I'd entered my friend Tom into the race as thanks for cat sitting for me and was looking forward to meeting up with him his girlfriend Dayna and our other friend Luke... I say friends they are both actually exes so it was rather a random day out for the three of us. With the gun going off at 9.30am I was getting jittery when Tom messaged me to ask if I had any spare safety pins for the their numbers and they would be at my house (a five minute walk from the start) after 9am...after 9am more like get here now so I'm not freaking out about being late.
Once our race numbers were sorted, timing chips on trainers we made the short walk over the Worcester Warriors Rugby ground. It was by now around 9.20am and I was desparate for a wee even though I had been for 6 already at home that morning.. a quick sprint to the loo was needed and we finally made it to the starting pens bang on time, we found our pen of 2-3 hours even though I knew both lads would run it quicker we wanted to start together. With a short walk to the starting point I couldn't help but remember the nerves and anticipation I felt last year not knowing what I was faced with and how I would cope, this year being alot different in some ways for the better and some ways not. Maybe it's better to not know what the wall feels like?
We crossed the start line and I'd already told Tom and Luke to go on without me I wanted to run my own race and not feel I had to keep up with them running some stupid fast pace of 7.30 min miles! It all started off well, taking part in a race that is actually on your doorstep is fantastic and I think this was the most prepared I have ever been for a run. Camel bak on with flappy strappy bits secured and my new Spry Ultra Vest being tested on it's longest run to date again with flappy strappy bits secured. Phone and Jelly babies in pocket along with plenty of tissues (please see previous blogs about snot rags and glasses) I'd also found a neat little way of threading my headphone cable through my spry vest so I had no jiggly bits bouncing round my neck it was possibly..no definitely the most comfortable run I've ever done.
Same as last year course straight away we were faced with a big hill, I hate hills. I ran up it and decided to practice my breathing as in previous races running up hills makes me go very light headed. We were soon tootling along country roads and the most confusing thing was the yellow signs telling the runners to keep to the right however everyone continued to run on the left and vise versa throughout the course, I just followed everyone else. Around mile 5 I had found my pacer a lady that was maintaining 10.22 - 10.30 min miles, although I would have loved a pb I knew I had no chance due to how hilly the course is so I was happy just running comfortably behind her... then low and behold the half marathon runners were diverted to the right down a little road to run around a traffic cone and back up. This was to make the full distance to 13.1 miles at the end. In last years race the cone part happened right at the end which meant you couldn't get a straight sprint finish. I preferred the cone bit being in the middle of the race to the end but as my pacer lady was running the full marathon she didn't divert off with me and I lost her.
I continued on on my own and found myself running behind a girl who had a wonky leg it kept kicking out awkwardly and once I'd noticed it was all I was looking at worried she was going to hit me, I tried to overtake her but she sped up and I had no choice but to stay behind. I soon got boxed in by around 6 of the Black Pear Joggers which is the local running group I'm a member off. I didn't know any of them so didn't talk to them but they had boxed me right in behind wonky leg girl and weren't running quick enough or with any intention of over taking me. I felt completely trapped all I could do was slow down my pace and let them break free then carry on a little behind them all... I'm not sure what happened to wonky leg girl after that but I don't remember her being an ongoing issue. The weather couldn't have been better it was warm and sunny but the wind was blowing at some points which was nice to get a breeze to cool down. The route was the same as last year so I knew what was coming and when, time was no issue and I just enjoyed myself until mile 10.
Mile 10 and my right knee went funny, I didn't stumble or land funny but all of a sudden it felt like I'd twisted my knee cap and was ever so painful but I kept bumbling along although slower now than before. I decided to walk up the rest of the hills not wanting to cause more damage and mile 12 came with a right bi*ch of a hill! "I don't remember this from last year" I thought but it must have been there last year as they hadn't changed the course.. it was a bit under a dark underpass leading us up onto the canal to the finish. There was no way I was running and was horrified by the amount of people clapping and cheering at the top to me casually strolling on up. Canal in sight I started running and over taking people I came into the rugby ground car park just as the heavens opened and the rain came down but it was quite welcome as I was so hot. The rain lasted a few minutes and just by the finish line who do I see but Tom, Luke and Dayna they had finished and were heading back to my house but saw me and started cheering me on. What good timing hey...
I sprinted to the finish and made sure I was smiling so I could maybe once just once get a picture of me running where I look happy.
I finished in 2 hours 17 minutes not a half marathon pb but a course pb none the less. I grabbed my T-shirt (I had already faced the dissapointment the night before when I discovered they weren't giving out medals this year) and hobbled to the find the guys. "what good timing that was" I said thinking they had just finished before me, turns out they had ran it in 1 hour 46 minutes and Tom very kindly pointed out they had been sat in the bar drinking until I finished! Probably could have gone shopping in tesco, walked the dog and pegged the washing out too.All in all it was the perfect race, from the perfect company, running gear, weather and course time and topped off nicely with food and drinks in the pub afterwards I couldn't complain...well except about not having a medal.
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