North London Half Marathon

Today I ran my 13th Half Marathon at the North London Half Marathon, a race boasting to have 'the greatest finish line in the world' as the race finishes inside Wembley stadium. 

For me I was really excited to run this race as I don't tend to do too many mass participation races and the idea of finishing in one of the most iconic sports stadiums in the world really appealed to me.

I have been training hard in the last few months and having ran half marathons in the previous two months I was in good shape to hopefully run a PB. The elation of a PB finish in Wembley stadium, what's not to like? I have missed the chance of scoring a winning goal in a cup final so this was my chance of achieving a small piece of sporting stardom. 

My less than ideal race build up

The race didn't quite go to plan though, more to the point the race build up. Here's what went wrong:

Firstly my last effort run on Thursday night finished with a sore throbbing in the ball of my right foot. Later in the evening this led to some swelling in my foot and I struggled to be able to put any weight on it. Ouch! Some painkiller and some ibuprofen gel made a big difference though but it still didn't feel right during and after a gentle jog on Friday. I was apprehensive how it would feel for 13 hard and fast miles in North London. 

Secondly I managed to tweak my back on Saturday, I didn't even do anything to it like lift something heavy or fall over, I must have just sat awkwardly on the sofa when visit family as when I got up it felt so tight and stiff. Come the evening it had worsened and I was struggling to walk straight, I must have done something to affect a nerve as I was also getting sensations through my legs. So going to bed on Saturday evening I wasn't 100% sure I would be running in the morning.

    

Morning of the race 

Sunday morning came around and my back felt OK so off we set for North London, big thanks have to go to the wife for getting up at 6.30 on a Sunday morning and agreeing to drive me to and from the race. I wasn't sure how my back would respond to running so it was going to be a 'see how it goes' kind of race. 

Additional niggles included a tight left thigh and a painful knot in my left calf which had worsened over the last few days, the joys of running! 

Pre race was the usual thing you expect with large races, queuing in traffic to get anywhere near where you want to go, queuing to park and then the final inconvenience of queuing for the toilet as I had the need to do an unmentionable before I set off. 

That left me very little time to warm up and then to squeeze into the starting pens, I could only manage to find a gap in the middle of the 1.45-2.00 pace group but I thought that would be good for my early pacing strategy. 

The race was soon underway and I gingerly set out to run the first few k's at a steady pace to see how my back felt and then reassess my race strategy from there. 

The first section of the race was quite congested as you would expect which helped my pacing. 

Despite starting and finishing at Wembley there was a realisation that North London wouldn't offer much scenery to view for the rest of the 13 miles. To be honest I was quite pleasantly surprised with what the race provided. After the first mile or so we were basically in the country with a road flanked by fields and roadside verges covered in daffodils. At around mile 3 there were a few thatched cottages (I know near Wembley in north London, who knew?!) and there was also the RAF museum we passed twice where you could see a few planes on display. Sure there were a few grim parts, some non-descript residential areas, some dull industrial areas but by no means a soul destroying backdrop. 

The half way point was marked by a lap around Saracens Allianz park which had a great atmosphere and running on the running track there literally put a spring in my step! 

It was at around the halfway point I knew that I had a decent chance of getting a good time as I had covered 10K in around 50minutes, my back felt OK although my foot felt sore but I decided to increase the pace for the next 5K. 

Being a there and back route I felt that the race went really quick, I am not sure if it was knowing the route back to the finish or the distraction of watching runners stream the other way on the other side of the road. 

In the last few miles I thought I was on for a time just outside of 1.40 but this turned out to be out of my grasp as I finished in 1.42.33. This is my second fastest half marathon time which is cause for celebration and seeing as I view my PB as a complete fluke you could say this is a kind of PB?! 

Race review

In terms of my review of the race as an event I suppose it would get a solid 7/10.  

My observations were that the course was very congested, I think because of only using half the road at any one time. The support on the course was very poor, not much of a turn out and any people out on the street were more bemused at the spectacle in front of them rather than supportive. Such a contrast with Run Hackney last year which had phenomenal course support. 

