I cannot remember exactly when it was, but with a couple of months to go, I signed up to do my first ever half-marathon after hearing how many of my fellow attendees of Nottingham Frontrunners had already signed up to do it! I had already done the 10km back in March, so it was time for 20.9km now! 13 miles?! It was ages away. I had time to train!
I planned to join the Nottingham Frontrunners on their weekly longer Sunday runs in the build up before the big day. A pain developed in my left ankle which meant I actually attended only one longer run about 5 weeks ago. I thought I would remain doing my regular 5km on Saturday at Parkrun and Tuesday at Frontrunners and the restart the longer training next week. I never did. Below is the only Frontrunners longer run I did attend at the end of August.
I blinked and the half marathon was just over a week and a half away. Ohhh!
I had been umming and ahhing for weeks about buying new shoes. When the pain developed, discussions led to me realising there was a whole thing about the ‘right’ shoe. I wore what I considered to be running trainings – Adidas runner somethings. It’s a sporty and running looking shoe. Perfect, I thought. Forum after forum told me that if a shoe is called a ‘runner’ it is only an imitation and I needed a proper running shoe. Frontrunners recommended Up and Running, based in the side of the council house, so I popped down.
They filmed me running and the results showed especially my right foot landed inwards slightly. They recommended a few different shoes with greater ankle support. They were really helpful! Check them out.
I am someone who spends hours debating whether to buy a t-shirt for a few pounds so the idea of handing over a great sum of money was traumatic to me. I am not joking about the t-shirt. I really look for savings everywhere and try not to spend needlessly. After trying the shoes on, they let me go for a walk around The Exchange. They were so comfortable. They had a wider version and with the special cushion soles felt very spongy. Running has become part of my life. With this ankle pain appearing quite often, I had begun to take paracetamol prior to each run. If it continued or worsened, maybe I would have to think about decreasing or stopping running. I decided health is important and I needed proper supportive shoes! They could only stock white ones at the physical shop though which meant I had to go to the New Balance website. I wanted darker ones, and decided on black. If I have gone for white and landed in a puddle, I would have cried.
After the Frontrunners run last Tuesday, and after hearing lots of chat in the pub afterwards about other people’s preparedness for the half-marathon, I had to at least go for a longer run with my new shoes.
I had run two lots of 5km, one at the Saturday before last at Parkrun and now 5km at Frontrunners. After clocking up an additional 6km, I felt a bit of discomfort on my right foot. It felt like my sock was scrunching up and folding a bit in on the arch of my foot. Odd feeling. I decided to push on as I was the opposite direction to home but altered my direction. A total 10km, and I was in pain. I got home, clocking up a total of 17km and peeling off my sock realised that it was not my sock scrunching up but it was my skin. A couple of blisters had formed. Ouch.
With the half marathon a few days away, I rested. Those blisters needed to go. Each night I put on some Sudocrem. Rather than run at Parkrun, I did my first ever volunteering session. I really enjoyed it. I stood up at the memorial at the peak of the hill near the memorial and cheered people on.
Afterwards, I was speaking about the aforementioned blisters with Suzanne and her Dad who I know from Parkruns and somehow discovered we have a mutual friend, Gareth, who is Suzanne’s hairdresser and is my friend as we know one another as him and his partner became friends with my best friend who used to have his haircut by his partner! Haha. They both strongly recommend Compeed of which I had never heard of before. That afternoon I got some of these, as well as some energy gels and fitted running socks.
I got everything together and ready the night before!
After having some porriage and getting ready, putting my compeed plaster on and putting the gels in my pouch, I was ready to go!
As well as the 10,000 runners, supporters were also all heading towards the Embankment and surroundings. So busy!
I firstly met with the Frontrunners and said hi. I then realised I desperately needed a wee. With 10,000 people also thinking the same, the queues for the portaloos were enormous. I was concerned. Some other Frontrunners needed to go and led me to a urinal portaloo. Amazing. The queue, although long, soon moved. I was relieved!
