As I stated in my last post, my next race was my first Half Marathon since March last year! Just before I conceived with Baby Frey.
I shall start my post with the Thursday leading up to race day! It starts with a rife sickness bug that went round the house. First, my niece and sister in law on the Tuesday, then my mother in law on the Thursday then my partner, Jake on the Friday. I was absolutely mortified. I paid the marathon price last November, not thinking logically how hard it would be with so little training after giving birth. So I messaged them to down the distance to the half back in March. That was £47! The room was £75 cancellation with full refund only 7 days before the arrival date. If I gained this bug and as a result didn’t run, it would cost me near a loss of £100! I was not mentally prepared to do that. As a result, I fled and quarantined myself and my daughter at my Mums in Coventry.
The days went by and paranoia set in. I was feeling highly anxious and nauseous, but I was still eating well, no sign of headaches (which was apparently the first onset of the virus)... Saturday morning came and I agreed with my mum that’s I’d go and if so, just be Ill in Liverpool. Vickie, my lovely bestie and driver headed to mine for 10:30am. We packed the suitcases, and I even put in my plastic bin in the front for a precautionary measure so I wouldn’t dirty Herb (her state of the art, pride and joy purgeot). The drive was lovely up to Birkenhead. We traveled via the A Roads for a more scenic drive. I didn’t feel sick at all.
The Lions guest house was great. Exactly what you paid for and the owner was very welcoming and asked if I was doing the event, I agreed and he gave a pot of porridge and a banana for the morning because we’d miss out on breakfast. In the evening we chilled out, watched the new season of 13 Reasons Why and took a detour to the closest Weatherspoons for dinner.
I told myself by 8pm Saturday, if I was still feeling okay, then I should have avoided any contamination. Thank God me or Freya did not catch it. I was actually really surprised. 6:20am my alarm was set for. I woke on time and had a good sleep! I got ready and before I knew it we were on the road, heading through the Mersey Tunnel to Liverpool.
I cannot believe the sheer volume and variety of runners that came to this event. We arrived with about 45 minutes to spare. I stood around looking at the massive concert looking stage. I was really happy to see the Echo Arena opened for the sole use of their toilet facilities. I always dread the possible trots and stomach upsets on race morning. Having to line up in ques that are miles long, the horrible smell of portable toilets as well as the fear of shitting myself. But the efficiency of these toilet facilities were bang on. The best I’ve seen. Well done RnR Series!
With about 10 minutes to go before the official starting time, runners were heading to the start line. This was where I realised it was going to be a hot one. Hundreds lined the street. I was in the 19,000’s coral, so I was at the back. I didn’t care. But the only con was we were standing around waiting to start for over 30 minutes. That was the only thing I could say that was bad about the event. To the point where we moved forward not even 10 metres. I said goodbye to Vickie and we came to an abrupt stop. I was getting so agitated. I just wanted to start. Come oooon.
We finally started. Yeeey. Over the start line I went. I held myself back. Telling myself that slow and steady was to be a vital race tactic for the day. 11:30 was the pace I wanted for the flat parts, which just so happened to be the first mile 11.35. Spot on. No congestion was present as we had the entire roads through the city. Then the climbing started. My second mile came in as my fasted of the day at 11:28. I told you I was taking it steady! Time was of no matter to me for this race.
5km came and went pretty fast (fast, pfft well not fast in some people’s books, just over 35 minutes). At this point we were going through China town and out of the City Centre. My first walk according to my pace calculations on Garmin connect was 44 minutes in, that quite good for the elevation. We went from 93ft to 172ft! A steep incline to say the least and the peak elevation of the day.
Mile 4 was 12:48 my second worst split of the day.
Mile 5 = 12:04. Nothing really interesting happened here. Just a loooooong stroll before heading into Sefton Park.
Sefton Park on the other hand was absolutely stunning. So athestetically pleasing. I really enjoyed it. Plus the shade from the trees was fantastic. It gave me a new lease of life. I seen people struggle from 6 miles with the heat. I just kept on trying to keep my mind off stopping by looking at other and their vests and t shirts from their clubs or charities. There was so many runners from all over the UK. I seen people from Ireland and herd of a woman from California that travelled over just to run this race. Crazy!
10km came in at just over 1:13. Considering it was better than Birmingham- I was happy. More shade was definitely the only reason for this. From here, we went up Queens Drive and back down to head out of the park.
Mile 7 was 12:26. Mile 8 (11:43) still shady, SIS Gel gulped down. Not nice when you’re dehydrated and have a mouth like Gandhi’s flip flop already, to then take these on board. The thickness was intense. Like, I’m going to throw us intense. It caused me a little of stomach upset. Which I walked off- thankfully, without having to run off into the bushes. Which I seen so many people do. I also noted that I was getting blisters on the inner side of both of my big toes. I tried so hard to not think about them. Which I did successfully until 11 miles in, where the pain was excruciating causing me to stop and walk!
