Race Review - Havering Half Marathon Sunday 6th October 2019

The Havering half marathon was something I didn't know existed until friends started to contact me to say it was being run again....for the first time in something like 25 years. 

Friends had started to enter as soon as it was announced.  Given this would be an opportunity to race in familiar surroundings whilst also helping to raise cash for a local mental health charity, I decided to enter.

Since I took up triathlon I don't really train specifically just for running now, as I have three sports to cover.  I usually use half marathons as training for the half iron man events.  However, since my triathlon season was done, this would be less of a training specific effort and more of a run for the sake of a run and to enjoy doing my bit for the local charity.  I planned to run with a good friend and just enjoy supporting a local race.

So, after I finished my last Triathlon (Clacton Tri - see separate post on how that went) I had grand plans to focus a few weeks of training to make sure I arrived on the start line with some good running legs.  But for reasons unknown to me, I lost a bit of motivation for training. I'd do a session and then not recover that well, so would take a rest day, or even two, then another session....not feel great and so the cycle repeated for a couple of weeks.  Maybe I had a virus/cold...who knows.....but I just couldn't be bothered with training.  Eventually I managed to string together a few 5 mile runs and the longest I ran was just over 9 miles, although that was mostly off road with some hills.  I had no idea of the course for the half marathon but hoped that going off road and with hills would serve me well on race day.

I carried on using the Turbo trainer in between runs as some active recovery but mostly because I just prefer cycling to running lately !

So a few days out, I was feeling ok.  I'd done some training, maybe not enough, but I knew I'd get round and seeing as it was a social run, there was no pressure.  And  then my mate went and got injured and knew he wouldn't  make it on the day....I was gutted as was he.  We were both looking forward to it.  So, what do I do now, try and 'race' the distance or just finish?

Race day dawns....and its so refreshing when the alarm goes off at 7am, rather than the usual 4am for triathlon race days.  What isn't so refreshing though is the gloomy sky and heavy rain.  I don't mind getting wet when I'm into an event....but starting an event in the rain isn't my preferred option if I'm honest especially the hanging about at the start when you've dropped your bag and all your nice warm/dry kit..   Anyhow, I pre-booked an uber via Mrs Mighty Tri and was dropped near the start with about 45 mins to spare.  Perfect.  The rain had stopped...maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

After catching up with some mates around the start area and then joining the queue to try out the portaloos, I dropped my bag and was ready for the start....or was I....nope, I needed the loo again.  I'm not sure why I can't seem to get my toilet strategy right these days? 

Soon enough I was in the start pen, ready to get underway.  There were some nice speeches by the race organizers saying how grateful they were to the runners for entering and turning up and raising money for their cause, thanking marshalls, volunteers etc.  Then moments later, we were off, well sort of....the classic 'surge' where we all trotted forward then quickly had to start back-pedaling as everyone upfront applied the brakes rather unexpectedly.  Haven't experienced that in a while, its not something that happens in Triathlon where you are typically running on your own (well, you are if you are me).

Anyhow, the official start came with a somewhat lame hooter and we were off this time.  No rain and even the sun started to make an appearance.  As is typical, after a mile I realized arm warmers were over-kill as I started to warm up nicely, but at least they can be easily rolled down.  What a great bit of kit they are.

So, what was my plan - how was I going to run?  I didn't have a plan really.  I was meant to have a steady run with my mate who wasn't able to start.  Should I try and go quicker, should I take it easy....in the end the decision was run to feel, so I settled into a pace that was under 8 minutes per mile and felt fairly comfy with that.  I was sure I could hold around 7.30 pace, but not sure I'd last the whole distance at that speed.  I had no idea where the course was taking me, so was pleasantly surprised when we turned off road and into a country park.  It was exactly like Pages Wood where I do a fair bit of my running.  And the course covered a fair bit of the parks and country parks around Havering.  It was very pleasant if not muddy and wet in places and rolling up and down.

After a few miles I caught a pacer but couldn't see the time they were targeting.  As I got closer, I saw it was 2hrs...wow, maybe I'd started slower than I thought...I needed to speed up, so I tried to move the pace on a bit.

Around the 10k mark I started to feel laboured and my legs felt heavier than they should for 6 miles in.  I hoped they would clear soon as I didn't fancy running the rest of the race like that. Luckily for me, I started to feel better and was still managing to hold a decent enough pace.  I hadn't seen any more pacers but thought I was on for at least 1hr 50 if I continued as I was.

Back onto some tarmac I noticed another pacer, so I was keen to see what time they were targeting.  I was really surprised to see them with a 1hr 45 attached to their shirt.  Wow, I was doing better than I thought.  I wondered if I might just follow the pacer in, 1:45 isn't such a bad time.  But I was running to feel and I felt ok so I continued at the pace I was and thought, if the pacer doesn't go past me, I should finish in around 1:40 or maybe just dip under if I could find some extra  speed.

Over  the last couple of miles, I really started to tie up a bit and had to really push hard to keep my pace somewhere near 8 minute miles.  I wondered if I should have taken a gel with me, but hadn't done so, so no point dwelling on that.  I must say, those last couple of miles I started to flounder but managed to keep my pace constant.  Seeing marshalls who were friends was a nice boost....that's the beauty of a local race I guess.

And before I knew it, I was in the finishing straight and despite my best efforts knew I wasn't going to dip under 1:40 this time but still I'd be near 1:40.  With the customary 'sprint' to finish, I crossed the line in 1:40 and some seconds.  I was actually surprised and really pleased.  I think the course was actually a tad short according to my Garmin.

I chatted to a few mates who'd finished before me and then went back to the hall to collect my bag and get into some fresh clothes.  I knew I had to run home as there was no one around to collect me.  A quick stretch in the bag collection hall, pack of Haribos and some water and I set off home....adding a further 3.5 miles to the total.

I thoroughly enjoyed this run.  Being local, seeing so many faces I knew in the crowd or acting as marshalls.  Despite it being a fairly grotty day, the support in places was great - It never fails to surprise me how many people come out to watch a bunch of people running.

Being this was the first time this event has taken place in around 25 years, lets hope it isn't the last time.  I would certainly enter again.

Now the focus turns to winter training and preparing for whatever races I might enter in 2020.