Good evening all you wonderful peoples!
As the title states, this event was the last running event of 2016! I chose this purely because I enjoyed this event so much last year! I'm surely not going to hibernate from running for the winter, as i shall hopefully be starting marathon training again soon. I'll be doing some light running, with no targets to ascertain, as well as allowing me to focus on my first semester back at university! JOYS!
So as you are all aware. I had a lovely time in Rhodes, the injury I picked up from running the Hull Marathon was beginning to have me a tad worried. It took a full blown 3 weeks to bugger off and stop hurting! I laid off running and settled for a little short run on the beach... Purely for photographic purposes. I came home on Saturday to have the Sunday off and then back to university on the Monday. The Great Birmingham Run was 2 weeks off. It left me with two concerns...
1. If this injury would fizzle itself out of my foot, so I'd indeed be able to run properly.
2. I was wanting to avoid at all costs, that horrible sickness bug and of course the infamous Freshers Flu. (I was more at risk for going from a hot country to coming back into arctic conditions of Britain).
First week back, Monday to be exact. I wanted to test my foot on a steady 5km and of course, this would allow me to see how much my fitness had depleted whilst I'd been lying on a sunbed in the Greek sun! The 5km was a massive amount of effort. It felt as though I was running for hours. It's me, I obviously went out too hard, not taking into account at the time that I'd find it difficult for not running since my marathon. A 30:06 time came out, with my average heart rate zone being 181bpm. To paint a picture for you, I did the same run on the 11/08 in 28:59 with an average 174bpm. As you can guess this was not looking good. I felt like death running for three miles and my heart was also agreeing with me. If my heart could talk it would have probably said cheekily, "Nicole, you b@$tard. Don't go away for a week and work me this hard, I'm still in Pina Colada mode!"
With that, the next day I decided to run 5km on the treadmill because I had a 3hr wait for my next lecture. This came in at 35:10. I decided to just take it easy on this one. However, I still recall flagging at around 2 miles in. As you can imagine, I was thinking 'there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to run this half marathon, that is in under 2 weeks.' Believe it or not, this was my last running session I did before taking on the 13.1 miles.
The week before race day I got the startings of a cold, but I knew this was unavoidable. Germs everywhere, people coughing and sneezing around me in university. It was unfortunate timing of course, but it was imminent. Wednesdays 9am lecture seen me wanting to be sick everywhere, so I gave up and went home, avoiding the seminars for fear of puking on a fellow student and embarrassing myself. Thursday, I wasn't too bad I went into town and met my best friend for the gym and some lunch. But on the way home on the bus, I had to depart about a mile and a half from where I usually get off, due to feeling exceedingly sick. What was wrong with me? They were only cold symptoms, but the nausea was incredibly prominent, and in consistent waves. That night I felt like, so poorly. So much so that I begrudgingly had to call in sick for my Friday 12:30-18:00 shift! I was gutted. I needed the money, I love my job.
Saturday, I dragged myself to work. My symptoms getting better throughout the shift. People at work were strongly advising I give the Great Birmingham Run a miss. But lets be honest, a £35 loss if I don't take part. It played on my mind all day. Looking at the weather was pushing me to just curling up in a ball and stay indoors- yup, a lovely rainy race day forecast. But regardless of the latter, I decided to run and see how I felt, with two conditions... No PB chasing and to pull out if I felt any worse than what I started.
Race day had arrived people! It's Sunday. 8:45 pick up from my Papa. However, I had no excitement for the task ahead. I, of course felt butterflies, but not in the normal kinda way. Lone and behold it started chucking it down too. Wrapped to the eyeballs I set off for the start in Birmingham with a mass amount of feeling and thoughts going around in my head.
I was in the Green wave, so that was an 10:45 start. Assembly was quick and efficient as per with the Great Run series. I was on my adventure before I could say go!
Mile 1: 9:40. A lovely, downhill first mile out of the city center (same route for the 10km). I was feeling mightily fresh.
Mile 2: 10:20. Pershore Road, you tedious demon!
5km: 31:25. Between 5km and the 4th mile. You are met with Kensington Road a the first fairly steep incline, of which goes on for about 400 meters. This had my flagging. I just concentrated on my breathing and not stopping, as I seen so many fellow runners do,
Miles 4: 10:39. The Selly Park Savior, as I like to call it. A nice downhill reward for your previous efforts. I felt normal again!
