The days following my long 18miles with my sister on Sunday 23rd I had a solid week of work. Two of three days admittedly I had booked myself to do some shadowing of another department in Sky for my future career development. Here I was going out on the trucks and actually gathering the footage to go to air as opposed to being indoors playing the vision out. I found this extremely interesting and what I found really great was how social everyone I spoke to was and furthermore how they all seemed to have had an interest in the outdoors and cycling. They all agreed with my personality and pursuits I should not be kept inside! This is another exciting avenue for me to explore outside of Ironman.
I was on the early shifts (6am-6pm) this week and they always knacker me out as I have to be up at 4.30am without even thinking about training and then it's a long day ahead of that. Anyway, although I'm not calling for sympathy I was tired going into the weekend and the Reading half marathon on the Sunday.
I had been hoping/planning for a long time that this would be the event I would break the 2 hour time and get a PB (my PB was 2h02 which I got in Marlow in the October). I wasn't as prepared physically as I would've liked to have been but arrived on Sunday morning ready to race. This was also a training event for my sister and friend Lee for the London marathon 6 weeks after. Joining us as well was Rosie's boyfriend, Ryan who is also raising money for SUDEP Action in memory of Rose by doing a half marathon, tough mudder and a triathlon with me. Emma although new to long distance running was desperate to get sub 2 hours as well so I focused on promising this to her in the hope it would make me achieve my own goal.
I walked from my Nan's house with Dan to the start at the Madejski stadium and was due to meet Emma and the gang there. The sheer volume of people there (over 14,000) meant that Vodafone couldn't cope so I was unable to get hold of Emma for an hour. By that point they had begun walking to the start - I knew there was little chance of me finding them now. A few frantic calls to Ryan who appeared to have the only phone that occasionally worked and we found eachother. I had at one point resided to the fact I would he racing alone. I really wanted to help Emma achieve her goal and cross the line together on what I knew would be an emotional day so this really upset me.
After freezing everything off until we crossed the line at 10.25 we were on our way. Ryan and Lee were faster runners so we let them go ahead and I told Emma to just get into a comfortable pace and not get caught up with the excitement of an event, as I have fallen victim to before. Although congested and busy we managed to hit good times, the first Km was 5m35 and we both felt comfortable. We continued this pace even with all the unexpected hills throughout only reaching 6m for a Km when recovering or getting water. We passed our family at mile 2 at my Nan's house and then shortly after going up a steep hill went past Tony the Fridge. This is a guy who has run from John O'Groats to Lands End with a 42kg Smeg fridge on his back raising money for Cancer Research. We had had some banter on Twitter about him beating me but not today.
The race went smoothly and we were hitting my desired time splits and knocking the miles off as we went along. I also got a cheer from a Twitter follower around mile 5 which was lovely! At the half way point Emma began to struggle a little, the sheer emotion of what we were running for hit home hard. She began to get upset which although I didn't show it began to affect me. Tears began rolling down my cheeks but I knew to keep us going and to get that time I had to push us both on. All I wanted to do was stop and give Emma the biggest hug but I knew she would regret not getting sub 2 hours if she knew she could've made it. Through my quivering voice I said, "just remember why we are doing this and think of her watching down on us running together". I don't know if it helped but we pushed on. Throughout the course we saw some familiar faces as a lot of family come from Reading. We both had some moments we struggled but managed to counteract that with an up and by taking our gels and lucozade, when available. I was pushing Emma hard and felt bad for doing so at times as I know she had previously said to me, "there's nothing worse than watching someone else's feet".
At the 9 mile point Emma spotted the 2hr pace maker. She had asked me then whether we should push towards it to which I said no as we had been making gradual and comfortable distance on it from the beginning. When we reached the 12mile stage I needed to focus Emma on something and I told her to use the marker (which was about 200m from us) as a target to reach, and wow did she! On the final hill to the finish toward the stadium she began picking the pace up - so much so I had to sprint to catch up and when I did I felt sick. My Garmin bleeped 300m short of the finish that we had completed in 1h56.55. However, we rounded at the corner into the stadium and saw our official Reading half marathon finish. We couldn't see our supporters anywhere but I grabbed Emma's hand and we ran across the line together in 1h58. We broke the 2 hour time and did so together. I was euphoric for myself but most of all I was so unbelievably proud of my sister. She has gone through what no parent should ever have to experience and found running as a way of coping. That moment truly was a special one, Emma had completed and achieved her goal of a sub 2 hr marathon in honour of her daughter, Rosie. I had also broken my PB by 5 minutes and had started my road to Kona for Rosie with a great time and experience. I will never forget that memory and what has made that better is my niece unbeknown to us captured it. This is a picture and moment to savour forever - that picture holds more emotion than I can even begin to explain here. Emma thanked me a lot, expressing she would never have got that time without me so I suppose my pushing was a good thing after all. It has to be said that because of the pressure I put myself under to achieve a sub 2hr time for me and for Emma I didn't enjoy the run as much as I would've liked but am more proud of my time than how I felt. After all training can be enjoyable sometimes - the races are what we do it all for and I would hate to have looked back and thought I could've pushed more then. So it really was a good day all round.
I expressed my good news on Twitter and Facebook and again got so many lovely responses, too many to write on here but I truly mean it when I say Thank You. I also heard from my coaches wife who had told him I was a sub half marathon runner now just before he went on stage at the Tri Show to speak. She told me he had a huge smile on his face, much like me then. He later said that would be the first of many. My best friend, Ele also completed her first half marathon that day at Silverstone in 2h05 so well done El!
