Firstly, who still has Europe's Final Countdown stuck in their head?
It was only a week ago where I reflected on an unhappy PB. Where as last week I was unhappy with my personal performance, this time I find myself frustrated, feeling I could have run even better.
The Richmond Running Festival Half Marathon was the culmination of a twelve week summer programme. During this time I've set distance and course PBs, generally feeling in the form of my life. At the end of the twelve weeks I was also able to add a new half marathon best and a shiny medal to boot. Despite a big PB I found myself unhappy, why?
parkrun Volunteering
Before the half marathon I was back at Great Notley parkrun to lend a hand. My drive over to Braintree was fraught with heavy rainfall, lightning & flash floods & I did begin to wonder if the event would even take place. I usually park at the nearby Tesco & walk, but with rain lashing down darted in to change a tenner and paid what is thought to be the highest parkrun car park charge in the UK, £3.50!!
Lightning hadn't struck the bird at the top of the hill of doom & by the time we started setting out the course the rain had cleared up. The runners were going to be met by the soggiest Great Notley event to date, certainly not PB conditions unless you had some waders and a snorkel to hand. Those that did make it to the finish at least had a batch of sausage rolls to help themselves to, my repayment to the generous support Len & his team are providing to our parkrun project.
I was given another far too responsible role, Time Keeper. I also gave the first timers briefing, so apologies to anyone that got completely lost! Alec, Emily & Paul all lined up for the start, Paula had declined the opportunity to test out her new trail shoes & opted for a lie in instead.
Being at the front of the finish funnel to record times gave a unique perspective of every finisher & their strategy for negotiating the many puddles. Some weaved or stuck to a slightly off line route. Where as a few decided to just run in the straightest line possible in order to get their time!
Richmond Half
The Richmond Running Festival Half Marathon was the culmination of a twelve week summer programme. During this time I've set distance and course PBs, generally feeling in the form of my life. At the end of the twelve weeks I was also able to add a new half marathon best and a shiny medal to boot. Despite a big PB I found myself unhappy, why?
parkrun Volunteering
Before the half marathon I was back at Great Notley parkrun to lend a hand. My drive over to Braintree was fraught with heavy rainfall, lightning & flash floods & I did begin to wonder if the event would even take place. I usually park at the nearby Tesco & walk, but with rain lashing down darted in to change a tenner and paid what is thought to be the highest parkrun car park charge in the UK, £3.50!!
Lightning hadn't struck the bird at the top of the hill of doom & by the time we started setting out the course the rain had cleared up. The runners were going to be met by the soggiest Great Notley event to date, certainly not PB conditions unless you had some waders and a snorkel to hand. Those that did make it to the finish at least had a batch of sausage rolls to help themselves to, my repayment to the generous support Len & his team are providing to our parkrun project.
I was given another far too responsible role, Time Keeper. I also gave the first timers briefing, so apologies to anyone that got completely lost! Alec, Emily & Paul all lined up for the start, Paula had declined the opportunity to test out her new trail shoes & opted for a lie in instead.
Being at the front of the finish funnel to record times gave a unique perspective of every finisher & their strategy for negotiating the many puddles. Some weaved or stuck to a slightly off line route. Where as a few decided to just run in the straightest line possible in order to get their time!
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| Run a parkrun at Great Notley & you too could be rewarded.... |
I'd tapered nicely during the week, just a single 12km on Tuesday and resisting temptation to add further runs later in the week. In reality, how much benefit would they truly bring?
A 5am wake up call was needed to make the start line in Richmond. A combination of an early event start time and a public transport system that doesn't believe in Sunday mornings found us driving all the way. My first mistake of the day was to heed the race advice of not parking in local roads and heading to their recommended NCP car park in Richmond. Not only were the local roads plentiful in their parking, they were free, where as the pleasure of parking in Richmond would cost an eye gouging £12. And so the grumpiness set in.
On the long walk to Kew Gardens I was able to concentrate on one thing, needing a wee. That's alright though, toilets at a half marathon would be plentiful. Apparently not. According to feedback on social media at last year's event there were plenty of portaloos and no queuing. This year they opted for the latter rather than the former. We met up with Sean and Emily who were running the 10k. Unfortunately I was so distracted with needing the toilet that I doubt I made for great conversation. We wandered off towards the start line, I asked a marshal at bag drop as we passed another massive queue for toilets if there were portables at the start line. She replied, kind of. We eventually stumbled upon the White Peaks cafe area and were amongst the first to find this facility so thankfully there were no queues. Joel called and I told him to join us here as it was our best bet for further toilet stops before the start. We just about managed another trip, sadly plenty of ladies missed the 10k start due to crazy queues for their facilities.
