But at least it was a medal this time.
A disastrous half marathon for me; anyone seeing me run or train would know that I stop dead still up hills because the hamstrings and calves break if I run up them; and I crawl down hills because I don't like the jarring.
So wouldn't you know it; today's half marathon had a series of sharp hills to negotiate.
And I broke.
A tentative jog on the first few rises didn't help; by 16k I was so sore I could barely move. Then it was touch and go whether I could continue or would have to pull out. With about three kms to go I had a tussle with a W75 whom I had lapped! I think she passed me three times!
Story of the run
It was a three lap course; during the first 7k lap I had an eye on two M55s who I thought would expect to be first and second; but who I knew I could keep in touch with. I was trailing through about 10-20 seconds behind them when at about 5k they passed another M55 I hadn't seen; I caught him without any extra effort and when he surged to take over from me again "I knew I had him". At 6k I passed him again, just running my steady 4:10s (except on the hilly bits), and he didn't surge the second time. That left me in third still.
First lap 30 mins; second lap 31 and I was tying up a little, still keeping within range of the M55 leaders, but realising by then that a sub 90 was unlikely.
2k into the final lap with 5k to go, the right hamstring "went". It MAY not be a muscle strain; it may be cramp. Then I slowed; stopped; tried to stretch; started again at a hobble; stopped again and so on. But although a number of people passed me, no other M55 was in sight. In particular, the guy I had passed earlier must have given up. A lesson here perchance? So I struggled on, somehow negotiated the remaining hills, and walk/jogged to the line for bronze. Speedy goose outkicks tame goose yet again.
My laps were 30, 31, and 35.30 for a grand total of a very poor 96.30. If I had maintained my 4:10 pace, as I should have, it would have been gold not bronze.
Oh - and SpeedyBarbara got silver in 2:01, very close behind the winner.
Photos later!
A disastrous half marathon for me; anyone seeing me run or train would know that I stop dead still up hills because the hamstrings and calves break if I run up them; and I crawl down hills because I don't like the jarring.
So wouldn't you know it; today's half marathon had a series of sharp hills to negotiate.
And I broke.
A tentative jog on the first few rises didn't help; by 16k I was so sore I could barely move. Then it was touch and go whether I could continue or would have to pull out. With about three kms to go I had a tussle with a W75 whom I had lapped! I think she passed me three times!
Story of the run
It was a three lap course; during the first 7k lap I had an eye on two M55s who I thought would expect to be first and second; but who I knew I could keep in touch with. I was trailing through about 10-20 seconds behind them when at about 5k they passed another M55 I hadn't seen; I caught him without any extra effort and when he surged to take over from me again "I knew I had him". At 6k I passed him again, just running my steady 4:10s (except on the hilly bits), and he didn't surge the second time. That left me in third still.
First lap 30 mins; second lap 31 and I was tying up a little, still keeping within range of the M55 leaders, but realising by then that a sub 90 was unlikely.
2k into the final lap with 5k to go, the right hamstring "went". It MAY not be a muscle strain; it may be cramp. Then I slowed; stopped; tried to stretch; started again at a hobble; stopped again and so on. But although a number of people passed me, no other M55 was in sight. In particular, the guy I had passed earlier must have given up. A lesson here perchance? So I struggled on, somehow negotiated the remaining hills, and walk/jogged to the line for bronze. Speedy goose outkicks tame goose yet again.
My laps were 30, 31, and 35.30 for a grand total of a very poor 96.30. If I had maintained my 4:10 pace, as I should have, it would have been gold not bronze.
Oh - and SpeedyBarbara got silver in 2:01, very close behind the winner.
Photos later!
