Feilding Half Marathon

Even though Feilding is my home town, I have never run the half marathon that has been held here for the past 20 years.  It is an out and back course and follows the same route as the full marathon.

 Most of the run is on country roads and because I had done a practice run a few weeks ago that covered part of the course, I was prepared for the long, straight roads that I would be facing.  In some ways this certainly did help me mentally.  This half marathon though was a new experience for me in that it was a very small field of runners and they were fast!  I had gone into this half marathon with no time goal in mind for me.  I needed to do this as time has been a big factor for me so often this year and then the disappointment sets in.  Instead, today was all about just getting out there and running the half marathon and that I did.  It was my slowest half marathon to date but I'm okay about that.  I spent a large part running on my own and at times there was no one is sight either.  I guess that is what happens when there is a small field.  I got first in my age group but then again I was the only one in my age group.

Right, back to the race.  It started at Timona park and the first little bit was running along the grass and out to the road.  While I had been nervous about starting, once that gun went off I just went into concentration mode.  I was even able to give a wave to one of my support people!

I just kept going at a pace I was comfortable at and a pace I felt I would be able to maintain for the majority of the race.  Around the 2km mark was a curve in the road that was not the nicest and hard on the knees and ankles so I took this easy and then got back into it.  The first aid station approached around 3km and I was feeling good so didn't stop.  It was drizzling at this stage and I was enjoying the moisture on me.   By the next aid station, I needed some water as I knew there were a few uphills to come.  Then another not nice curve to run and a couple of lumps in the road before the turn around point came into view.  I was still feeling quite good at this stage and still running.  After turning, I had a gel just to help my energy levels.  The aid station approached again and I was feeling hot so downed two waters and kept running.  Then I started counting down the kms to go.  In some ways, I could not believe I was on the countdown already.  By the time I go back to the turning point for the 5km run I knew in my mind I could keep going and run all the way to the end.  Back in town, the mind got a bit of a work out but suddenly I was turning back onto the last street and the finish line was in sight.  And wow, I had a cheerleader cheering me on!  This spurred me on and Belinda running beside me for those last few hundred metres made me run even faster!

I used that last bit of power and energy in my legs to sprint it out to the end!  And standing at the end was my running buddy Kate supporting me as well!

For me, it was one of the most special finishes.  I had done it.  It was half marathon number 7 completed.  Such an achievement.  A great catch up with friends and a time to celebrate.

The Countdown

So the countdown is onto half marathon number 7 for me.  In less than two weeks it will all be done and dusted.  I have been feeling pretty good about it up until now, even thinking a few weeks back that I might end up having to walk this one.  It seems now that I should be running it and possibly even manage to run the full 21.1km.  See my training has improved over the past few weeks.  I even managed to run a 15km run over this weekend and felt good about it.  I will be happy with whatever I do get when I run it as it is all for the experience and I haven't had the best lead up.  The thing is though, there are people out there that have so much faith in me and my running.  They seem to think that maybe this will be the one to give me that personal best, maybe even that one to beat the clock.  This is currently messing with my head a little.  I know that I will not get anywhere near a personal best.  My training is proof of this.  I guess I just have to get out there on the day and give it my best and apologise to those that had the faith that I'm just not quite at that stage at the moment.

Sledge Track

I have been reading so many people talking about the Sledge Track and the great trail running experience through there.  Today I had the opportunity to try it out for myself.  Forgetting that we had had so much rain previously didn't fully prepare me for just how muddy it was going to be.  Believe me, I'm not scared of a little mud, just scared of falling flat on my face or worse still, rolling back down a hill again!  Believe it or not, I stayed on my feet the whole time.  It wasn't easy to but I managed it.  And all the mud, sweat and pounding heart was all made worthwhile with the views I got to see.  So many waterfalls

Little river crossings

And lots and lots of steps and mud!

Almost two hours out on the track.  I knew I had given my legs and body a great work out and I'm sure it worked just as hard if I had run the 15km I had planned for this weekend.  I'm happy to have taken this opportunity and I really want to go back and give it another go!  I will finish off with the stats from today.

The Humdinger!