Starting a race in the right frame of mind is crucial. I already felt that I was carrying an injury, then was stressed and grumpy with the toilet situation. I was grumpy on behalf of every other runner, how can such a fundamental welfare issue be failed by the organisers? Despite all of this I lined up with the pacing for a 1:52 scrawled on my hand, I had the pace after all, it was all going to be down to how things went on the day. The usual factors, course, congestion, support and my own performance.
Despite multiple waves, there only seemed to be four starts for four thousand runners. The first four km winding through narrow Kew Gardens paths. As soon as we were off this issue raised it's head. The course was far too narrow and the waves too large. My first kilometre was a 5:44, twenty five seconds over target and I wasn't showing any signs of improvement, unable to find a rhythm due to constant weaving. By two kilometres I hated this race. Stressful before the start and now it felt like negotiating a running version of rush hour.
It wasn't until the fourth kilometre that I got under target pace and started to make some progress. It was also at 4km that the first water station appeared, alongside a dozen portaloos! Maybe they were delivered to the wrong postcode?
From this point we were onto the narrow tow path for a few kilometres. Though my pace improved, the course conditions made it tough to pass people, especially when towards the end of the section we started picking up the back of the 10k field. At Richmond Green we left the 10k'ers to head back to Old Deer Park and after a lap of the green we were back on the towpath. Thankfully the course opened out for a bit, the added width allowed for more space for everyone. By this stage my pace was good enough to bring me through 10k just over target, about ten seconds in debt but very manageable. Seven of my kilometres from the fourth were under target and though still grumpy, I was focused. I'd noticed my quads weren't the happiest, they'd complained during the latter stages of the Takeley 10 and I was slightly concerned they were flaring up before the halfway point.
Around the seven mile marker we found the second water station and were passed by the front runner heading for home in the opposite direction. Not that the cyclist acting as his guide was doing much of a job in warning people. I thought this might mean the next towpath section was going to be a tough to navigate out and back. Thankfully that wasn't the case. It didn't make things any easier though, the towpath appeared to be narrower than the earlier section, with a steep drop off to one side and the Thames for company on the other. I was just about maintaining pace and following the fade in Helsinki committed myself to a gel every 15 minutes from 50. At the 15km point I was still relatively on target and not feeling too fatigued, running with a decent group of people and making progress. I was however going through water so was hoping to see a water station at some point.
One finally appeared at 11 miles (ish, the mile markers weren't overly accurate) and it was the farcical one from 7 miles. Bearing in mind I was in the top 25% of the half marathon it was obvious that they were inadequately stocked. I took half a cup of water and filled up my bottle, back along the towpath into Richmond we go.
I'd noticed my group I'd be running with were getting away from me. I was starting to fade, though not at the level I'd suffered previously and certainly a lot later in the race than past efforts. My kilometre splits were now out in the 5:32 territory. Although the physical performance wasn't ideal, mentally I was in a good place, a PB was mine for the taking, all I had to do was get to the finish. As the route came back into Richmond along the river there was finally some support alongside the course. Until 19km there had been pockets of support, now with it being slightly later in the day & also a nice day to bring people out there was a decent gathering of people along the river. Sure they weren't there for me, but it was nice to feel that they were at least there to support someone. I managed a quick chat with a parkrunner from Bushy in his 50 shirt & then he urged me on, his fade far greater than mine.
A 5am wake up call was needed to make the start line in Richmond. A combination of an early event start time and a public transport system that doesn't believe in Sunday mornings found us driving all the way. My first mistake of the day was to heed the race advice of not parking in local roads and heading to their recommended NCP car park in Richmond. Not only were the local roads plentiful in their parking, they were free, where as the pleasure of parking in Richmond would cost an eye gouging £12. And so the grumpiness set in.
