Bridgwater Half Marathon
Here it is, my return to my favourite distance. I had a feeling Bridgwater half marathon wasn’t going to be easy but I didn’t expect such a tough day.
Dealing with pre race nerves
Like many runners, I get nervous before races. In fact, I get a little bit nervous before most runs, even the short easy ones. Ever since I’ve been running I’ve suffered from what is affectionately known as “runners tummy”. In other words, needing the loo several times before you run or race.
I’d made a point of telling Steph on Friday that I was feeling more nervous about this race than normal. I don’t know whether it was the distance or that I hadn’t raced a half marathon since January. Either way, when I got up on Sunday morning I felt terrible. So bad in fact that at one point I briefly considered it might actually be more than nerves causing my stomach to do cartwheels.
Regardless, I made the decision to go and see how I felt when I got there. I felt better just by putting my kit on and once ready, I made it out the door.
Having arrived at the venue nice and early due to being concerned about parking, I went to get my number. Once in race HQ I bumped into a couple of fellow Burnham Harriers. One of them was Kev, a very good and experienced runner. I explained to him how I’d been feeling and his advice was sensible. Don’t go crazy and treat it as a training run. If only I’d taken on said advice.
Great turnout by the Burnham Harriers
It wasn’t long before more Harriers turned up. As this race is very local to us, there was another pretty good turn out from our running club. Talk soon turned to what time everyone was going for. As one of the faster runners at the club, everyone seems to expect you to be going for a quick time.
A quick time is something I’d have loved to have gone for. However, with only one 10 mile run in the bank since my return from injury, I knew I wasn’t going to get one. That didn’t stop my mind playing tricks on me though. Tim, another quick runner, was planning to go for 1hr30. The competitor in me instantly thought, ooh, I can do that too. Wrong. That was my first mistake, allowing myself to even contemplate that kind of time despite knowing it was totally unachievable.
Half marathons are tough
So what did I do at the start of the race? I set off hard and fast like the idiot I am. I know better than that and I would soon regret it. Running is a funny sport, to really push yourself you need to be able to leave your comfort zone. This isn’t an easy thing to do and I know from experience that some of my best times have come from digging deep down into those dark places you wouldn’t normally go.
Struggling in the heat
Despite making a quick start, I soon eased off the pace and was passed by both Tim and Kev. Normally this would bother me as I know I’m a faster runner than the pair of them when fit. At that moment though, it dawned on me that I wasn’t going to enjoy this race.
After running a decent first two miles at 6.56 & 7.12, I was soon slowing down the further I went. At mile 3 I knew I was in trouble. I had somewhat prepared myself to struggle physically at times during this race, but what I hadn’t banked on was struggling mentally. With 10 miles still to go I was done. I wanted it to be over.
There is nothing to be ashamed of if you get a DNF (did not finish) in a race but calling it quits less than halfway through was never going to happen. I toughed it out and managed to keep the pace relatively consistent over the next few miles, albeit a lot slower than I’d have liked.
Trying to keep the legs moving against their will
Walking during a race is something I always try to avoid. Despite this, I made a point of walking at every water station after nearly choking at the first one. Trying to drink out of a paper cup while running is not easy!
The weather was playing its part too. The previous week I was wet through before I even started the Severn Bridge 10k. In Bridgwater, it was overcast and muggy until around mile 9 when the sun came out. And boy did it ever. The heat was intense with no shade and very little breeze. This played a large part in me posting a 9.05min split for that mile. Any energy I had left was sapped away by the unrelenting heat.
I managed to pick it up a little, knowing I was only a Parkrun distance from the finish but it didn’t get any easier. By this point though, it was no longer a race. For me it had become a training run with a medal at the end. In most races I like to finish strong. I either kick on in the last couple of miles or at least attempt a sprint finish. At the end of this race, I had nothing left to give and was extremely relieved to cross the finish line.
The picture of a man relieved to have finished!
Top takeaways from the race
Getting back to the half marathon distance.
Do not underestimate the half marathon distance. For such a long time this distance has been comfortable for me but I must remember that it takes time to get back to where you were.
Anxiety can massively effect your energy levels.
I’m not a particularly anxious person but I think I may have built this race up too much in my head. After the first couple of miles I had a massive adrenalin dump that robbed me of a lot of energy. Having got this race out of the way, I’m hoping that Bristol half marathon will be a much more positive experience.
I wont be retaining my first local male trophy this year.
Despite considerable improvements in my fitness, this race was a reality check. I am not ready to race competitively. Burnham half marathon is a month away and that is not enough time to build to that kind of level of performance. But that’s ok, its all part of the journey.
I plan to build my fitness up over the winter with no pressure of time goals and enjoy getting back to long runs. I may also get myself a running coach but that’s a story for another day.
