This weekend’s Norwich Half Marathon feels like an end-of-season finale.
Of course, there are still many more races to be had across the country before the end of the year, but I view Sunday as an opportunity to wrap up what has been, overall, a successful year of racing, personally.
I’ve never done this event before in the various forms it has taken, but when talking to people who have, there have been some big intakes of breath and words like “tough” and “rippling” pronounced. Apparently it can all get a little bumpy around mile 11…we’ll see.
This may reflect my current state of mind, but this kind of language certainly doesn’t move me forward. I know that when I’m feeling “fit” I don’t care what the course is or what the conditions are. I’m just going to run to my absolute limit and take everything I get.
I’ve been checking my weather app for the past few days in hopes that the forecasted high winds will ease. No luck so far.
It’s pretty hard to get back up for what you know will be a tough race when a personal best isn’t realistically on the cards.
Having run 1:25:03 at the Cambridge Half Marathon earlier in the year on a flat course in PB-friendly conditions, I know I’m not going to do better on Sunday.
It’s not negative, it’s just the truth. I hope that in a few months, with the right training, I will be able to challenge this, but I have to be realistic, which means reframing my goals.
This must be about establishing another benchmark of where my fitness is over a longer distance in order to prepare for the start of another block of marathon training, which will begin in a few weeks.
I’d like to go under 90 minutes, but with the conditions likely to be difficult, there will be parts of the course to continue and others to simply survive. When you’re running into a 40-50 mph wind, it’s not about trying to maintain pace, it’s about keeping the effort level at a sustainable level. Yes, I will naturally slow down but it’s important not to mentally attack myself as a result.
The objective is therefore to come out of the race in a positive state of mind. I’m going to take some time next week to relax and reduce the running volume before hopefully training by the end of the year.
Thoughts are slowly turning to preparations for the Barcelona marathon in March. I really enjoyed these few months where I was able to have a less structured approach to training. It’s been great fun to run a parkrun without worrying that it’ll take too much leg work for the next session or to run with friends without thinking about average paces and/or split times.
For me, it’s important to take a break from all that, but it’s also a comfort to get back into marathon training. I know what my training week is going to look like: it’s hard work, especially in the latter stages of a block, but we couldn’t do it any other way, could we?
I like doing difficult things, especially when it comes to running. It can certainly make the hustle and bustle of everyday life even more tolerable.
Good luck to everyone racing on Sunday – and to all of you wonderful spectators who plan to brave the elements – you have my respect… but please be kind to me if I have struggling to climb kilometer 11…