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| What pose should be opt for this week????? |
On the long walk to Kew Gardens I was able to concentrate on one thing, needing a wee. That's alright though, toilets at a half marathon would be plentiful. Apparently not. According to feedback on social media at last year's event there were plenty of portaloos and no queuing. This year they opted for the latter rather than the former. We met up with Sean and Emily who were running the 10k. Unfortunately I was so distracted with needing the toilet that I doubt I made for great conversation. We wandered off towards the start line, I asked a marshal at bag drop as we passed another massive queue for toilets if there were portables at the start line. She replied, kind of. We eventually stumbled upon the White Peaks cafe area and were amongst the first to find this facility so thankfully there were no queues. Joel called and I told him to join us here as it was our best bet for further toilet stops before the start. We just about managed another trip, sadly plenty of ladies missed the 10k start due to crazy queues for their facilities.
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| How about the celebrate we found a toilet before the start pose? |
Starting a race in the right frame of mind is crucial. I already felt that I was carrying an injury, then was stressed and grumpy with the toilet situation. I was grumpy on behalf of every other runner, how can such a fundamental welfare issue be failed by the organisers? Despite all of this I lined up with the pacing for a 1:52 scrawled on my hand, I had the pace after all, it was all going to be down to how things went on the day. The usual factors, course, congestion, support and my own performance.
Despite multiple waves, there only seemed to be four starts for four thousand runners. The first four km winding through narrow Kew Gardens paths. As soon as we were off this issue raised it's head. The course was far too narrow and the waves too large. My first kilometre was a 5:44, twenty five seconds over target and I wasn't showing any signs of improvement, unable to find a rhythm due to constant weaving. By two kilometres I hated this race. Stressful before the start and now it felt like negotiating a running version of rush hour.
It wasn't until the fourth kilometre that I got under target pace and started to make some progress. It was also at 4km that the first water station appeared, alongside a dozen portaloos! Maybe they were delivered to the wrong postcode?
From this point we were onto the narrow tow path for a few kilometres. Though my pace improved, the course conditions made it tough to pass people, especially when towards the end of the section we started picking up the back of the 10k field. At Richmond Green we left the 10k'ers to head back to Old Deer Park and after a lap of the green we were back on the towpath. Thankfully the course opened out for a bit, the added width allowed for more space for everyone. By this stage my pace was good enough to bring me through 10k just over target, about ten seconds in debt but very manageable. Seven of my kilometres from the fourth were under target and though still grumpy, I was focused. I'd noticed my quads weren't the happiest, they'd complained during the latter stages of the Takeley 10 and I was slightly concerned they were flaring up before the halfway point.
Around the seven mile marker we found the second water station and were passed by the front runner heading for home in the opposite direction. Not that the cyclist acting as his guide was doing much of a job in warning people. I thought this might mean the next towpath section was going to be a tough to navigate out and back. Thankfully that wasn't the case. It didn't make things any easier though, the towpath appeared to be narrower than the earlier section, with a steep drop off to one side and the Thames for company on the other. I was just about maintaining pace and following the fade in Helsinki committed myself to a gel every 15 minutes from 50. At the 15km point I was still relatively on target and not feeling too fatigued, running with a decent group of people and making progress. I was however going through water so was hoping to see a water station at some point.
One finally appeared at 11 miles (ish, the mile markers weren't overly accurate) and it was the farcical one from 7 miles. Bearing in mind I was in the top 25% of the half marathon it was obvious that they were inadequately stocked. I took half a cup of water and filled up my bottle, back along the towpath into Richmond we go.
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| This course display has accurate distance markers, unlike the course itself...... |
I'd noticed my group I'd be running with were getting away from me. I was starting to fade, though not at the level I'd suffered previously and certainly a lot later in the race than past efforts. My kilometre splits were now out in the 5:32 territory. Although the physical performance wasn't ideal, mentally I was in a good place, a PB was mine for the taking, all I had to do was get to the finish. As the route came back into Richmond along the river there was finally some support alongside the course. Until 19km there had been pockets of support, now with it being slightly later in the day & also a nice day to bring people out there was a decent gathering of people along the river. Sure they weren't there for me, but it was nice to feel that they were at least there to support someone. I managed a quick chat with a parkrunner from Bushy in his 50 shirt & then he urged me on, his fade far greater than mine.
I was in countdown mode, 15 minutes left, 10 minutes left, 1 kilometre left as we turned into Old Deer Park for a dull lap of a sports field to end the race. The grass felt like it was sapping my legs of their remaining energy, in truth there was also a slight incline. The finish was in sight though, firmly in my view after the last turn. I spotted Sean & Emily in the crowd about 400m from the end & pointed for a much needed High 5. Fifteen minutes later Sean told me his hand was still ringing, it was an almighty jumping high five & combined with an immediate descend gave be a great kick to finish. For the first time in 13 miles I was smiling, this clusterfarce was nearly over.
