Sunday 18 May 2008

White Peaks Swift half Mararthon (new record)

On the 17th of May 2008 i was to attempt this half marathon PB which i had had hanging over me for about 2 years, i knew i could beat it and what a race to choose to do it on.

This race is held on the Tissington Path (the old railway) and started high up at the highest point and made its way down to the canal, the last 4 miles had 3 very steep downhill sections, for anyone that knows the trail, imagine pelting down it at breakneck speed after 9 miles.....wooohoooooo..awesome...

It was a cool drizzly day which is perfect for running in, they gave us a lift to the start in coaches on the coach a guy named James started chatting to me, he was the eventual winner in a time of 1:15, I'm sure some of his speed rubbed off on me. heh heh.




I considered hopping all the way at first....

The coaches drop you off 3/4 of a mile from the start and we walked back along the trail to the start, on my walk i got talking to 'Onion' he was about 65, and had run umpteen marathons and half's and was legend in these parts i reckon, he was a lovely character and i was glad to of chatted for the 20 minutes we had before the start.

At the start we were all huddled on the single track and on the grass edging, you had to haggle for a good starting spot as i didn't want to get blocked in again like my last race, it was freezing but i had me black bin liner on until the last second, then the horn went and we were off.

The Garmin 305 was on and ready and within 30 sec i knew it was fast for me as i was running 7:30 min mile pace, in training i run 8:20 min mile pace, i knew if carried this on i would suffer big style later on....

But hey its a race, the day you throw it all in with the kitchen sink, the group spread out quickly and i was at the back of the leading group, normal for me and slowly slipping back ha ha....but i was holding the pace well and keeping within a good distance of a sweet youthful female arse, another one i could not quite catch....



Girl on left is the arse I could not catch, man on the right I also could not catch....


At 6, 7 and 8 miles and after a toilet break, i was still running at 7:32 min mile pace, and the pain was coming my legs were tiring the reality of that pace was kicking in and it hurt like hell. But this is the crux of the race the part that if you fight through the finish will be within site....i fought and gritted me teeth, it stung i could feel the cramps building, it was pain...it was PB time...

But then a break, the steepest of hills, one of 3 and i am good on the downhills, i pegged it slamming my feet as i went, passing so many.....flying i was, mind you when i hit the flat i nearly seized with pain and the people that id overtaken crawled back to get me, but then another hill, and i sped down that too, talking more scalps on the way, and the same thing happened a third time....the last mile was along a canal it was flat and my legs did not want to know...that last mile felt like 5 from hell itself.....the finish did not want to show itself.....

It was at this point that i knew i had smashed my PB which before was 1:51:00 (Nottingham) I was about to enter the exceptional group of people at my age who go sub 1:40...i could not believe it....

......round the last gate over a muddy field into the finish line and through the finish tunnel.....i was dead....that really really hurt...but wow..........

I finished in 1:37:33 (Official time) - 62th Place (out of 263)

I was so tired i just collapsed and fell into the arms of me girlie...who is also the cruel person who took the awful shots of me....heh heh...

An awesome day and i would recommend this race to any one.



Well maybe I shouldnt recommend it to anyone.........thats a PB for ya...pain..