Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon

This race was always intended to be run at marathon 'effort' and I planned to do it off the back of a normal training week, and Nick gave me a big Kenyan hill session yesterday just to ensure I was numbed a bit! The conditions were yet again awful: wet, cold and driving winds. Tunbridge Wells is quite hilly and I knew beforehand that miles 2-5 were very downhill and this was followed by some sharp uphills in the 2nd half. I sat in for the first mile or so and still found myself at the front, and a few yards clear by 1 mile. As I was behind the lead car, I didn't really need to look at my watch, and was a bit surprised to see it said 6.07. However, it was very cold, and I felt pretty comfortable and there was quite a strong wind in our faces so I accepted it. I was surprised that I was clear at this pace though. This soon changed as Gavin Thompson made up the gap and sat behind me through the downhill stretch through miles 2-5. I'd picked up on the effort a bit along here, spurred on by Gavin catching me and also by the slow 1st mile. I wasn't really paying much attention to mile splits and hadn't looked at my watch yet. I was more concerned with feeling comfortable and navigating my way through the huge puddles. At about mile 5, I opened a gap on Gavin, and relaxed a touch. I was slightly concerned with a tightness in my glutes now, probably caused by kicking up cold water. However, there was no immediate urgency and it never got any worse than this. I had no idea how fit Gavin was, but obviously knew of his past so I felt much better once I'd moved clear and could concentrate on my own running instead of getting caught in a race.

The LONG uphill began at 6.5 miles and lasted over a mile. I obviously slowed here and saw I ran a 6.00 mile. I also noticed I was averaging 5.11 miling and this puzzled me a bit as it was quicker than I thought. Then I realised the lead car was exactly a minute ahead of our actual time! It didn't make much difference to me really as I was running by feel but explains a lot. The downhill miles that I'd thought were about 5.10 miling had actually been 4.45-4.52 or so! 

The second half was obviously slower and I knew I was well clear but no idea how much by. I just stayed relaxed until this finish, where I won in 69.11. I resisted the temptation to drive hard up the hills and felt fairly fresh still when I finish Gavin was 2nd in 69.31. After loads of photos with Dame Kelly Holmes, the race ambassador, and talking to the local press I was freezing cold and couldn't even get my gloves on before a 40 minute warmdown. 

I must say thanks to the organisers - they were really great to a) let me in at late notice and b) check on me during the week to see if I needed anything. The 'expo' type stuff after the race was something I'd not really experienced at a half and the Clif bars in particular were awesome. If I could get sponsored by these chaps I'd be very happy (nudge nudge). I got £250 for winning, a big trophy, a pair of Newton shoes and some 2XU compression wear (which are very tight and it's probably a good thing I'm not allowed to wear this stuff as I'm sponsored by Saucony as the world would NOT need to see the sleeveless compression top any time soon!), a gait analysis, and some cherry active drink. This race also doubled up as the South of England Champs for which I got a piecoe of A4 paper saying 'Champion Male'. I will treasure this always. To be fair the medal is in the post, but I didn't really see what the point was in a print out!

All in all a good day, and a useful stepping stone to London. The point of doing it was that it's easier to ease off in a race environment and run at marathon pace than it is to push on on my own on a Sunday run, and as long as I as disciplined, I'd get much more out of it.

Splits: 5.13, 4.47, 4.50, 4.51, 4.44, 5.19, 5.24, 6.00, 5.23, 5.21, 5.36, 5.23, 5.20.

24.25 at 5 miles, 51.53 at 10 miles.