Not the best preparation for a half marathon. Spent 4 days landscaping our place at Caloundra last weekend, Mon & Tues & then again this weekend. During the week I had a run at PCRG on Thursday & an easy 45 mins Friday evening along the corso with T.
Sunday morning had us in a local bush patch (condemned to development) salvaging a few plants for our yard. Planted them out but not sure how some will do - looking pretty wilted. Speaking of which, after cleaning the house & calling in for the obligatory Bunnings appointment we left Caloundra right on 3pm. Weather was looking decidedly ominous, the radio was issuing a warning for severe rainfall. High-tailed it back to Annerley in 1 hour 20: pretty good conditions - traffic wasn't too bad & only light showers. Swapped into my running gear & got Cec to drive me to the Green Bridge where I had 23 mins to register for the race.
A brisk jog to UQ athletics track & then a huge queue to register. Fortunately someone mentioned that HMers could barge up front so I did & got my number. Heaps of familiar faces buzzing around. Relaxed & started to feel tired, hungry & thirsty - bugger...
This was the inaugral Twilight HM, organised by the InTraining crew who usually do the Easter 10k race. With the days rapidly getting shorter the sun was practically setting near the start of the race & for most of the run it was dark with only street-lights vaguely illuminating the Brisbane Corso. Sensibly I decided to treat the run as a tempo Sunday training run. Felt a bit flat & couldn't keep a good rhythm early on. Surprised when the 1.30 pacer & hangers-on overtook me & kept increasing their distance from me. I didn't think I was going that slowly, but running in the dark can prove deceptive. I usually feel I'm running quicker, but there's no reference points & it was particularly difficult in this race because there was no km markers to indicate the distance.Spoke to Steve from PCRG around the 49 min mark & he told me we had done 12 ks.
The course was pretty good, basically 2 laps of a 10k circuit & a 1.1k thrown in. Got to see everyone in front of me several times as the course turned & came back on itself but the separation distance from me to them was dispiriting... Organisers did well separating competitors going over the Green Bridge with folks going over on the cycle path & coming back on the other (pedestrian) side. Only 2 drinks stations the second of which I didn't collect. Got a little alarmed after that as the ks kept going by with no sight of another drink station. Actually stopped on the G Bridge at a water fountain.
2nd lap once back into Fairfield was a psychological boost. Tried to pick up the pace without over-doing the breathing. Unfortunately my chronic right knee injury (or is it arthritis) began to flare. Haven't felt that since last year. Could feel my gait alter as I tried to favour the other leg. Stubborn pride saw me try to come under 1.30 with a quick last 5k. Local knowledge predicted about 20mins left at the 1.12 mark & I was dead on - finishing in my slowest HM time of 1.31.43.
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