Had to stop for a poo behind a building after 8 miles, felt much better afterwards. Happy with the pace, would like to keep everything sub 7 from now on, but the start mile is tough as it has a big hill.

Got up, at a High5 caramel bar and half a pint of water ad set off running. I had a gel at mile 10 but that was it. Didn't run out of energy, infact got faster and fast, the shit helped a lot...

I was meeting the family for Caridff park run at 9:30 but I'd underestimated the distance by about a mile so had to run all the way to them, making it with literally 2 mins to spare. 

 

After having the squits all weekend, and doing Llanelli sprint tri on Sunday morning, and bad guts all day monday and this morning, and feeling generally crap, I decided to run a  half! I felt like I needed to get a good decent mileage in soon, and might as well do it feeling bad and tired after a swim this morning and a day at work, as in the Ironman we wont be fresh for the run. I also hadn't eaten since lunch.

I always intended to run at 8min/mile. The first few miles were a bit awkward - not tough, just wasn't sure if I would actually go the full distance, but then after I gained the elevation and ran up and down a few hills I felt a bit better. I did take a camelback with maybe 1l of water, a gel (which I ate at maybe mile 2) and a nakd bar. I think the gel really helped fuel wise as the middle miles were easily the fastest, even though not all were downhill or even flat. But by mile 8 I was struggling a little. I told myself it was only a 10k to go and kept plodding away. Mile 11 wasn't as slow as the time suggests as I ran through some woods with a twisty path. The last mile is always hard as I have to get back over the hill.

Afterwards the middle toe on my left foot is tender, and I have some shorts rubbage, but generally not too bad really for a sub 1:45 hilly half in sub optimal heath.

A tough run in the pouring rain. The last part of a 3 day 'half long course' where I swam 1.9k on Friday, did a hard 70 mile bike ride with CardiffTri on Saturday, then did this run today. Planned (and hoped) to do 8 min miles for a 1:45 total time.

It was cool out and pouring with rain so I wore Aldi white compression top beneath my Rab vaporrise stretch blue top, nike running shorts and my cycling leg warmers (that go up to thigh). Wore new thin sealskin socks and green/black kinvara 2's. Was soaked within minutes and shoes were soaked from puddles, but I never got cold and my feet and body were very comfortable, I wore my white running cap which worked great at keeping the rain out of my eyes. I took the grey/red camelback with 1.5 ish litres of water, and 2 gels (ate at miles 3 and 8).

Initially the pace was fine, but on the ups (of which there were several) I had to work pretty hard to stay around 8:00 mile. Luckily most ups were followed by a down so it all evened out. Half way through I was really tiring, and considered cutting it short, but stuck at it and plodded on. Last mile was mostly uphill and really hard.

After the run I noticed my left achillees has a sore patch where the wet shoe heel cuff must have rubbed, but I never felt it while running.

I did a half mile cooldown walk home, and it was amazing how quickly I did cool down, uncomfortably so by the time I got home.

Plan was an 'easy' paced half marathon. 8 min/miles for the first half and then speed up if possible... As usual the first several miles were easy and had to consciously slow down to stay just under 8 mins. (wasnt feeling 100% keen when I set out so ran around the local roads a while to confirm I was up for it). The first half was more up than down and I think that took its toll. The second half was getting tough, and whenever there was an extended climb I had to push pretty hard to maintain sub 8. Feet and legs were hurting by mile 10, and then my shoe lace came undone on the right foot, but I just left it.

Felt pretty tired when I finished, and the top of my left leg was pretty sore, along with both sore feet. Ankles weren't too bad. Half marathon time was within 20 seconds of my previous (and quite similar route) half marathon a month ago, but I dont remember feeling wuite so sore or tired after that one. I did wear the K2's for this one which is the longest I've done in them. I also kayaked 4 miles and trail ran 3 miles yesterday so maybe that didnt help.

I can walk completely normally the following morning so that good - that I can run a half marathon at a decent speed and be perfectly fine the next day - some improvment over my first 2 mile run in May last year and I couldn't walk properly for several days! Left foot toes are delicate, but perhaps not as bad as lat time - are the K2's better for long distance too?

Wore rucsac with a litre of water (no food) and drank it all, it was hot and sweaty run again.

Plan was an easy half-marathon @ 8 min mile to get a 1:45 time. I stuck to just under 8 mins for the first half (the harder of the two as more uphill) but then decided to go a bit quicker. Was roughly aiming for 7:45's for the second half but it was very much dependant on ups and downs in the mile. By the last mile (almost all uphill) was struggling to keep it under 8 mins, really quite tough the last few miles.

The run seemed harder than the 11 miler I did a few weeks ago, even though it was quite a bit slower. Exact same average hr...

Feet/ankles are sore the following day but nothing specific. Again middle toes were sore during the run and have starts of blisters. The Nike V5's seem to crush the toes together too much so the middle ones end up under and over each other.

Wore running rucsac with a bit over a litre of water (drank most of it) and some jelly babies but only ate 3 or 4 - was getting stomach cramps and had a stitch from 5.5 to 7.5 miles. Maybe eating anything isnt such a good idea?

Next plan is to do another half marathon in September and hopefully equal my previous best of 7:30 ish per mile (1:38), and then in October try to do sub 7:15 miles for 1:35 at Cardiff.