A final fact to end on about my progress is on the same day a year ago I completed the pancake flat Bath half marathon in 2h10. I have managed to cut nearly 15 minutes off my time in a year and Reading was not flat so that is another way to show how far I have come. My goals to go forward on the run is not so much to get that time down anymore, although I wouldn't say no if I happened. My real aim however is to be able to keep that pace consistently for a marathon. I felt strong at the end but was ready to finish (although I still think that's in the head) so who knows.
So after my running exploits that day I got home and chilled out. I was so chilled out that at 7.30 when I got a text from Gill at the tri club asking where I was it took me a full minute of brain racking to realise I should have been at Channel Swim meeting! I rushed there and then apologised profusely for my lateness and forgetfulness. The chat involved lots of logistics and arranging times that we are able to get down to the sea to train together. As we are doing a non wetsuit crossing there is a whole other amount of medicals and training that needs to be completed. The first horrific training I was told about was down in Dover. We would have to swim in 14 degree water wetsuitless for 20 minutes. After getting out we would have 10 minutes to re-clothe ourselves before the uncontrollable shakes came on. There is nothing that can be done here except for wait until they have passed. It would also be impossible to even try to have some coffee as your hands will shake so much there would be none left. If that wasn't bad enough you are forced to go back in for another 20 minutes and experience the shakes all over again upon getting out. This is just one of the things I have to look forward to. I did however give myself a more desirable task of coming up with a team name and logo. The day after at work I racked my brain and came up with The Salty Seals and it has been approved by all, so now it's onto the logo which a friend is kindly helping me with.
So although I am writing this whilst in the 20 degree heat in Lanzarote after a run and swim awaiting my bike partner I just want to reflect on what this trip, which will also take me to Abu Dhabi to compete, really means to me. The night before I flew to Lanzarote I went swimming with the tri club. Before that however I spoke to my coach. He had spent the last few weeks coaching in Lanzarote and of course told me everything he knew. The ease at which we spoke was great and I finished explaining that this feels like the true start of my journey. To get away, to have a break as well as do some quality training and competing in the heat is really needed. This sentiment was echoed by Gill as when I was leaving after swimming she gave me a big hug. She then said this is the start and wished me good luck. This trip to me really signifies the beginning of my journey for Rose. It will kick start all of my hard work I have done at home which could be seen as my base training. But now the hard work really starts. My trip to Abu Dhabi also signifies the start as it is my first triathlon since Wales and the reason I am there is because of what I am aiming to do in Rosie's honour. That said I am not going to race too hard and fast in Abu Dhabi as I just want to enjoy every second of the race, location and atmosphere and most importantly I want reflect on what it stands for. I feel blessed to be given the chance to experience it and that's what I'm going to do. This is a race for Rosie - I love you beautiful. With my tattoo that I have had for 4months but only just had the guts to tell my parents about (you never get too old) I know Rose will be there for every kick, pedal stroke and stride.
So after my running exploits that day I got home and chilled out. I was so chilled out that at 7.30 when I got a text from Gill at the tri club asking where I was it took me a full minute of brain racking to realise I should have been at Channel Swim meeting! I rushed there and then apologised profusely for my lateness and forgetfulness. The chat involved lots of logistics and arranging times that we are able to get down to the sea to train together. As we are doing a non wetsuit crossing there is a whole other amount of medicals and training that needs to be completed. The first horrific training I was told about was down in Dover. We would have to swim in 14 degree water wetsuitless for 20 minutes. After getting out we would have 10 minutes to re-clothe ourselves before the uncontrollable shakes came on. There is nothing that can be done here except for wait until they have passed. It would also be impossible to even try to have some coffee as your hands will shake so much there would be none left. If that wasn't bad enough you are forced to go back in for another 20 minutes and experience the shakes all over again upon getting out. This is just one of the things I have to look forward to. I did however give myself a more desirable task of coming up with a team name and logo. The day after at work I racked my brain and came up with The Salty Seals and it has been approved by all, so now it's onto the logo which a friend is kindly helping me with.
So although I am writing this whilst in the 20 degree heat in Lanzarote after a run and swim awaiting my bike partner I just want to reflect on what this trip, which will also take me to Abu Dhabi to compete, really means to me. The night before I flew to Lanzarote I went swimming with the tri club. Before that however I spoke to my coach. He had spent the last few weeks coaching in Lanzarote and of course told me everything he knew. The ease at which we spoke was great and I finished explaining that this feels like the true start of my journey. To get away, to have a break as well as do some quality training and competing in the heat is really needed. This sentiment was echoed by Gill as when I was leaving after swimming she gave me a big hug. She then said this is the start and wished me good luck. This trip to me really signifies the beginning of my journey for Rose. It will kick start all of my hard work I have done at home which could be seen as my base training. But now the hard work really starts. My trip to Abu Dhabi also signifies the start as it is my first triathlon since Wales and the reason I am there is because of what I am aiming to do in Rosie's honour. That said I am not going to race too hard and fast in Abu Dhabi as I just want to enjoy every second of the race, location and atmosphere and most importantly I want reflect on what it stands for. I feel blessed to be given the chance to experience it and that's what I'm going to do. This is a race for Rosie - I love you beautiful. With my tattoo that I have had for 4months but only just had the guts to tell my parents about (you never get too old) I know Rose will be there for every kick, pedal stroke and stride.
No comments:
Post a Comment