My First Official Half-Marathon

For those of you who have been reading my blogs for some time, you'll know that last year in July I completed my first ever half marathon and wrote about it here. Back then I was in a different situation to now: COVID was causing havoc in the UK, university was all online and I used to run as a way to destress and let off some steam. One year and 3 months on, I still run, but my reasons for running a half marathon this time round were different. This blog will go into the pre, during and post-race experiences and anything I think is worth sharing with you all.

Race Prep

I must admit, race training and preparation did not go to plan as I hoped this time round! When I signed up for this race, I was still living and working in Aberdeen over the summer and thought that I would have enough time once I returned to London to train for this. By 'train', I mean being able to get my weekly milage up to a good level, alongside weight sessions in the gym. Turns out I ended up being fairly busy back in London, so I only had a limited amount of time to train.

The worst thing that can happen during training is picking up an injury that inhibits further training, or worse, means you have to pull out of the race. With the limited amount of weeks I had (it was about 4!), I didn't try to aim for the same weekly milage that you would get from a longer training programme. Instead, I focussed on getting back on the road and running comfortably. I combined this with weight training (something I mentioned in my previous blog) which helped strengthen my muscles during this time.

It's important to note that each individual is different when it comes to half-marathon prep, so the time that you take to prepare will vary. For me, I'm thankful that my base level of fitness is already pretty good (I'm generally quite an active person and had also been on a couple of hiking holidays prior to the race), so I was confident that my fitness and stamina was there.

Nutrition and hydration were important in the week building up to race day. Make sure that you're actively remembering to stay hydrated well in advance, and get a large amount of carbs in your diet in the days up to the race to build up those long term energy stores. This will help your performance on the day as your body will be well fuelled and hydrated.

Race Day

I would say that my race prep for this half marathon and the one I did last year were pretty similar. Where the difference came was how I performed on the day.

Lee Valley Velo Park is located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London. The day started at 05:15 to get ready, catch the train, and arrive at 08:15 for registration. My race started at 09:30, so I arrived with plenty of time to spare, to warm up, stretch and soak in the atmosphere. To track your times we had to attach a tag around our shoe, and pin a race bib to our tops. The organisers, RunThrough, had also set up a bag drop where you could securely leave your belongings. This was really handy, especially if you've come by yourself and want to keep your valuables safe. Taking part in an organised race was much nicer than running it yourself: you had access to a medical team, water, snacks and other facilities which took care of all logistics.

The Lee Valley Velo Park course was 13 laps of a 1-mile closed loop. It was all road running, and the loop actually had more inclines than I was expecting (I think there were about 5 as your go around a single loop). They aren't really long but trust me, I felt each and every one towards the end! The route is all clearly signposted and marked.

My goal for this half marathon was to hit a sub 2 hour run. I calculated beforehand that if I wanted to do this, at a minimum I would need to be running a 9:15 min/mile pace the whole way. The first 7 to 8 miles I was feeling strong, running between an 8:05 and 8:20 min/mile pace, which felt comfortable and that I could sustain. I think it was after the 8th lap where I physically started to feel fatigued (my legs were becoming sore, feeling more sluggish), so miles 8-10 were tougher, but I was still somewhere in the region of 8-9 minutes/mile pace. Still on track! Those final 3 miles were particularly hard, the repetitiveness of the 13-loop course started to get to me, so it became more of a mental game and keeping your legs moving. Nonetheless, after 1 hour, 57 minutes and 31 seconds, I crossed the finish line!

My hydration plan went well; I took on some water at miles 5 and 10, which for me was enough to keep me hydrated and going. You want to try and avoid drinking too much water as this will make you feel sluggish. This is something that I should have ideally tried in training, to find the best time to hydrate. I would say for a half marathon you don't need to use things like energy gels etc, if you've been eating well you should be fine.

Post-Race

Immediately after the race, once your legs that have been moving for almost 2 hours stop pumping, I felt pretty dizzy and lightheaded. It took me a few minutes of literally standing there and breathing to catch my breath, and just generally I didn't really know what to do with myself to be honest. I went over and got my medal (which was Halloween themed) and some free snacks that were provided.

I remember that I started getting these massive cravings for sugary things and water and wanted to eat anything in sight. But take it easy! I didn't take enough time to eat my snacks and sip my water after the race, and my stomach didn't like that. Remember, your body has just finished 2 hours of physically intense exercise, so it's not going to be in the best state to start digesting stuff. Hydration at this point is really important, and if it's sunny I would try and get out of the direct sunlight too.

All in all, I'm really happy that I broke that 2-hour barrier and pushed myself physically and mentally to do this. Running a half marathon isn't appealing or even vaguely interesting to some people - I appreciate that and there's nothing wrong with that! For me, I like doing things like this as it pushes me to see what I'm really capable of and gets me thinking 'if I can do a half, what else can I do/achieve?'. My plan of lots of eating, hydrating, sleeping and stretching in the days after the race helped in the recovery, and now I'll hopefully be getting back on the road and clocking in some miles.

I hope you enjoyed this blog, and if you ever want to have a chat about running, a half marathon or anything else, get in touch!

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