunday, made our way to the South coast.I'd been ill on the Saturday with a bad stomach, so was only hoping to get round in under 2 hours, hopefully doing about 8 minute miling.
I went off quickly and did the first 3 miles in 21.30 and felt in a nice groove. The stomach held and I was happy with my running. Some days you just get a sense you'll do ok. It wasn't going flat out and if I'd been better, had some more rest and trained just a bit more I reckon I could have gone even quicker.
Just as I got to 10 miles I felt the bite a bit and noticeably slowed. The route took you out to Brighton Marina and the course looped back on itself and had some steep hills to negotiate. I pushed on, just thinking about hitting mile 12 and how I'd pick up the pace at that point. A few people had pushed it too hard as you passed them towards the end but I got my stride and pushed for the line. It had been a hard but rewarding effort.
I'd stopped looking at my watch at about mile 10 and was hoping that if everything fell into place I could get about 1:36 (I've got no idea why I chose this random figure in my head!). I looked up as I approached the line, squinted as I didn't have my contacts in and couldn't see till I crossed it what the clock said. My watch told the verdict. 1:40:39. I'd taken 14 minutes off my personal best.
I didn't know what to do and overcome with emotion and disorientation couldn't decide whether to eat a banana, drink water or get my bag. Somehow, clumsily, I did all 3. I almost burst into tears at the bag check. It was the emotion. My club mates were amazing, supportive and really generous in their praise. I came 809th out of 4163. Sim from our club excelled and came 63rd.
I know I can go quicker. Give me time (I mean a couple of years) and I'll clock a sub 1:30. Just you see.
Followed that up on the monday with a massage. First in about 6 months and needed. My legs felt great but I wanted to take it easy. So I ran 3 miles the following morning and went for a swim in the lido. Couldn't measure the distance but clocked a lot of laps.
Food diary of late:
Dinners have varied. But I have been relatively good. In the last 4 days my food has been as follows:
Sunday:
After race: Haddock, chips and mushy peas.
Evening: Duck a l'orange, potatos, green beans.
Monday:
Lunch: Whole baked trout, tomato and parsley salad, 3 boiled potatoes.
Dinner: Mushroom soup, bread, cheese, tomato and basil.
Tuesday:
Lunch: Onion, potato omelette, carrot and orange salad, tomato and parsley salad
Dinner: Bratwurst, Kartoffel und Sauerkraut
Wednesday:
Lunch: Cheese and pickle sandwiches, salt and vinegar crisps, raisins & sultanas, Oat bake
Dinner: Fish curry, some squash and spinach curry, some daal, rice and naan. small Bhajis x 2, some chilli paneer, poppadom.
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