A little off topic. What about the golf!
Sunday, 1st Ealing Half Marathon. 123rd consecutive day of running. First proper road event for me since London 2010 and only the 2nd race since the long grass of Wedding 7k.
A sold out 5000 field and a marathon like buildup by the organisers (pasta party, more porta loos than miles, twitter activity, emailouts etc etc)
Put myself on the front with all the other skinnies. Start delayed by car crash on the route so me and the other skinnies got cold.
Gun goes (Eventually after 20 min delay). I settle back with the brakes on keen not to get over excited. I’m in the top 50 though but there’s all sorts of shapes and sizes ahead. And even a bird (not fancy dress variety either).
Miles 2-4 are uphill. I was really surprised by how much. I don’t hills. The other skinnies are 60-65kg and I’m 85. I lose ground on them.
Go past my dad at mile 4 and he’s not aware of the delayed start so wondering what’s going on. ETP provides splits and position like the old pro he is. I’m up to 25th as all those fast starts blow up.
Check out the map on garmin. We take in a lot of twists and turns and quite a few more Ealing hills (similar to Norfolk ones I guess).
We go through mile 7 and ETP tells me I’m into the top 20. Picking off people one by one and feeling very strong.
Into a park, up a path, through a few housing estates, on and off the pavement, very windy in places as we’re on a ridge that the organiser seems to love and has us up and down like a bees wing. Oh how I miss the simplicity of Wokingham.
Each hill requires a big push to keep momentum.
I’m up to 18th I’m told and mile 11 goes by. It’s downhill all the way.
I climb to 16th then lose 2 positions as a Jap comes past. I think he must have left his car door open or something. I try and go with him only to have mini blow up.
I pass a pony tail bloke (Always satisfying) and the long and short of it is I finish in 16th in 1.17.58.
Disappointed with the time to be honest, very happy with the placing of course. I never go well over the hilly stuff though (500 ft of climbing is this one). I reckon I was in 1.16 shape on something like Wokingham. Still a way to go though as i’d like to run sub 1.15 at Wokingham in February.
Next outing Cabbage Patch 10. Hoping for a 57.30ish
Results – http://www.sportsystems.co.uk/ss/results/Ealing%20Half%20Marathon%202012/858
Garmin – http://connect.garmin.com/activity/228830844
Over and out
Rog
No Comments