I am feeling a low-level cold coming on. My family have all caught it, so I am up against it. Feeling crappy in the mornings, the kindof annoying cold where it doesn’t stop you running. It just makes running feel rubbish.
Thursday it is worse, I can’t run in the morning, infact, I go to bed at around 3pm to sleep it off (I can sleep off anything).
Friday I’m feeling much better, which is fortunate, as after my run I am driving down to London for the weekend.
Have a lovely time meeting up with everyone. Pub dinner, pub lunch, parkrun with sis, and getting looked after so well by my mam. Love getting looked after by my mam.
Sunday morning I get up at 6am (that really should be illegal), and drive to Reading. Lovely sunny weather after a hideous week of gales.
Feeling abit meh, but also just looking forward to racing. Reading is hilly and twisty, so it’s difficult to run even pace. I am hoping for anywhere around 5.10 miling.
As we get underway, I am enjoying myself. You often know in the first mile how the race is going to go, first mile is 5.01, race will go well. We run a few miles up hill, but the wind is on our backs. The road levels out and I find myself picking up stragglers already. As I pass people they are hanging onto the back of me. None are offering any help with the headwind, so it is starting to annoy me. I remember that mile 4 is incredibly twisty-turny around Reading Uni. I decide to utilise the concertina effect. Every time we get to a turn, I accelerate hard out of it, and the gaps behind me grow, being infront is now an advantage. When we return to the road I have shaken off all but one. I move aside to let him lead and notice that it is Paul Graham, who says to me;
“Sorry Russ, but I’m not doing any leading today, just here for a free ride, if you’re offering. But I’ll buy you a pint after”
I don’t really talk when I’m racing, but have to laugh at his candour. I give him a thumbs up and get back to the task.
We manage to pull up to another runner, Tim. My overtaking wakes him up, and he fights to regain control. It is the three of us for the next 3-4 miles, Paul loses touch, and then I start to as well. The last 2 miles are pretty flat and straight. My shit, piece of shit, watch runs out of battery, so I have no idea how fast I’m going. But I see John Gilbert up ahead. Kent AC teammate and fantastic runner, he is still far away but I’m gaining on him. This is getting exciting. I am working, working to catch him, Tim catches him, and John latches on to him, Tim gets away, I am catching again. For 2 straight miles it is just me and John. He doesn’t know anything about it, and he must be hurting more than me, but he is not giving up. If I can make contact now, I should be able to outsprint him in the stadium. It is easier said than done.
I claw myself up, I have closed the gap to around 3 seconds, then, out of nowhere, my mum appears, and starts cheering for me, she has a very loud voice for her size;
Come on Russell! Do it for Emma-Layla!
Although I am very happy my parents have come to watch (I thought they were having a lie in), John also hears this, he doesn’t look back (he is much too classy for that), but he cranks up that big gear of his. We turn up a hill, right into the wind, and he is too strong. I can’t catch him.
I have been so absorbed in this duel, that I have forgotten about time, I see the clock as we enter the stadium, I am very close to my pb, I sprint, but it’s not quite enough.
Fantastic race though, and I’m very happy with my 2nd fastest half (a mere 7 seconds slower), on heavy marathon legs. Relieved to see the training paying off, a month ago I ran a half marathon 3 minutes slower, read post here.
Very proud of my training partners, Tom and Cal, who have their own epic duel, and both smash their pbs to join the sub 70 club in style. A rising tide lifts all boats.
We have time to mingle and chat in the sunlit stadium for abit, I love this part. Scott Overall, Paul Marteletti, Matt Clowes, all excellent runners, much better than me. But when you meet them you see just how human they all are. We’re all going through the exact same stuff. Same struggles, same life problems. I find a lot of comfort in that. It makes their successes feel less alien.
Chocolate Milkshake with my folks then 5hr drive back to Wales. Nina comes down to talk with me while I get through my 10 miles on the treadmill. Finish up at 9.15pm.
| 11/03/2019 | AM | PM |
| Monday | 3 | 8tm |
| feeling bit under the weather | ||
| Tuesday | 6 | 20x200m in 30 sec (200m jog in 1min40). 7 miles total |
| Crazy windy, 54mph to be exact | ||
| Wednesday | 10tm | 10tm |
| feel groggy am run. Feel worse in pm run, bad sign | ||
| Thursday | REST | REST |
| coughing and sneezing, very early night | ||
| Friday | 11tm | drive to London (7hrs) |
| feeling much better | ||
| Saturday | 15 | REST |
| Sunday | Reading Half – 67.41. (17th). 20 miles total | 10tm |
| Drive from race back to Wales 5hrs. Finish pm run at 9.15pm | ||
| TOTAL: | 100 miles | tm = treadmill |
Non-Running Highlight Of The Week:
My Brother-in-law Patrick, is a professional editor, and very kindly gives up some of his Saturday to teach me the basics in editing. I am not easy to impress, but he is very impressive. My mind is abit blown. He takes my latest drone footage and makes it look so brilliant. Far and away the best yet. Very excited to share with you below…
Best Thing On The Internet This Week:
If you are one of the few people who hasn’t seen it yet, then just do it. Funny, sad, masterful.
Thing I’m Digging This Week:
Billy Eilish – Wish You Were Gay
I ran Reading Half in the excellent CloudFlash. Click here to check out the ON range
I do half my training on the smooth and powerful NoblePro. Click here to see their treadmills