Race Report #1 - sortta

Thursday

In preparation for being away we dropped Tamale the wonder puss (greyhound) at our dear friend Aunty Brooke for what Tamale says is better than a dog dish full of ice-cream.

Dinner is shared at the Dirty Dawg where I order the Wichi-Wichi Chilli ..... the waitress asks ... after I say I'll have the chilli ... Whitchy, Whitchy? ... I point at the menu (an item called Wichi-Witchi Chilli) ... this still amuses me .... but no one else.

My choice turns out to be a handful of cheese-flavoured doritos, a slopful of salsa, beans and a spoonful of mince ..... the fat drips off the side of the plate as I woof the lot down.

Friday morning I packed the car after Katy had gone to work ... this was a collection of boxes with all I could imagine in 5 minutes that we would need for a weekend away ... 6 or 7 sets of running gear for 5 races should do it?

We headed off before 4pm having left work early ... all bound for Warwick whilst Katy continued to cry "are we there yet" much to her own ... and only her own ... amusement.

I enjoyed a T-Bone steak washed down with 2 pints of Guinness ... and we retired for an early night in Motel Jackie Howe.

Around 2am the sedative effects of my two pints of Ireland's best, had worn off and I wondered what my game plan might be for the half marathon in the morning. Rarely, if ever, do I omit a game plan .... but such was the case. In my mind was elevator music, Homer Simpson style. Bugger. I'll wing it ....

So in the morning, I lined up completely clueless. The gun fired and I ran.

Immediately the plan emerged from the mist .... a third a third a third ..... first 7 km easy, relaxed .... at 7 km settle into comfortable speed and at the 14 km put the effort in.

Right from the start, the pace was on ... the first 1 km covered in 4:13 (6:48 mile pace). All I did was remained relaxed .... so the next few were 4:20 (6:59/mile) 4:20 and 4:20 ..... who knew 4:20 would be easy?

4k to 5k was a big ass hill ... 4:44 (7:38 per mile) .... 5 to 6 back to 4:22, then 4:19, 4:22, 4:22 and 4:20. 10K passed in 43:47. The fog and mist was so thick it was hard to work out if we were running uphill or downhill. This makes for a special experience, seeing only a few runners ahead disappearing in only several hundred metres ahead. Along the way there are cows and other farmmery stuffs.

Around 6K and guy in a blue and yellow cap flew past ... he was on a mission. I'm now well into third number #2 ... 4:27 ... hmmm a little slow, 4:27 (7:11 mile) again, 4:22 ok the mental concentration remains to work the pace down ... and then .... 4:27 ... bugger!

4:31 for 14 to 15K. Followed by 4:32 (7:19 min/mile).

Good news ... I'm at 16K ... 2K beyond third #2 only 5K left. The big hill isn't so hard to work through and I post 4:46 (7:42 mile) for this.

wheeeeee .... down the other side 4:20 .......

still got a little zing left ....

4:46 for the next hilly bit ... lifted by the cavalcade of cars leap frogging to cheer runners on ..... this event is something along the lines of the Tour De France .... cars follow the runners along the route ... winding windows down and cheering you on, stopping waving pom poms and clapping ... it is all very supportive and encouraging.

Back down the other side 4:20 (7:00 mile) and then 4:23 so pleased to be holding pace near the end.

4:27 as I cover the last rise but this time kicking in as I know the end is near. Yeah 4:27 up a hill with 1 K to go .... I'm feeling strong (not really, but I'll tell myself that!).

I know I 'm close to breaking 1hr 33min so stretch out a little ... my last K, 4:03 (6:32/mile) ... this includes stopping to raise my knee to my chest as a stitch had struck.

My last recorded speed was 5:30 min/mile, 3:24/K.

1:32:54 (7:08/mile) 4:25/K ..... a real confidence booster for my next marathon ....