Half-Marathon race review, not a happy camper.

I'm sitting here wrapped up warm after a 15min ice-bath, as prescribed by the coach. It was particularly uncomfortable and the Gladwrap wrapped round 'my boys' didn't seem to ease the discomfort much... In truth though it was a small discomfort compared to what I would have to call a disappointing race today. The Sri Chinmoy Running & Fitness Festival – Williamstown Half-Marathon was run on a flat course in cool, windy conditions. The wind picked up as the morning progressed and the headwind was a killer near the end. Race strategy, as per coaches orders, was to stick with two of the guys that I am training for Ironman with, we shall call them greyhound #1 and greyhound #2, which would probably make me St. Bernard or maybe Boxer #1. At race start I tried to stand near the front of the pack, but still managed to find myself boxed in for the first 500m or so. By this time greyhound #1 was well off in front and I had no idea where #2 was. I put on a burst and ran up on #1's shoulder but that proved a mistake and I had to ease off. At this time #2 caught up and we ran together through the first 11km. I suspect #2 had more in reserve at the midway mark, as he gave me a running coaching/commentary session through out the first 10km, then he put the hammer down and dropped me by about 50m. I was happy with my run at the halfway mark, I ran about 41-42 minutes for the first 10km, but that was where the wheels fell off. As I started to reel #2 in at about the 12^th km, I got a nasty case of stitch that I tried to run through, but it started to hunch me over like the hunchback of Notre Dame, so I had to stop and bend at the waist to relieve it. At that point, though I was feeling reasonably comfortable with the pace, I knew my chances of catching greyhound #1 or #2 were out the window. The stitch came and went over the next 6kms and I stopped about five times. It's heartbreaking to watch people you're in front of run past while you bend over and stick your ass in the air. I tried the 'holding grass in my hand thing', which I had read somewhere helps, I not sure if it was a success or not, but I carried a chunk of bush for the whole last 6kms. At this point I was whacked mentally too, I was no longer chasing greyhounds, I was running from people coming up behind me, which is not way to run a race. I cursed the wind over the last few km and couldn't even put in a burst at the end because both my calves cramped. Greyhound #1, I think, finished in 1:28 and #2 finished in 1:32, I shuffled in with a particularly average time of 1:35 and some change. Not impressed...

Well.... All in all a tough morning out and not much positive to draw from it. Now I know this morning was really more of a tough training run rather than a race, and I know that my training week was not tapered towards the run. But, I was hoping for faster than my previous PB of 1:32, just so I could say, “yes! The training is working”, but what is a half-marathon at this point really in the scheme of things, sweet-F-A. I think the stitch was a result of the water I took on during the race, that maybe was not a good idea at that high intensity, when I haven't practiced taking on fluids when pushing that hard. I didn't have many cramping issues during the run other than the last 500m which I will put down as a win for the magnesium supplements. The coach videoed each of us running during the race which should be a barrel of laughs...

Now, I'm going to lie down for a while and contemplate my redemption when I smack! my Half-Marathon PB at the end of Half-Ironman at the end of the year!