As for the hills the course is by no means easy and certainly has more hills than you would expect for a city event. The hill at around 10.5 miles is particularly horrible, one because of its place in the race and secondly because it's a sneaky one! As you start heading towards Wembley there is a gentle climb and then you can look down and see the stadium below you so you automatically assume it's all downhill from here to the finish but no the sneaky hill appears out of nowhere! 

The course is nowhere near as hilly as other events I have down before and pales in significance to Tunbridge Wells where I got my PB so I would actually say it's a reasonably fast course with decent PB potential. 

The end

So how did 'the greatest finish line in the world' workout? Not great if I'm honest, I knew it wouldn't be the greatest but thought it would still be pretty great but in reality it was only a good finish, but then I can be a hard man to please.

My reasons for this are that you run down Wembley Way (which was phenomenal, great support and brilliant to have the stadium in view ahead of you) towards the stadium but instead of heading into the stadium you run about half way around it before heading into the stadium itself. Even then you are running in the dark bowels of the stadium before finally emerging for probably less than 200m onto pitch level. 

I still enjoyed my small taste of sporting stardom in front of several hundred spectators despite a non PB finish. Finishing in the stadium certainly provides  some unique race memories and provided some great photo opportunities. 

Upon getting home I was really pleased with the great race goody bag, a cool medal and a brilliant looking Tshirt which I am looking forward to wearing soon.  

Thank you as always for all the support I have received in the build up to the race, next stop a marathon PB at Halstead in May...

I received my place in the North London Half Marathon courtesy of Urban Massage.

Looking forward to the North London Half Marathon

This weekend I will be crossing the greatest finish line in the world along with 9000 other runners when I finish my 13th half marathon in Wembley stadium having run the North London Half Marathon. 

It's a race I am really looking forward mainly for the reasons that I really loved Run Hackney which is also a Vitality organised event and starting and finishing a race in one of most iconic sports stadiums in the world sounds like a great idea to me! 

I also feel I am due a good run and a good result. Just like a striker in football who goes a few games working hard for the team and playing well commentators love to say going into the next match  'he's due a goal now', like wise I have been training hard and have raced well in my two recent half marathons without coming away with a time I felt I deserved. 

My training in the last few weeks has been a mixture of marathon training, ahead of Halstead in May, continuing to work on my 5K pace and more specific half marathon training. 

Recently I have done some hard track sessions with either 400m or 800m efforts, two long slow runs of 25K and some split pace work as well. All in all I am feeling good and getting fitter and stronger. 

My last two half marathons have seen good improvement, in January at the Runthrough event in Victoria Park I posted a sub 1.50 run of 1.49.56 and I followed that up a month later also in Victoria Park at Innovation Sports run running a 1.45.39. So a 5 minute improvement in a month, can I take another 5 minutes off this month? 

My PB remains 1.39.01 from Tunbridge Wells in 2014 so that is my real aim to beat as I come into finish under the Wembley arch. However further motivation comes from an amazing run from training buddy Chris at the Runthrough event in January where he posted a 1.38.35. So my targets are all lined up ready for me to hit! 

In terms of my preparations in the last week or so things have gone well. I have eaten well and have actually been sleeping a lot. However I decided that last week needed to be a big marathon training week in which I covered 64km and to be honest I am feeling that this week. As a result I have listened to my body this week and toned down a few sessions this week both in terms of distance and intensity. 

I do feel full of niggles at the moment though and I think that is partly to the high mileage last week and partly due to a little pre race paranoia. My main concern is the ball of my right foot which started hurting during last nights run . I will keep icing it and taking painkiller and I should be OK, fingers crossed.

With 12 half marathons under my belt I know what I am letting myself in for and should be experienced enough to pace myself to the best time I am capable of running on the day. 

The final countdown

So with less than 48 hours to go, the route for Sunday morning is planned, my kit is ready, my pre race nutrition planned and all I need to do is look forward to finishing on the greatest of finish lines come around 10.40. 

North London Half Marathon I am ready for you! 

I received my place in the North London Half Marathon courtesy of Urban Massage.

Cider fuelled running

This weekend I headed down to the South West and Cider country to spend a weekend with friends.

The weekend (as with most activities in this part of the world) involved drinking a large quantity of that apple based alcohol beverage which happens to be one of my favourite forms of refreshment as it does quite literally grow on trees around there.

