Sunday 15st February 2009

First of all a big apology if you have been following my blog and found that nothing is happening or so it seems. I will make a bigger effort to update this daily from now on....


Yesterday I found myself running the Mörfelden half marathon only two weeks after my last half marathon. It came to my attention that Mörfelden had its own half marathon running around my training ground – the forest. I entered without thinking too much about it and then realised it was due to start at 0930hrs. Currently the temps are a bit nippy with temps below zero and today we have 4” of snow to boot.
I went to collect my number at 0830hrs and the temp was -3°C which didn’t inspire me at all to go out an hour later and spent a couple of hours running around the forest. Still I duly went at 0920hrs for the 0930hrs start and there were about 400 runners I think. I have just checked and the total numbers of finishers was 313. Maybe the others were put off by the cold..!!!!
I started well and not too fast this time having maybe learnt a lesson or two from the Watford half marathon. I soon found a pack of three to ‘attach’ myself too and happily nestled in behind them for the first hour. The run was configured as an 10.5km circuit so we had to run it twice. I found this a little hard to run under the finish line and then carry on and do it all again. My pack of three stopped for drinks and I decided to carry on as I was in a ‘groove’ so to speak. I soon found another couple of runners who were running together and at a pace that was just slightly faster than mine, but manageable. As we got to the final mile I got a stitch and had to slow, but not to a walking pace, on this run I had maintained a run and a stable one all the way round. My average pace was 5:45/km or I think that came out to 8:30/mile. Finally the stitch went and I finished – wasted but under the two hours. I was happy with this time as it had been my goal. Final official time was 1:57:23 and a position of 297.I was a bit disappointed that more runners finished in front of me than behind, but finishing is what counts....
Five more weeks training before the big one in Rome.