When someone told me that I’ll run my second half marathon (way) faster than I ran my first one, I didn’t quite believe that that was possible. But it did stick and it was something I thought about later.
I decided I would keep on running in 2019 because I love it and because I am now fitter and healthier than I’ve ever been before. I also decided that in 2019 I would run three half marathons, and one of them would be on trails. Writing this makes me smile, I did actually love running my first half marathon last year, in Wimbledon Commons, through mud and rain and everything the elements decided to throw at me on that particular Sunday in September, and it is thanks to that half that I am now so interested in hitting the trails.
So on the 24th of March, the same week I had been away to Bucharest to launch the very first book Radu Seuche and I wrote, I ran my first half for this year. I hadn’t trained as much as I had the previous year and one thought going through my head as I was Uber-ing my way to the race on that beautiful Sunday morning, was the realisation that at least the universe was supporting me in getting to the finish line, whatever that meant.
As I was approaching the start of the race, I decided what my goal for this half marathon would be. I settled on a 2 hours 50 minutes target, 13 minutes faster than the last half marathon. I knew the weather conditions were much better today, and I was conscious I hadn’t trained just as hard.
I had a much better start than I had anticipated, albeit I did ensure I ate well and “correctly”on the days ahead. I started and cruised at a comfortable pace for the first loop, listening to one of the Casefile episodes had conveniently been released that very morning.
Of course, the daemons don’t show up on the first mile of the course, not in my experience anyway. They show up later, when you’re tired and you’ve kind of had enough and your lizard brain starts suggesting throwing in the towel or at least to go slower. My lizard brain popped up at mile 10 and it whispered in my ears:
1. Anca, we have a blister on our left foot and running is becoming really painful.
Of course, a blister in that particular place had been popping up on practice runs as well, it just somehow felt worse this time around. I had run a 10 mile run before, in November, and I somehow knew my pace was similar to then, and somewhat better than it had been last September. I knew it was still early, I knew I still had 3 miles to go, and I thought the blister and the pain will eventually subside if I take my mind off it. And so I did and off I ran.
2. Anca, our hips and legs are hurting. Badly.
The more I trained and the longer distances I ran, the longer would take for the pain to creep up. Yes, it did creep up eventually, but my endurance and dedication were at a different level now. Also, I remembered someone, I’m sure it was one of the athletes interviewed by Ali from Ali on the Run Show who talked about running on tired legs. The concept of running on tired legs is something that stuck with me, and I started seeing it as a challenge I would gladly accept rather than a reason to stop.
I know, pain can be a sign for injury and so I also learned to check in with myself. I made a habit of asking my Unconscious Mind (UCM) at what level from 1 to 10 my pain is. It’s never more than a 4 or a 5. The second question I ask is whether we’re good to continue. I always get a Yes to this. This means that the battle isn’t with my body, the battle is in my head. And when the battle is in the mind, the body can keep going till the end.
3. Anca, we’re gonna reach our time target even if we walk it from here.
This was true and this time the lizard brain really did get me to consider the possibility of slowing down. By mile 12 I knew I was gonna finish in under 2 hours 50 minutes even if I settled into a stroll from now on. But what if I could push and get to the finish line before 2 hours 40 minutes? The thought was appealing and I knew I could push my body for one more mile. I kept on running and, contrary to my running policy, I decided to check my time. Another thought popped up… what if I could finish in just under 2 hours 40 minutes? What an exciting idea!
And so I pushed. I ran as fast as I could, which was of course very slow considering the pain and the exhaustion I felt. The last 100 winding yards of the course felt like running forever and although people were cheering me on, it took quite a while to see the finish line. As I crossed it, I saw the timer and realised I had finished in just over 2 hours and 41 minutes. I headed to the stalls with bananas, water and flapjacks – food was my only thought after so much physical effort.
I ate, I collected my backpack and headed for the carpark. While waiting for my Uber to turn up, I checked the race website, I was gathering energy and was curious to know what my time had been, albeit I was slightly disappointed. Somehow being so tired I had forgotten to consider one very important thing… I hadn’t crossed the start line when the clock started ticking because I had been far back, towards the end of the pack of runners taking part in the race. My official timing was actually 2 hours 39 minutes and 46 seconds.
This half marathon, the previous half marathon and any of the races I ran, were each a celebration of all the hard work I had done before. I came a long way, from not running at all (and fainting in PE during long – 2k – runs) to running my second half marathon and actually being proud of my timing.
What’s next?
I have a ballot place for the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October, something I am terribly excited about. I will be running a course through the centre of this amazing city I call home, there will be crowds cheering the whole way through and London will be celebrating and supporting me in my quest to run faster and further still. My goal for this race? 2 hours and 27 minutes. And until then… I have to find a trail half marathon and run it. Any suggestions?
