Instead, I SMASHED it!
The odds weren't exactly stacked in my favour as the weather was foul (Sunday 1st October was welcomed by some of Scotland's finest drizzle, frequent downpours and occasional gusts of wind) and my training hadn't begun with a PB in mind. A week before the race, when I realised my previous hamstring niggle was not bothering me, a thought entered my mind...maybe I could get a PB...
On race day the legs were feeling fresh and I thought, as I bounced up and down trying to stay warm at the start line, let's aim for 1 hour 53 and see how it goes. I started off slow, as is always my race strategy, and took advantage of the first downhill to let my legs turn over faster and begin to build up pace. Once over the Kingston Bridge I had settled into a steady rhythm and my average pace suggested I would be able to beat my previous Great Scottish Run half marathon time of just over 1 hour and 54 minutes. Halfway through the race I was on track for a much faster time than I expected and I wondered...could I get 1 hour 50....or even less? I chomped through my last energy gel and continued on through Pollok Park.
With 4 miles to go I was maintaining a good pace: faster than I usually run but still feeling comfortable. The temptation to get 1 hour 50 was incredibly strong and I wondered if I could actually maintain this pace. At 1 mile to go I saw a girl on a stretcher being driven to the medical area in Glasgow Green, so close to the finish line. My lungs felt like they had reached their maximum capacity and for a horrible moment I wondered if it would be me next on the stretcher.
The Broomielaw felt like the longest road on earth. I don't remember it seeming as long the previous year. That might have been because the weather was so much better and the crowds were out in force. Still, the Macmillan team banging on their drums on top of a double decker bus and the wonderful supporters that had braved the weather conditions to come out to cheer people anyway was enough to dig deep and find some remaining drops of energy.
The Broomielaw felt like the longest road on earth. I don't remember it seeming as long the previous year. That might have been because the weather was so much better and the crowds were out in force. Still, the Macmillan team banging on their drums on top of a double decker bus and the wonderful supporters that had braved the weather conditions to come out to cheer people anyway was enough to dig deep and find some remaining drops of energy.
I entered the finishing tunnel and attempted a final sprint, but the legs just didn't have it this time. I settled for one leg in front of the other, kept breathing and didn't take my eyes off the big clock above the finishing line.
1 hour 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
It's a wonderful thing to feel a sense of accomplishment. As the years go by and our lives are occupied with jobs and families it can be easy to forget our own need for achievement. This is what running gives me. It's not about being better than anyone else, but always about being better than myself.
So it's on to the next challenge: Edinburgh Marathon. My husband has advised me to just focus on finishing it, which is truly sensible and greatly appreciated advice.
But there's that little voice again...I wonder if I could I get under 4 hours?
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