29 Sept 2013 - Ealing Half
Marathon – another PB
What immense journey I have been
on so far and I still have 6 months to go till race day! Exciting times.
Sunday just past saw me running
my second standalone half marathon for the season. I have done a couple more
half marathons this year but these were part of half iron distance races, hence
why I name Ealing as a standalone, it is pure running, no swim and bike
beforehand.
The success I have been having
lately with setting a new personal best (PB) each time I test myself has been
mentally and physically encouraging.
So quick background in March I
did Wokingham Half Marathon and my overall time was 2:30:26. My PB for a half
marathon was 2:26, which I set the year before at Race your Pace Half at Dorney
Lake. During this year whilst competing in August at Vitruvian Half Iron
Distance race, my half marathon time came in at 2:15. So a massive PB result.
Going into this race, especially
after completing a 3.8km swim the day before, I said to myself I would be happy
to get around 2:15 for the standalone half. Ealing is an undulating course so I
wasn’t confident I had it in me to do a PB.
Met up with a couple of my
friends and proceeded to warm up and then head to the start line. There were
pacers along the way to the start so my friend, Tessy and I decided we would stick
with the 2:15 pacer. Gun went off and so
did we.
I found my rhythm nice and early
and kept saying to myself deep breathing in to my diaphragm, lean a little bit
forward, lift my knees and be light on my feet, don’t drop the heels. Once I
surpassed the 2:15 pacer I decided my goal was to remain comfortably in front
of them the entire race. Ealing was not a flat course by any stretch of the
imagination. There were no dramatic hills either, just a nice undulating
course. It was incredible seeing a
couple of my mates along the course cheering
I had to make one stop to the loo
and then as I was digesting some hariboo whilst on the course, I heard my wifes
friend shout ‘Cmon Turbo, you cannot be walking, get going’ and so I did. I
quickly digested the Haribo and took off. After that point it was a matter of
knocking off the miles. At one point I had no idea which mile I was up to as I
was quite happily running. Before I knew it I passed the 11 mile marker. At the
time I remembered thinking, ‘I don’t even remember seeing the 10 mile marker’.
With less than 2 miles to go, I remained level headed and continued on my way.
As I took the final mile, my friend Tessy tapped me and said ‘Cmon girl’ and at
this point I was suffering a bit of tightness is my stomach but breathed
continually into the pain and continued to run.
We entered the park with less
than 1km to go and at this point I put the foot down and increased my pace up a
notch, basically all the way till the finish line.
I crossed the line and Tessy
seconds after in 2 hours 13 mins. I managed a new half marathon PB by 2 mins.
Absolutely stoked and over the
moon. Another great day in the office.
Special thanks to Jason and
Andrew for the on course encouragement. Tessy and Janelle for running and Lisa
congratulations on your first half marathon, you too did an awesome time!
Till my next post
Smoochesxxx