My two nights of sampling what Bristol had to offer were nicely segmented by a trip to Ashton Court Parkrun. 

I think I have finally caught the Parkrun bug as this was my second successive Parkrun weekend and my third different Parkrun in the last couple of weeks. 

Now you have an idea of my weekends itinerary you can see why I coined the term cider fuelled running for my weekends activities. 

Before I get onto the running let's start off with the cider as well as some amazing food.

Friday night was meant to be spent in Wembley stadium rocking out to Dave Grohl and his foo fighting gang before an early morning trip to Bristol. Unless you have been living under an incredibly dark social media deprived stone for the last week or two a badly broken fibula put paid to those plans.

So an early Friday evening was spent instead sipping cider on the Apple, one of Bristols finest cider serving establishments, a bar based on a barged moored up on the harbour just outside the city centre. 

Two nights on the cider does come come that highly recommended, (I speak from previous experience from previous trips to Bristol) so having Parkrun on the horizon the following morning was my saving grace to save my liver from too much punishment.

I did take it kind of easy on the cider on Friday night then, a few pints followed by a trip to the Spitfire BBQ for dinner. This place was amazing, the kind of joint that you could find Adam Richman salivating excitedly behind the counter while pestering the chef for a taste of everything from the menu.

In a place like this the only problem is deciding what to have! I took my time sipping on some cider while I decided. 

I opted to go for everything, well a little bit of everything in a burger courtesy of the Pitboss Burger, a 6oz beef patty topped with rib tips, pulled pork, brockwurst slices, smoked applewood cheese and bbq sauce. 

It was every inch the delicious meat feast it promised to be, a brilliant burger went so well with the succulently soft pulled pork, incredible tasting brockwurst and creamy out of this world sensation of the smoked applewood cheese.

Accompanied by a bowl of BBQ chicken wings, my double order being enough to get labelled 'greedy' by the waiter, man versus food and the obesity epidemic obviously haven't quite reached the South West yet?!

A deliciously tasty farmyards supply of meat devoured it was time to move outside into the cool summers air to sit by the harbour side surrounded by the smokey fumes from the restaurants log fires.

It was Friday night we were with friends enjoying ourselves so talk quickly turned to the desert menu and a mouthwatering suggestion of sweet treats soon led to orders being placed.

I was soon polishing of a ridiculously rich and chocolatelay Peanut butter stack which left me glad I would be running some of the calories consumed at Parkrun the next day.

Despite not overdoing the cider a combination of a heavy belly full of meat and the several above average strength cider led to my customary early evening passing out on my friends incredibly comfy sofa.

I was still up bright eyed and bushy tailed to take on Ashton Court Park run in the morning. A thirty minute walk took us away from the city and to the Ashton Court estate providing a great viewpoint down over Bristol and the surrounding areas.

An example of some of the picturesque views from A
shton Court courtesy of  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2191279

The course run is really a tail of two halves, the first half taking you up a steep winding hill before turning around and the second half taking you downhill in a fast descent. It's known for being one of the tougher Parkrun routes and I can appreciate why, although you can fly down the hill in the second half it is difficult to judge your effort level on the steep climb up and especially in the sunny mid June heat the hill was pretty energy sapping.

Overall I finished in 23.50 in 62nd place out of some 200+ parkrunners, although my official Parkrun time was actually clicked at a slower 24.03. Prior to the race I was interested to see how the two halves of the race would compare in terms of times, I completed the ascent in around 13.30 and the return in about 10.20, the rapid downhill also provided me with a sub 4 minute km and my fastest 1/2 mile, 1km and 1 mile I have clocked since using strava.

It was a really challenging yet rewarding run, adjusting my stride length on the way down was tough as was the rapid pounding on my lower legs as I hurtled down the hill.

After my exertions I was left to refuel and rehydrate and I did so with great relish taking advantage of the fine food and cider being served from the many excellent establishments Bristol has to offer, notable mentions to the Stable, the Apple again and the Old Duke.

Thank you Bristol for another thoroughly enjoyable weekend in your most excellent city, I came, I saw, I ran your hills, I drank your cider and ate your food and I conquered all you had to offer!