I usually associate southend races with the October time 10K (in fact my first blog race description). This was a new event to me on a flat(ish) 2 lap course along the sea front. My initial pre-race thoughts were the novelty at running a relatively small scale half marathon for a change (far less start congestion and far easier to run in a free uninhibited manner from the beginning) and also mild trepidation/ regret at having run 5 miles the day before (probably not overly advisable… only as a self handicapping mechanism).
From the very beginning I seemed to run in a flowing and streamlined manner. My aim (especially in light of running the day before) was to somehow get around in under 1 hour and 30 minutes. My previous half marathon, namely Sheffield, was accomplished in just over 90 minutes. (Although there is much that could be said about the mitigating hindrance of starting right at the back of the race. This is seldom a tactic conducive to a spectacular time).
Unbelievably I found myself sustaining a nimble and robust time of 6.5 minute miles. This was at least true for the first 7 miles. From here onwards the onset of runners riggor mortis commenced. While never overtly in a great degree of discomfort I could feel my inner combustion and momentum fading.
Knowing other participants in the race also had the beneficial effect of regular contact. The course winds back on itself at several points so you can frequently check up on the progress of friends… Just as they can check up on your progress (the virtue of compresence I think its called). The occasionally hilarity of exchanging salutations with fellow competitors was a good method of pain distraction. It was also reminiscent of the goldfish bowl scene in Monty Pythons “The Meaning of Life.” The thought of going for a post race quality fish and chip fix is also another means to keep going in adversity.
From about 8 miles onwards the field had thinned out and I was mostly running alone with infrequent direct contact with fellow runners. This was another bonus compared to the chicken cooped melee of bigger city runs. It also meant I could concentrate on my own running style, technique and propulsion (or in this case its atrophying). This dispersal of competitors is a much more welcoming proposition than the brownian motion style near collision of the bigger events. By the time I had double backed on the seafront road for the last time and passed the 10 mile marker I could feel myself noticeably slowing. In spite of my efforts to inject more pace (or even sustain my previous swiftness) I found myself trying to calculate how much pace deterioration I could allow myself and still get under 90 minutes. Especially with the windy and narrow finish I found myself wishing for it to end. I also felt dehydrated in spite glugging regular intakes of water. Fortunately (and somewhat miraculously) I finished in just under 90 minutes. Plus I had a whole 10 seconds to spare. Overall immensely enjoyable and it imparted a sense of achievement in adversity (or was that just the post race fish fest and beer)
Time: 1:29:50
Position: 69th
I usually post my after race meal, however this time its only appropriate to showcase the unbelievably fruity “power porridge” devoured pre race. How many fruits can you spot here??
Still ridiculously hard to capture on camera (or perhaps it reveals the limitations of reaction of digital)
Breaking for home (or maybe just breaking!)
