Still kicking myself....I rolled over and let them tickle my belly....
Mon - 9.5km Claregalway recovery run 35:53 (3:47's)
Tue am - 2.0km up, 4 x 5 mins off 1 mins, 1.6km down. All up 10.0kms
Wed - Claregalway 14.8km recovery run 58:02 (3:55's)
Thu - 3.0km up, 10 x 30 secs at 10km pace, 3.0km down. All up 7.6kms
Fri - Sprowston 7.3km easy run 32:18 (4:25''s)
Sat - Rest
Sun - Norwich Half Marathon 3rd in 70:39 (3:21's). All up 23.1kms
Total for the week 72.3kms
A nice easy week in the build up to the half. Woke up on the day of the race to a good dusting of snow. Thought it would be postponed but luckily the roads were all okay. Got to the showground and it was juicing down and eventually did a few kms warm-up getting soaked in the process. Then it stopped raining for the start of the race. Very cold but good conditions.
A group of 4 formed after the start. After a mile this was down to 3. Then after 2 miles it was myself and Adrian Mussett. Felt great and was ticking over nicely at 5:20/mile pace. Got to 4 miles and Adrian made a move - I decided to let him go as the intensity felt more like 10k pace than half marathon and I then settled into solo running mode which I'm well used to. The miles were ticking over nicely and the pace was still on target - good splits and bad splits depending on terrain. Through halfway and I could still see Adrian no more than 30 seconds up the road with nobody behind me. Then at 7 miles my lace came undone. To start with I ignored it but after another half mile the shoe was getting very loose so I decided to stop to tie the lace...
Being very cold and with no gloves it was liking tying your lace in slow motion. It probably only took around 10 seconds but it seemed like an eternity. I started running again feeling rather annoyed as I'd lost ground on Adrian but still nobody behind me that I could see. I then ran well up until 11 miles but I knew someone was closing in on me as the gap on the claps as I passed small pockets of support on the course was now down to less than 10 seconds....
I should have mentioned that it was a new course this year. One big lap instead of 2 laps which was most welcome. But I knew there was a big climb to come just after 11 miles and if I was caught on the hill I was in trouble.....and then Piers caught me on the hill and I let him sail past me. Not one bit of fight in me as I encouraged him on....
At 12 miles it was a nice flat loop of the showground to finish, It felt like the legs were gone but looking at the splits I was still running well. But there was no catching Piers who finished like a train and with nobody behind me I decided to coast home crossing the line in 70:39 for 3rd place.
I've ran over 250 races and it's only the second time I recall where a lace has come undone. It cost me a PB today and if I had any fight whatsoever I should have ran 70:15. Piers finished brilliantly and took 25 seconds out of me in the last mile and a half with the winner (Adrian) running 69:45. I put in a very soft performance which is most unlike me. Could of, should of, would of.....but didn't.
Still a good drink after and nice to see the mighty Spurs play well in beating the happy hammers 4-1. Will the sub 70 ever come? I'm beginning to wonder now....
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