Race report for Potters Arf Marathon, Hanley, Stoke on Trent on Sunday 12 June 2011
When we (Ian came with me for support) set off from home the weather wasn’t too bad, getting a little cloudy but mostly sunny.
By the time we had arrived in Hanley, after parking about a 5-10 min walk away, it had started to rain. After about half an hour I was starting to get cold and the rain was really coming down. I was seriously wondering who’s daft idea was this? Oh yeah, mine!
Finally the time came to start the race. I checked again to make sure I had a good supply of jelly babies for the race and went to join the rest of the runners at the meeting point. All 1235 of us were then lead the approximately 5 minutes walk to the start. My hands were already starting to go numb from the cold, wind and rain.
Once the race started it took about a minute to get to the chip mats at the start line from where I was stood near the back of the runners.
I did really well for the first half, managed just short of 6.5 miles in the first hour, so felt I was on target for a good time. The hill at just over 4 miles didn’t slow me down too much. At about 7.5 miles my left hip started to ache. I decided that I could have a short walking break at 8 miles and carried on. I got just past 8 miles when I really did need the break to try and easy off the stiffness in my hip. I wasn’t struggling with the race in any other way but that ache. I had paced it well as far as breathing etc went. Anyway, every mile after that I had short walking breaks to ease off the ache.
Coming up to 10 miles I ran past a man walking and heard him say “What a great sight!”. I looked round to thank him and he said “the 10 mile marker”. Charming! I thought and carried on.
Then I got to a corner at about 11.5 miles and looked up. I was at the bottom of the steepest hill I have ever tried to run up! I gave it a go, but soon decided that I wasn’t going to get up there any other way but by walking. I walked half way, and then tried to run the rest but it was more of a fast walk, slow jog. I made it though which is all that matters.
Coming up to the finish I saw 2 or 3 runners in front of me, dug deep and sprinted as fast as my tired, achy legs would go, got past them and cheered at the end! My official chip time was 2 hrs 9 mins 5 secs.
The support on the way round with people out in the freezing rain and wind, looking on from the doors of their homes etc was great. It helped me a lot at the hardest parts. It put a smile on my face and for a few seconds I forgot how much I was struggling in parts. I even got a few “Well done, keep it up’s” from some of the Police Officers who were there controlling traffic.
All I can say is I don’t think that I have ever been so wet and cold after a race as I was today. I really couldn’t stop shaking with cold.
Would I do it again? Probably yes, if only to get the bronze medal for getting in under 2 hrs. Role on next year!
0 comments:
Post a Comment