Half of a whole

On Saturday, Vic and I ran the Race Your Pace half marathon, organised by Human Race, around Dorney Lake.  It was four laps around the lake where the Olympic rowing will be held, where I have previously raced in a former life as a rower, and where I’ve stood on many summer weekends cheering for my husband and friends in regattas leading up to Henley Royal Regatta.

I’m not really sure what to say about the race itself; it was hard, possibly harder than I had anticipated, and it was very very windy.  Having raced on the lake before, and having been warned by my husband who has spent a lot of time training there, I knew there was a good chance of a cross wind, but it was really windy.  Almost too windy.   Windy enough for birds to look like they’re about to be blown out of the sky.  My face felt burned by the evening and V’s skin looked as if she’d been baked on a beach somewhere tropical….rather than powering around a rowing lake....

The Runner’s World pacers – we were in between the ten and eleven minute mile groups for most of the run (well, the eleven minute group for almost all of it…) – were amazing and my heartfelt thanks go out to them.  The guy pacing the eleven minute group gave marathon advice throughout, and on the last lap, he picked people up on the way past with an encouraging “don’t get left behind!” which really helped.  I stayed with him (and V) for most of the four laps – V powered off on the last lap due to being an awesome powerhouse – and the creepers trying to tuck into my slipstream really kicked me on for the last half of my last lap. 

Running creepers weren’t a phenomenon I have been aware of before, but after complaining about them once I got back, C explained that they’re basically the same as the cyclists who happily sit behind you and enjoy your slipstream.  I was taking the brunt of the wind and they happily jogged *just* behind me to make sure I took the hit for them.  Charming.  Had I known, I would have suggested a chain-gang, but as it was, I simply swore repeatedly as they slink up behind me and then pushed on, which I guess is better in the long run (excuse the gag….)

Creepers aside, running with only a thousand other runners in loops meant that we were lapped – sometimes twice! – by members of the elite, but rather than worrying about it, it was actually amazing to see them streaking past, often shouting words of encouragement for our pace group.  It was hugely inspiring and utterly awesome.
It was good practice to experience the pre-race atmosphere (stressed and slightly manic as they were running behind) and the sensation of running with a lot of other people ahead of Barcelona.  The laps were obviously repetitive but I think four is just about manageable (although I can’t imagine the tedium of doing a marathon around the area…) but my music really bothered me – I didn’t really start listening to it properly until the third lap, but I found it irritating and not as motivational as I’d hoped.  Its making me wonder whether I might run the marathon with an audio book although I’m not sure….need to do some research….

Important lessons from the race:
1) I MUST do some yoga before the marathon as I have almost no core strength and my back was killing me from half way.
2) Half a gel, some sips of lucozade and a half-cup of water is not fuel.
3) I’ll need some good sunscreen for Barcelona.
4) I need to decide whether to listen to music or a book.
5) I should probably invest in some kind of pacing/GPS watch so I can at least check what time it is...

My time was 2:24 – about twenty minutes off my only other half marathon, which was absolutely great and I'm really pleased about.  The first race of 2012 is DONE so now it’s time to get the trainers back on *weep* and start racking up the miles for this week.