Well, this event certainly lived up to it's name!  Probably one of the hardest events I have ever taken part in.  But still a very enjoyable experience.  The course started on a uphill and stayed this way for quite some time. Although there was a bit of a down hill just after the 2k mark and it was then up and up until the turn around point at 5.5km.  I managed to run the first 800m and then decided a walk/run would be the way to go.  In the end, I walked most of the uphill as I could walk faster than I could run!  Gosh the lollies and drink at the aid station where so what I needed and they gave me the go to start the run back down.  And the views!  Well these made the run even more enjoyable.  I just loved it.  Will I go back and do it again?  Yes, but next year I want to do the full 25km and run right across the top of the range.  Here are a few photos from the fun yesterday!

The elevation!  Shows just how steep it was.

The view!

Looking down at the Manawatu River

All finished and a new medal

Hitting the trails

So running has been a bit of a struggle lately.  A struggle to find the motivation, a struggle because I can't get my pace back to where it use to be.  A struggle because life is really busy.  BUT today I did something about it all.  I headed back to the Manawatu Gorge and hit the track again!

For me it is not an easy track and I don't think it ever will be but it is so different.  And I only ever run it when I have someone to run it with.  Today I headed out with a friend I have never run with before and we had agreed we would just take it easy.  And we did.  We walked some hills, stopped for a couple of photo opportunities and took in the scenery around us.  We needed to take it easy too as there has been so much rain lately that the track was soggy, muddy and slippery in places.  You can just see the Manawatu River behind me in this picture and just how swollen and brown it is!

We also took a one extra detour and checked out the windmills.  I couldn't believe just how close to them we were!

Today really showed me just how much I love being with nature and enjoying that fresh air.  Yes it was cold but it was also enjoyable.  The streams had a little more water in them than last time I ran the track but they were still so clear (like nature should be).

Just over 1hour 30 minutes after entering the track we came out the other end.  I was proud of what I had achieved.  I knew I had run and my body could feel it but I felt so different within myself to how I had been feeling recently.  It was just the run I needed and this last photo I think says it all.

Spur of the Moment

In a spur of the moment, I made the decision and entered the Hall Block Humdinger!  It's an 11km off road event.  Actually it is the end of the big North Range Traverse that I am planning on running next year (Here is the link to it).  I wasn't going to enter but a friend is walking the distance and I keep on seeing people talking about it so thought I would give it a go too.  I'm really excited!  Now to train for the next 39 days to get strong for it.

Developing my plan

So as I said after the Wellington half marathon - I plan to work on building up my strength.  Why is this so important and what am I going to do to achieve this?

First - I plan on running my first full marathon in 2018.  In May of that year to be exact because I have chosen Rotorua to be the one and only marathon that I will run in my life,  Why Rotorua?  Because I have a friend who has run it every year for the past few years and I always get a sense of jealously when I see her photos from the event and I love reading about the amazing run that it is.  I also have another friend who lives not far from there and who will run with me for the distance of the marathon and help me through those tough times.  Going to Rotorua to run has been on my bucket list for a little while now so why not make it really count!  Plus if I run it in 2018 then I can say I have completed a full marathon before I hit that ripe old age of 40.  Yes, that gives me well over 18 months to work towards this goal but there is a reason for giving myself a long build in.  It doesn't mean I will give up on my goal sometime next year and say it is all too hard.  It means I can put some steps in to make it a more enjoyable experience.

I know that Rotorua has hills in it.  I know that a marathon involves finding that slower pace and just keeping on going.  I know that I really need to build some strength and this is the reasoning behind the two events I have chosen to partake in next year.

My first event will be heading back to Waitarere to complete the Great Forest Run half marathon.  I have really enjoyed this event in the past two years and it does work your body.

My second event will be one I just learnt about this year - a 25km course that starts on the Pahiatua Track and runs through to the Manawatu Gorge.  Looking at it, it does look hard BUT that is what I need.  I need a run where I am not focused on time.  It will be a run that will make me stronger and make my legs work hard.  Yes I will be on them for quite some time but this is what running a full marathon will be like.

I know I have not met my sub 2 hour goal for a half marathon but this is going down on the bucket list.  For now, I want to look at challenging my body a little more in different ways.  I'm going to have to brave running some trails on my own.  But guess what, I am going to have fun while I am doing it all!