Sore legs at the Reading Half Marathon

This was my race for 2010 and I trained and focussed on it. This year it is a step on my way to the sub-4 hour Brighton Marathon.

But I've been training hard and am in good shape. As you can see from the blog, I have not run at all this week as I have been recovering from the Dunsfold 20.

The start of the race is really well organised. People are put in ability bands. This year I have moved up a band and into the band below elite (Sub 1:45)

The race starts late (sounds like problems on the course). It is crowded at first but I soon settle into my 4:45 target pace as the field spreads out. I have already scouted out the race profile. The first 3 miles are uphill, then flat until 5.5 miles and then 2 miles of climbing. From there it should be all downhill.

The first 3 miles I manage to keep the pace at 4:45. I can afford some slippage and make it up later. But I don't slip. There is a problem though. My legs hurt. In reality I don't think I have recovered from last weeks Dunsfold 20. My hamstring really hurts. I consider stopping to prevent injury ahead of the marathon. I decide to keep going.

I keep clinging on to the 1:45. I know that if I can make the 7.5 mile point it should be easier. But it doesn't get any easier. Around 8 miles the pace seems to be slipping. The mind is willing, the lungs are powering but the legs are rebelling.

At around 10 miles, I stop looking at the Garmin and decide to run pace-blind and just as hard as I can. After the ultra-marathon I'm tougher. I can keep going. But when your legs aren't obeying orders, it doesn't matter how mentally strong you are.

As I near the stadium some idiot, talking on his mobile phone swerves in front of me almost taking me out. I don't know if he was alerting people in the stadium to his approach. The legs are already in a bad mood and having to swerve round him really annoys the legs. I give him a volley of verbal abuse. He looks shocked. And so he should.

Into the stadium I am able to construct a sprint until I make the line. I look at the time. It is faster than last year by a couple of minutes. I should be happier but I have been working so hard this year, I feel it could have been better. Still it's a PB.

I had not run at all this week, but was still jaded. I need to get my legs back and working before the Brighton Marathon.

When the results come out I finish 2196/12483 which pleases me.

13.1 Miles 01:41:22 (PB)