I saw Lewis! Him and his partner, Vicky, were in the student accommodation I used to work in. Lovely catching up whilst we were eaging awaiting for the race to begin.
On the run around, I was mainly in the zone and as per normal, listened to podcasts. There was a bit of a headset issue and for some reason after a long period of play it skipped to the next podcast in the ‘episodes to later’ playlist. I wonder whether my sweat was somehow changing it? In the space of the half-marathon, I managed to listen to parts of two episodes of The News Agents, a TED talk and a neuroscientist on The Diary of a CEO. I did see the aforementioned Suzanne, and a bit later Miguel, a colleague from work. It was really nice to see them!
A couple of miles in and repeated about 10 miles, I think, was the Nottingham Frontrunners Cheer Squad. What a fabulous uplift they gave. The organiser had asked if they could borrow my big sound system and I of course agreed. With placards and cheers, along with bellowing out some superb tunes, it was a much needed morale boost. Also there was Nathan O’Brien, who took some photographs – four of which are below.
I cannot fully express the emotions I felt when I saw my sister. It was a complete surprise that she was there. I found out afterwards she had arranged to join Seb, Ben, and Teddy earlier in the week. That morning, she drove across from Manchester. I cannot recall if I heard them, as I had my headphones on but I saw their waving. I instantly clocked Tiff and momentarily was baffled. I was touched. She had come to support me. I had this moment of longingness for my Mum. She would have been there to support and cheer me on and in Tiff, I saw her. I felt like stopping to give Tiff a hug but every second counted. I continued to run but moments later, I started to cry; they were not tears of sadness but uncontrollable emotion. I then began to hyperventilate. Only once before in my life has this happened, and it was when I discovered my Mum was ill. Runners around me began to look concerningly as I started to make awful noises of drawing for breath. I surpressed it and controlled myself. The photos and video below when I saw Tiff at the end show the release of emotions.
Chip time: 01:59:17
When I ran past the Finish line it said 02:05 something. I did not realise until after when some Frontrunners told me the chip time is what you go by as the gun time is not as accurate because the runners in front can slow you down. Either time I was pleased with but knowing I officially got just under 2 hours was so delightful!
In the crowds after I saw the black 2:00 hour sign I kept seeing before and after me in the race. Not sure how it kept overtaking me but in the end I just managed to beat it.
In the sea of people, I wondered how on earth I would find Tiff, Seb, Ben and Teddy. Location settings were playing up a bit but then trying to work out how to get from one side of the fence to the other proved a bit hard but finally we met.
As I went up to Tiff, the emotions hit.
We walked from Victoria Embankment to Nottingham Train Station, to catch the tram. By this time, I was tired. The trams had stopped working because there were fire engines on the tracks owing to a fire at Pizza Punks! More walking to Old Market Square.
Eventually, we got the tram back to mine. I showered and then we went back to the city to meet again with Seb and Ben. I needed the calories!
Then along with Tiff, Seb and Ben, we drove back to theirs, got Tiff’s car which she left there, and drove back to mine. I said bye to Tiff. It was so lovely her coming across to support me.
I got the tram to The Lord Roberts where the Frontrunners had gone for an after-party. I did not expect many to still be there but there was a good crowd. I chatted for ages and then, feeling tiredness beginning to hit, got my speaker, and went back back home to rest.
PS. The Compeed. Did it work? Well, during the run I did not feel the slight blister that remained underneath. But by the time I was walking home after the pub, I felt a bit of discomfort. It was recommended to leave it on but I fall on the side of letting it air, so during a bath peeled it off. It was very sticky and I think pulled a bit too much. There was a bit of skin that had ripped away and it was stinging a bit. Maybe I should have left it on for a day or two?
For my first half-marathon I was so pleased with the time!
Thanks for reading,
Samuel x
