It's been 84 years... I mean half a year... 4 months since I'd ran beyond a 10k event. I lost focus, and put on some weight after my marathon. Not so much that I stopped altogether, I didn't fall out of love with running. I just simply had no focus or need to run any more than 4 miles.
I had a reality check and decided I needed to plan a half. I know I wanted to do Birmingham in October. But at that time in July I wanted something slightly nearer. So I stumbled upon this race. It was a quick decision. Either this or Northampton. I compared race reviews and this was 100% more attractive.
I started my 8 week plan. But since marathoning. I just haven't been able to up my pace. I feel I've hit a wall. That was what had got to me a lot in recent months. In the month of January, when I ran every day, I could definitely see on the stats side that I was progressing with speed. But now I'm finding it extremely difficult to get past a 31 minute 5k.
I started an 8 week plan and looked to Josh, who devises running plans to do a 5/6 week plan but just to help with speed. I knew by now, after 12 half marathons that 12 weeks was to long if I wasn't looking to improve my time. I went back to Pintrest to look for a plan and stumbled upon one which suited my liking. Training was great. I hadn't had a cold since just before May began. I was living. Then boom! Germ attack. Cold, sinus infection at the end of August. I got that peeved that I swallowed some Sinutab and just got one with my 5 and 8 miler that week. Big mistake. I felt awful. But I had to prove to myself that I wasn't going to let my stupid sinuses win once again. I tried so hard to not take antibiotics. Which was successful. I won. Screw you stupid sinuses.
A week and a half before race day my chest felt tight and uncomfortable. I was coughing. I had gained some form of a chest cold. Not a full raging one. I think I fended it off for my birthday weekend with vitamin C. Me and Jake went to Wales the week before the half and climbed Snowdon. It was incredible! But I thought to myself it isn't that bad- I'll just get on with it.
So race day came, and Vickie agreed to drive and my new awesome friend, Ally who runs to spectate. She's tapering to run her second marathon in Bournemouth this Sunday coming. Go Ally! (and Gemma!). The weather was awful throughout the night. Constant downpours. When we took Freya to my Dads before we hit the road, it was mental. We were doing 40mph on the M69 due to flash flooding. It died down and we arrived and gained parking really easily.
It was great to have gone to a Weatherspoons, been able to empty my bowels instead of queing for ages, turtleing in pain. That was an added bonus. By the time we reached Victoria Embankment it was near enough time to get into my colour zone, which was green. There was a mass amount of people. A great turn out, and before I knew it I was on my way through the start line with the aim of just finishing and enjoying running through another new city.
Mile 1- . It was congested somewhat, but a gentle mile to ease yourself into what was to come.
Mile 2 - What the hell is this monstrosity. We went from 97ft elevation to 179ft. But it was very sudden, sharp and unexpected. I thought, I can handle this. By this point it felt really humid. Which didn't feel to good.
5k around 34 minutes. Probably the worst time ever since coming back from pregnancy. But again we hit one of the biggest Inclines of the day again, it was brutally verticle. So from Lenton Road at about a mile and half onto Hardwick Road, then through a place called the Park Estate it was just constant hills. My God though, where some of these people rich. There was this one mansion. Beautiful it was, it was lovely to see, what looked like the lady who owned it outside cheering us on. She was slaying it. She looked so glam!
Mile 4. Hello downhill. You're most welcome. Ooo and hello gorgeous running man behind the lead vehicle. Mr number 1. He looked serious and fast. Very fast. I think he may have won the race too, well done to him. Apologies if you're married or partnered. I am to. But I'm allowed to gwap, slightly. Look don't touch senario. I think I still have time to get Jake to quit smoking and make him take up running. Maybe. As I distracted myself even more I seen even more elites running down the opposite side of the road at around 8 miles for them it would have been. I seen the 1st woman and she was about 5th or 6th. She too looked mega fierce.