Mile 5: 10:24. Back onto Pershore people, as well as going up by Cadburys world. We must be arriving in Bournville .... Oh so tempting to just break off the course and into Cadburys World. You're also met with some unduladingness around this specific mile. They're more mentally tasking though. I call this the 'Fight or Flight' moment in a half. Will you look at how far you've come or how far you still have to go? i.e. Doing the previous mileage over again. Although a nice steady pace for me. Feeling a little bit lifeless, but enough to not make me think 'OMG, take me home, country roads'.
10km: 1:04:07. Averaging out at my usual half marathon pace. Coming off Mary Vale Road and can you guess? Back onto Pershore for the tedious 2 Mile stretch back up. A SIS Gel had come out of my sports bra and I took it like the Eucharist is taken at mass. Like its baaaaare minging, but you know you have to do it! (soz Jesus, bro).
*Skipping 2 miles, because they were boring, nothing of significance happened. I just monged out and listened to my headphones*
Mile 8: 10:36. Hey Edgbaston Cricket Ground. Why do I feel like crying? I was really starting to feel it here.
Mile 9: 10:32. Hey Canon Hill Park. My legs at this point were saying. NOOOOOooooOOOoooo. Like why did you do this? You will not be able to finish, or if you do It'll be a shite time. Just give up now and savor your ridiculousness.
Mile 10: 10:59. The 'You're so close, yet so far' mile. My pace slowed. However, my determination to finish increased. The 2:20 pacer woman passed me. I couldn't tell whether that would mean I was going over that time, as I didn't recall seeing her at the start. I was starting to believe, after she'd passed me that the sights of a course PB was unreachable. My legs were desperately crying out at me for poisoning them with lactic acid.
Mile 11 and 12: 10:45 and 12:04.Worst splits of the day, which can only mean one thing... *Jaws theme tune inserted* The Killer Hill, Ryland Road and Charlotte Road... I had to stop, but by no means was I allowing this section of the course to utterly defeat me. 30 strict seconds of walking and that was it... Back to my menial run/shuffle. I kept on thinking. 'You know what Cole, don't wussy out now... You're better than this... You ran a marathon for Christ sake's- get a grip woman. 2 miles... lets bring this home. Come on McClelland!'
Mile 12: Calthorpe Road. This is when you know you're nearly there, in both of the Great Birmingham Running events. Yes you feel like death, but you can stick it out for another mile and a bit. To my dismay, half way through this mile a man had collapsed half way through the Highfield Road section... Bless his heart. He was being attended by the ambulance crew and was conscious and looked seemingly coherent. I truly felt for him and hoped it was nothing too serious. From then, I was determined to carry on running what this man couldn't do. My pace was upped and I was on the home stretch.
Mile 13 10:13. My chest is hurting. I'm totally going to regret this tomorrow. But who the hell cares. Extra turbo initiated and installed captain. A, what felt like a massive stride and pace increase. Down and up the highway thingy onto Broad Street. "Run Angry Bird, run!!" I herd kids cry. I did just that! I got angry and finished strong!! So Strong that I didn't even bother thinking about my finishing pose and double chins for my finishing photographs. Upon crossing the line I didn't even bother looking at my watch. The last time i'd checked it was coming off Hagley Road onto Broad Street, I was about 13 miles in, with my watch on 2:16/17. After trying not to have a heart attack for finish strongly, I dared look at my watch...........................................
Last year-2:25:48
This Year- 2:18:45!!!! A cold, bad chest and a freckin course PB baby!
Happy, elated, proud were just some of the emotions I was feeling yesterday and better still, the rain cleared, so my run was very pleasant! Yipppppeeeeee. I am now waiting to see my race photos... Gosh, not looking forward to viewing them. But smile and coughing fits all around. I've ended my 2016 race season on a very high positive.
This year has certainly gone beyond my ambitions and personal expectations... To list a few:
- I have gained a Sub 1 Hour 10km (6.2 Miles) of 59:08, when only last year, I averaged out on a 1hr:12min.
- I have hit a half marathon PB in my hometown of 2:11:19, which, looking back i don't know how the hell I managed to do... It's certainly going to be hard to top.
- I have broken the seal of my marathon virginity, I AM part of that 1% of the minority that has completed a marathon in their lifetime.
All of this achievement and elation has come from putting one foot in front on the other. Just try it, baby steps. I can reassure you it'll work wonders for you body, mind and soul.
For now, I leave my blogging for a while, until I embark on next years crazy journey's. One. I hope to be across the seas and into Europe. *cough* the Paris Marathon because I was unsuccessful in gaining a place in the Virgin Money 2017 London Marathon. As I said in my Facebook post last week, "Screw you London. Paris is Prettier!". I hope google translate, translates this properly! :')
Au Revoir!
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