When I wrote about running my first half marathon, I ended the post stating that I was considering running another one…… and I did. I took part in the Rock’n’Roll Dublin Half Marathon at the beginning of August.
This time I was not prepared. In fact I actually signed up for the race on 14 July 2015, which demonstrates how unserious I was about running this half marathon. My last long run was in mid-June, in preparation for the Nike Women’s 10k Run.
So why sign up?
I’m not going to lie – I did it for the race bling. I was initially going to do the 3km Fun Run and support my friends, but my conscience niggled; I couldn’t help but think I was going to regret not taking part in the half marathon. So in the end, I pushed common sense aside and signed up with 2 weeks to race day.
The race started early (8:30am) and quite promptly – I was on my way 10 minutes after the gun start compared to Run Hackney where it took 20 minutes to cross the start line. My aim was to go slow and steady, and I soon found my pace of about 6:30 per km; but this pace did not last long.
Given my lack of training and inclines (there were more than one and some sharper than others), my burnout happened earlier than expected and by about 14km I was like “Fuck. This”. The rest of the distance was a messy combo of power walking and shuffle jogging. I thought finish string, but my right calf threatened to cramp, so I gently jogged over the finish line. I wasn’t too bothered to be honest; I was just glad that the rain didn’t crash down until after the race.
I knew I wasn’t going to get a fast time due to my lack of training; the inclines during the course also affected me. I finished the half marathon in 2:37:46 – 8 minutes slower than the Hackney half-marathon.
I know I can get a faster time, but this half marathon was all about taking part. And the medal of course.
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I really liked how organised the race was. There was no queue dropping my bag off or picking it up, the. The atmosphere was lively and jolly; runners were stopping to take pictures at various points and there was live music at around every mile.
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| The love I have for these Tigers... |
Half marathons are really not my distance. But does that mean I wouldn’t sign up for another half?
Well, never say never…..
This looks like great fun - love that medal!
ReplyDeleteGreat post :)
ReplyDeletexoxo Antonella
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