There was a rather cool finish to the run. As I approached the finish line, the guy on the PA spotted my Um Bongo shirt & gave a shout out to just how awesome it was. The crowd cheered & I beckoned for even more cheering, meaning my finish photo is one of me beaming as I finish. At £20 a photo I'm less inclined to buy it, Sure I could buy all fifteen for £40, but the single photo fee that many of the photo companies charge is getting out of hand.
I was soon medalled, provided with a make your own goody bag kit (ice cream had already ran out) and made my way to try and find Paula, who herself had experienced some fun just trying to get to the finish festival.
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| Post run, medal did not taste of Dairylea |
The Conclusion
1:52:23. Only 23 seconds over my target time, time lost in the first kilometre of the race. To take 2:31 off of my PB in four months is very pleasing, though I can't help but wonder what might have been. I've ended another training stint carrying far too many little injuries & am going to drop down my mileage for a couple of weeks just to recover before the US Half in November. When you combine this with a grumpy mindset on the day due to pre race facilities, a narrow course, a crowded course, it makes for an unhappy race. I can do better. I don't think a 1:50 is beyond the realms of possibility. Probably not the aim for the US Half or St Neots this year, but potentially for early 2015, perhaps at the Cambridge Half if I can secure a place.
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| Top 25% of finishers based on a field of 4000 runners. Nice. |
Sure, the medal was pretty cool & that was my first reason for signing up. But a shiny medal and a decent t-shirt don't account for a failure in the duty of care to runners. By the time Joel (who PB'd by 7 minutes) came through the final water station he had to stop & wait for his half a cup of water. The last thing any runner wants to do is stop. Runners at the back of the field lit up social media, no water at all, some not even getting shirts at the end.
I don't hold the event on the same level of failure as the British 10k or Run to the Beat last year, but overall I came away disappointed. Those events were horrendous, shambolic & based on the reaction, not willing to acknowledge their failures. To be fair to the organisers of Richmond, they've appeared on social media (well mainly just facebook, twitter is pretty much propaganda) soon after the event to apologise, explain why there had been failures and promise to improve in 2015. I won't be back, but by being one of many to provide feedback I hope we'll make future experiences better for the runners.
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| The run bling. Very cool but also reminded me of the phrase that you can't polish a turd, you can however roll it in glitter.... |
I should also note that Sean & Emily really enjoyed the 10k experience, the field was significantly smaller, perhaps that's the key here. In fact all four of us recorded distance PBs. Mine will remain an unhappy PB though, another longer race where I've not performed to my full potential. My second hour stamina is improving. My 10k splits of 53:13 & 53:45 show a much more even run. I think the next half marathon plan will include some long runs with race pace sections, there is still more speed to be unlocked.
I've now completed a dozen half marathons & with each one I've learnt more. Six of those have been under the two hour mark, including the last five. I think there's a decent base there should the London Marathon magazine arrive with a Yes on the front next month.
I've now completed a dozen half marathons & with each one I've learnt more. Six of those have been under the two hour mark, including the last five. I think there's a decent base there should the London Marathon magazine arrive with a Yes on the front next month.
The Eat
Of course we all know that anything consumed in the wake of a half marathon is calorie free. I'd packed a bottle of Cocio so that I could enjoy some post race chocolate milk. Though this did mean that the can of London Pride given away has been saved, I'm not sure they'd have combined nicely, didn't fancy a curdling stomach!
Post race we wandered back to Richmond, we had some time to kill before our parking fee went from a kidney to a remortgage & I'd spotted Yo Sushi. Unfortunately the branch wasn't open yet, but with one door closing, another opened & Paula spotted a Tapas restaurant across the road. If you find yourself in Richmond, head to Don Fernando's. We polished off several tasty Spanish offerings, Paula especially enjoying the deep fried cheese (well who wouldn't)!
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| Refuelling with a table of tapas |
We can get sushi anytime, but good tapas is hard to find! Once I'd sold my kidney to NCP we were free to leave Richmond & even managed to scoff an Ikea hotdog on the drive back as we broke uo the long journey home.
The day of refuelling was completed with a half and half from Domino's. I know pizza is essentially my stomach's version of Russian Roulette, but it was much appreciated after the PB!
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| More refuel! |
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