Well, I've been going on about a half I have had planned this weekend in the last few posts. I was well prepared for it in terms of hydration, rest and food and I felt good, although I was feeling a bit peckish on the start line. Unfortunately, 5 minutes before the start I was told that due to flooding the course was going to be shortened to only 12 miles!! This was confirmed on the start line by the person on the tannoy. I shouldn't have let it, but this affected me right at the start and I went off too quickly. In hindsight, this was a stupid reaction but at that point I was thinking "Sod it! It's not going to count as a half PB, so let's see what I can do". However, from about mile 8 the road markings (and my Garmin) suggested that if anything it was going to be over distance....and it was! It ended up being 13.22 miles.
Anyway, enough of the excuses. The first 8-9 miles went well (in terms of how I was feeling), I needed a pit stop in mile 11 and ended up doing the 13.22 miles in 1:47:49...this is averaging 08:09 min/mile and any way I look at it, that's a PB (if not "officially"), so I've got to be happy with that. For some reason though, I'm not happy....I think that realistically I'm still shy of the sub 8min/mile half pace which is frustrating me! I even said on here that I expect my time would be more like 1:48, but the confusion at the start put me in a bad mood!
Also, the last 2 miles were slower (by some margin) than the first 2, which I know is not a good thing, although I did pick it up a bit on the finishing straight.
It was a flat course, and the rain did stop at the start of the event. It was funny, because at mile 4ish people were taking tops off as it was hot, but the temperature dipped and mile 9ish onwards it was very cold.
Because I went off too quickly, I haven't really learnt anything in relation to pacing a half marathon event, or what my training paces should be for the marathon that is in 12 weeks time.
Oh well....I'll take what I can from it. Onwards and upwards! I have another Half Marathon at the start of March, so I'll see how that one goes.
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