A Long Awaited Return

On the bike today even though I keep having problems with the pedals not engaging when I move off from a standing start. The pedal simply doesn’t connect and I almost end up on the floor. It’s fine once I get moving, so I can scoot off with my foot but that’s not a terribly effective way of getting into traffic.

It is most likely a problem with the rear hub which it looks like I’m going to have to get fixed.

I sign up for another race today and L does too. Making her long awaited return to half marathoning. This is the Four Villages Half in Helsby, Cheshire. We entered this in 2013 but the race was cancelled due to the icy weather. We did still get a nice t-shirt and one of those thermal cups things from them. Both of which I still use, so we have unfinished business really. The race was cancelled again this year, fingers crossed for 2016. 

(Tuesday 13^th October)

Don't Be Afraid To Adjust Your Pace

The Cheshire Half sent out an email this week offering tips for running in hot temperatures. Saying thing such as ‘don't be afraid to adjust your pace’ and that ‘starting out too fast and overheating is not the best strategy to run your best race’. Hmmm. Who are they kidding?

We drive up to Arley Hall for the 9.30am start and park right next to the start, which is a refreshing bonus compared with some of the long walks from car parks you get these days.

The temperature is many degrees cooler than it has been, so there should be no need to use the suggesting tactics of slowing down. The route takes us through the Cheshire countryside and is largely flat. The countryside only really offers views of grass, hedges and of course tarmac, so there’s little to distract me from my task. L would have hated it, as there's no window shopping, so it’s perhaps a good job she’s not doing it. Although instead she’s looking after the excitable boys, which she’s also not enjoying much.

I run at 7:30 pace for the first half of the race and then at a 8:00 pace for the second half, producing a 1:42 which was satisfying enough.

All three of the drinks stations had bottled water, which made refuelling and cooling down easy. Despite this, some people had taken the advice to carry a bottle or wear a camel bac, which slowed them down enough for me to overtake them.

At the end a decent t-shirt and in my goodie bag apparently also a medal. Oh and a flapjack that MD tries his hardest to extract from the bag.

We head home, where it’s hard to celebrate with only one of us doing the race, so we stay in and I see the conclusion of Chris Froome’s Tour win live.

(Sunday 21^st July)