I started pondering the ideas that if it was in our genes as to if we are naturally gifted with speed in long distance running, or did it take being sporty and pushing hard when you were young, maybe pushy parents even? I was definitely a lazy shit as a child/teenager. Most thought that having a fitness instructor as a mother meant I was going to be this super fit, good in every sort, athletic child that ate really healthy. I remember a member in my tutor in year 8 saying, "If your Mum is a fitness instructor, why are you fat?" like, how savage? Kids can be so brutal, can't they? I laugh at it now though. Doubt that person has or will ever run a marathon, or a half for that matter. My favourite was, "I bet all you eat at home in rabbit food" ie salad. Nope I was a chubby little being, eating Nutella sandwiches and other snacky stuff that was bad for me in my school lunch, then going home and demolishing a full on pizza by myself. At school, I just wanted to play Football, Rounders and Netball, not run stupid, tedious laps around the track, and definitely not embarrass myself with how I was struggling to even walk the 12 minute Cooper run of death. My mother never forced me to be like her. She let me partake in her classes when, and if I wanted to. No pressure. I made that decision for myself. Come year 10/11, I became more aware of my eating habits, took GCSE PE (saying that I remember getting into a debate with my tutor at the time, refusing to partake in Sports Day because athletics just was not me! I hid all day because I didn't want to do it!!). I started taking advantage of going to my mums classes after school. I decided for myself that I want to be like my mother. P.s my schoolhood wasn't bad. I was the class clown and quite naughty for the majority, but I made people laugh. That's what I like to do. Even now!
Back to the mile 5 and 6. It was beautiful through Wollaton Deer Park. I seen no deer though. But the support was amazing here. From mile 6 I really felt like I was upping my game. I was finding my stride and settling into my pace. Then I said to myself, 'Ooiiii. Calm you titilala's Coley, you still got 6 miles to go." It was here I decided it was time for an energy gel. Being as unorganised as I was I stupidly got the Karrimor energy gels from Sports Direct. I was skeptical. But I couldn't think of any other place at last minute that would supply the SIS ones. My God, Lord above they tasted hurrendous, I had two gulps and binned it on the way out of the park. Its a no from me. The texture was thick. Thicker than SIS and it tasted very salty and sweet (not like that, Karen!) I think if Bear Gryls said that drinking you own piss made you full of energy, I'd rather have done that instead.
Mile 7 and 8. From here on out it was my kinda race. Ie what I'd define as 'flat' and steady. Manageable if you will. We double backed onto where we seen the elites running back to base, through one of the University of Nottingham campus'. It was here I witnessed a very bouncy, cheerful woman run ahead whilst maintaining a conversation (looking back and not in front of herself) with someone she'd overtaken. She then tripped and fell over a cone on the road. Thankfully she got straight up, said she was fine after us all asking if she was okay and carried on.
I don't remember much of mile 9 or 10 really. I noticed that the mile markers were slightly out by 0.1of a mile in actual 0.2 according to my Garmin. I witnessed a gent that was receiving medical treatment from the ambulance crew assuming he'd collapsed. It always sends a shiver down my spine, I hope he was okay. I always thank whoever is upstairs for letting my run and finish all my races. Not long before a Marshall was tending to a 2 ladies who were being sick and stretching their legs through, I can only guess, cramp maybe? I must admit this race seen the most casualties at the side of the course than I've ever seen before. Not to scare anybody or anything.
Mile 11 and 12. Always notable when you see a guy dressed up as a gorilla, who was holding a cage with a fake human inside. He did great. He had such a good way to keep everyone motivated. At about 12.5 miles as we were running back into the Victora Embankment he said, "WERE LOVING THIS AREN'T WE GUYS. NEVER THOUGHT OF ANYTHING BETTER TO DO ON A SUNDAY Morning, EY?!" Made me laugh.
Mile 13. I was back into the centre of the park. I was getting emotional. Especially because they had John Denvers 'Take Me Home' on the stereo. Just because it was countryfied, it just reminded me of my late Nan. I sucked up the slight tear and dug deep. I was really struggling. They'd had to lay straw too to make it less slippy. The finishing straight opened up with 200 meters to go. I passed the line and realised I could still in fact cover this distance in a time of 2:31:41.
I thoroughly enjoyed this race. Although, at first I really regretted signing up due to the hills I was encountering in the first half. I felt like a failure till about mile 5. Then I found an inner peace, and the miles flew by until about mile 11 when I started to feel it in my quads. But overall it was well managed, the marshals and the supports was amazing and it only starting slightly spitting 2 times throughout, despite this it was slightly muggy. But yes. I'll definitely go back!
