Me: 1 – Auckland 1/2 Marathon: 0
Last Sunday, November 2nd I completed my first ever 1/2 marathon event in the 2008 Auckland Marathon and I am chuffed. A year or so ago I wouldn’t have thought I’d be running a 5K race let alone a 21.09Kms 1/2 marathon! Actually, to be honest I wouldn’t have thought I’d have run around the block.
In one of my training runs leading up to the event, I had ran what I thought at the time was 22Km in 2 hours 10 minutes so I thought if I could nail 2 hours for 1Km less, I’d be pretty happy. As it was, on race day I found out the training run was only 21Ks just like the 1/2 marathon, so when I finished and my time was 1 Hour 53 Minutes I was blown away. I chopped 17 minutes off my time – groovy!
Most of the race I felt pretty good (Except for going up the hills. I know now I need LOTS more hill training) but I did however find it damn tough for the last 5K’s and my pace dropped off a bit. Up until that point I had been going along at around 5:15/Km, but finished at 5:36/Km. I was also quite surprised at how off-putting it was missing a distance marker; I didn’t know exactly how long I had to go and whether I should up my pace for the end. That and people were starting to pass me regularly which is a little depressing. My instinct is to put on the gas so as not to be passed, but of course you run the risk of running out of fuel and collapsing in a heap, with jelly for legs.
But in the end I crossed the line, wobbled a bit, made it out the exit gate and met up with other runner friends for a good hearty lunch at Mexicalli.
Sorry I don’t have any photos, my wife was trying to get some with my SLR and she’s not used to it, so all the ones of me are blurry and too tiny.
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