Leading up to the event on the Saturday, I got a phone call off my Mum saying Freya was violently throwing up. She gained the dreaded norovirus for 4 days. It was horrific. On the Sunday, I had caught it. Although not sick, it came out the other end and the neasea was exceedingly unpleasant. I felt drained and we slept an aweful lot.
At this point, I was ready for a DNS on Sunday. Come Wednesday, it was time to go back to Tamworth after not going to work for my two nights on. First time in half a year I’ve had a sick day. Jake, Jakes Mom, his Dad, his sister all came down with the same thing and Jake was still bad when I got home. I was really fortunate. I don’t know whether it was my immune system, but I somehow gained lesser more kinder symptoms and didn’t get it half as bad. Thank God, did he know?
I messaged my running coach. Well, a local gent who I purchased a 10 week plan for the remainder of the my marathon training as to what I should do. We agreed for a steady 3 miler of Friday to determine how I felt on that.
So I went out and my God, I felt fresh as hell. I was like a horse thats been on box rest for a week and finally allowed to go out to the field. I was elated after that 3 miles and most definitely felt ready for Coventry.
The night of. I stayed at my Dads so we could walk to the start. We had a 8:30am start. I was up for 6am. That is probably the earliest I’ve ever started a race.
It was busy with runners everywhere. The new area was by uni, and my stomach cramps told me to line up for the port a loo’s.
After that, I was doubly ready to start. We walked to the back of the que as the tannoy guy was telling us to get into our desired finish time pens. My Dad goes, “2:15 you can do that surely” by this time he was already lifting me over the barriers and putting a heafty weight on my shoulders to start a little quicker than I was planning. I wanted to follow a 2:20 pacer.
The start does the same kind of loop. Onto Little Park street, around the city centre and then onto Radford road which takes off the first mile. I was not impressed, it was very congested and prohibited me to gain an even pace having being stuck behind everyone. Maybe it does pay to be a little in over your head in the start pens so you can gain momentum more. I don’t know. Might test it next year.
First mile 9:47, I don’t know how I was producing that as my watch kept beeping at me saying that my pace was ‘slow’ at 11:30/mile at regular intervals. I felt the bounce in my pace return. It was lovely to feel that. Since marathon training I’ve felt sluggish.
Mile 2: Instead of going up Lawrence Sanders Road, we headed further up the Radford road turning left onto Mosely Avenue. This was literally a 2 minute run from my house. Gutted my Mum couldn’t just pop down the road to see me. She probably would have if I’d asked her to to be honest. But I didn’t study the new route properly.
Mile 2 (10:22) mile 3 (9:55) My regular work commute route. I was laughing at myself. In a few hours following this, I was due in work for 4, I’d be cycling this same road. It was all down hill. On the left turn onto Holyhead Road I looked out for my bestie Lizzy, who was initially spectating to see her Dad, good ol’ Kev. May I add, he’s in his 60’s and gained a sub 1:40 half for Coventry. Well done Kevlar. After a quick hug and a kiss I was back off running up the Holyhead road. The first gradual incline of the day.
My 5K time must have been just below 31 minutes, which was quite fast considering in training it’s been around 32, a stalemate for having to do longer miles and pacing myself adequately.
Mile 4 (10:08) it was at this point I was running past a woman in a pink vest and under my headphones I herd a “hello, you”. It was only Faye Clark from the stables where we kept Guinny at Hollyfast. Her horse, Archie lived next to Guinny in the barn. So at one time I saw Faye quite a lot. She was running for a fantastic cause. Little Rosie Abbott, who lost her battle in 2016 of cancer. I knew her from the yard also. A little ray of sunshine and rainbow now in the sky. We had a little chat and wished each other good luck and I went ahead. Faye did a great time of 2:27 and also gained a cold before race day, so this was an amazing effort.
Mile 5 (10:08) onto Washbrook Lane. So many memories of hacking the horses around here. They were there to replay in my mind and pass this mile.
Mile 6 (10:31) onto Bridlebrook Lane. Another little incline. I went up thinking I was one of the horses. But here I was refined to a walk. At the tuning onto Wall Hill Road. I was met by the Northbrook Stand. Which is now my second claim club. How I’d love to train with them again. But it’s just too difficult to get child care on their training days.
Mile 6, culmulative time was 1:00:06 which meant my 10k time was pretty much a new PB for me.
Mile 7 (10:33) Going up to mile 8, I was greeted by far the best water station. The Hollyfast Meadow’s lot. I don’t think they realised who I was at first, but as I ran past I herd the yard owner shout “GOOOO NICOLE” at the top of her lungs. That was lovely to hear. They eventually realised who I was. Thank God. I wasn’t just this passer by shouting “Faye will be with you shortly. I’ve seen her!”
Mile 8 (11:01) my worst split of the day. Once I peaked from Hollyfast Lane, I knew it was all downhill from here. Many a times I’ve ran the Tamworth Road segment the opposite way. So I am an expert. I put the time predictor on my watch and it was fluctuating between 2:16/17 finish time. So here I tried to keep consistent, make the most of the decline.
Mile 9 (10:03). It must have worked with redeeming my 11 min mile on the last. Coming down by my old secondary school, I was flagging. From here I had a few walk for a couple of seconds. Up Waste lane, which was put in to take out the out and back of Long Lane was so much better, in my opinion.
Mile 10 (10:40) the walking was impeding my good splits. We were back in Coundon. Definitely on our way back to the town centre.
Mile 11 (10:29) Man I was in pain. But I knew it was my legs giving out not my mind. I just tried to forget the fatigue and just keep ruuuuning.
Mile 12 the last hill, the last hill!!!!!! (10:15) I was so close, yet so far! The hill by the TA centre and Barr’s Hill, school, I had to walked for 30 seconds again. Then gave myself a pep talk. Like come onnnnnnn. You’ve nearly gained glory gooo. The decent down the to the city centre felt like I flew down it. My Duracell bunny had kicked into action.
Great support from the Salvation Army by the way.
Mile 13 (9:59) we got round to Pool Meadow to take a right up towards the cathedral finish, which is a little incline. I ran my heart out to the finish!!
What an amazing run, consistency with pace was on point, and I get pretty damn amazing seen as though I had an illness. I finished strong in 2:15:28 the first time in while that my watch corresponded the correct time as the official online results.
I really, really enjoyed the new route, the support was fantastic. I guess I’ll be back next year all being well!
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