Stupidly, I wore my new New Balance trainers after only doing a couple of miles in. I wore them for my 10mile long run a week before and it did the same. But not to the, at the time suspected severity as what I was feeling from at that point.
Mile 10, dead on 12:00. At this point we’d ran through Otterpool Park which had a slight incline, but the decline onto the coast was lovely and a relief to know that it was going to be pretty much flat until the finish!
Mile 11, 12:07 culmative time 2:11 to think just a year and 2 months before I successfully complete my PB for a Half at 2:05. I kept on gritting my teeth thinking if only I was still that fast, I would be done now, having gained my medal and finishers t shirt and heading back to the car. In a way it’s quite deflating for the ego. But I promised myself that after having a baby I would come back stronger. I took into consideration that it took me 2 and half years to reach that PB and that it was likely to be the same again. I told myself again and again. I have a beautiful daughter/tiny human which is way better to have than chasing a menial sub 2 hour half marathon time. That’s the thing about us runners we define ourself by our overall time. I see it every other day on the Run Mummy Run page. This page is so ace. If you’re ever thinking about starting to run, or currently a runner who has relating issues, go join their page they’re so supporting and loving. Truly amazing women. They also have sub groups which are based by your region. For example, I’m part of the West Midlands Clan). Back too. I see posts like:
“I want to do (said event) but I fear I’ll be too slow. My time is (... for this distance) am I too slow?”
“I’m a plodder”
The problem is with road running. We critically define ourselves by the pace at which we race. Constantly trying to better ourself for our ego or simply trying to move from jogger to runner, which I recently seen was anything below a 10min/mile. Screw that. If you put on foot in front of the other, at a pace that’s faster than your walking pace... You’re a runner. Sometimes the latter can take away the true value of just being able run. It takes out of the enjoyment of the sport in my opinion. Hence why Im attempting an ultra marathon at the end is September to mark my 23rd birthday. There is no reliance on time. You don’t have to feel ashamed to walk, it’s all off road and the sights look beautiful! I know it’s going to be damnnnnn hard. But it’ll be Oo so rewarding when I finish!
Wooow. I’ve done it again and gone off topic. Back to race reporting. Mile 12 13:18. My worst split of the day. I was well and truly jeffin (walk/running) no shame. Just before the coast got boring, we went back out onto the streets for a change of scenery. Around, Brunswick Dock then back onto the riverside. A marshal said. “Come on you’re nearly done. The finish is around that corner”, Looking at my watch. I actually believed him. Most note that when spectators say you’re nearly there, never up your pace. Because it mostly means, you’re are not ‘nearly’. Or you ware yourself out and look like plonk for believing the public. Mile 13, 12:05. Then I upped my game and gave it all I had left in the tank. 0.10 came in at 8:23!!! Happy days. I posed for the finishers photos and I was over getting my medal. I was so elated. I could run a half marathon fairly comfortably again. I finished in a time that was way faster than my expectations. 2:38! I was so happy. The other thing I would state that I disliked was not getting a finishers bag. You have to walk for 0.4 miles, roughly, to different tables for drinks, Haribo, bananas, crisps the lot. By the end you look like a stubborn food shopper who neglected to bring their plastic bags and refuses to pay 10p for a bag! However, I do respect that it was probably more eco friendly. Fair game.
The last on the list was to go into the arena to retrieve my finishers t shirt. I opted for medium, but I knew I needed a small. I went up to this girl who was distributing them and apologetically said. “I’m so sorry my t shirt token has been stuffed down my sports bra for the whole race. Have a you got a bin to just put it straight in. Because I really don’t want you touching my tit sweat!” She did not look amused at all. Hahaha.
After this I met with Vickie. Hobbled to 0.7 miles to the car park from Albert Docks and as we were about to exit the car park. I pulled both shoes off and took in the true horror which were my big toes. The blisters were probably the worst I’ve had since In 2015, when I ran Birmingham and didn’t have proper running trainers. I got my safety pin at the ready and Vickie was heaving saying, “Don’t you dare get your foot juice in my car.” Not going to lie it was a squirter!! Proper vile. Painfully vile. After this success we were on the road ready to come home. I celebrated with a large crispy wrap meal and cheesy bites from McDonald’s on the way home. Then an ommlet when I got home to mums!!
Shout out to Vickie whom this event wouldn’t of happened if it wasn’t for her intense driving skills, and thinking going 70mph on a single carriage was the national speed limit! Which is so funny because right she’s a police officer and is such a good law abiding citizen. When in actual fact, she was braking the law by accident! She is a true friend.
The concluding thought. I so would do this again, the medals are fantastic. I’m planning on doing the Dublin one next August. The last downer was that I only got 4 race photos which were all hurrendous. But then again, it saved me £19 per digital photo. Gutted because I really did pose for the finish photos.
Next event Wolf Run and Two Castles. Another favourite of the year!!!
