My New Half Marathon PB
Remember last month I ran the Nottingham half marathon and managed my target of a sub-100 minute time. Just.
Well, yesterday I ran in the Worksop half marathon and smashed that time. Although my brother, Tim, and I turned up with no expectations we managed times of 93 and 94 minutes (respectively), coming about 200th in a field of 1400. We went home aching, but happy.
The two lines highlighted are Tim and I. Although Tim ran as me and I ran as Timothy Watson. Don't ask.
Without realising it we set out at sub-7-minute mile pace and managed to keep this up until about 10 miles, which we reached at just over 69 minutes. It all fell apart after that and we lost minutes over each of the last three miles. I had to stop for a pee (poor excuse to rest my legs really) and then plodded along never managing to catch Tim. Had we maintained our initial pace there's a chance we could have done it in less than 90 minutes!
So my new PB is now 1:34:34. Note that I am no longer counting my time of 1:27:54 from when I was 18 years old as my PB. That was almost half my lifetime ago. That was old me and this is new me. Although, really, this is old me and that was new me. There's no point me counting what I did back then as an achievement. I need to start afresh and forget the past.
<analogy quality="poor">It's a bit like our local football club, Nottingham Forest, going on about how good they were in their heyday. The only thing Forest has in common with the team that won all those trophies is the old football ground they still play in. The only thing I have in common with my 18 year old self is the old(er) body with which I'm tied. I'm a different person now.</analogy>
Talking of it being half a lifetime ago, I recently set myself a new goal. By the time I'm 36 (and hence twice the age) I want to beat my old PB. To be as fit as I was at 18 when I'm 36 will be something of a boost to my confidence and show that there's no reason being a little older means you can't be as fit.
Until yesterday I wasn't sure I'd achieve this goal, but then while running along at 90 minute pace I realised it's not actually that much faster than 100 minute pace and, given the right course (i.e. flat) I think I could just about do it. I have the whole of 2010 in which to try.
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nice one Jake!
You're welcome over to Göteborg to try the half marathon here. Over 50,000 people to fight your way through though. I'm actually entered next year so we'll see how it goes. At least the accommodation would be free
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Keep up the training.
Hi Phil. Thanks for the offer. It would be good to see the King family and visit Sweden. How likely that is though, what with kids and everything, I don't know. One day, hopefully.
Having "competed" in two half marathons in the past two months - one with >14,000 people and the other with <1,400 - I think I prefer the smaller fields. Not as much atmosphere but you're free to find your own pace much more quickly. I find the pace I set out at in the first couple of miles is the pace I'll continue at, so the first mile or so is important. Not that I'm starting to take it dead serious or anything...
Bet you can't believe the "old me" you knew in Brighton is the same one running half marathons every month ;o)
Good luck and let me know how you get on!
Fantastic!
Amazing improvement. And an even more impressive goal.
It sounds a little bit as if you are just going out and hurt yourself at races and see what happens!?
Did you follow some specific plan during training, or do you intend to do so for the new goal?
Personally I find it easier to follow a plan and think you get better results with less effort.
Greetings, Christian.
"as if you are just going out and hurt yourself at races and see what happens"
LOL. To a degree yes. Although I'm not sure hurt is the right word. Maybe "push" would be better. Although maybe even that's not the right word. I have my comfort zone and I don't like to step outside it. As soon as I feel the hurt I tend to stop for a toilet break, as I did on Sunday (as well as a minute of walking at about 11 miles). I don't like pain. I'm not like the nutters you see running in the races who are obviously running way outside their comfort zone but seem driven to continue for whatever reason they have.
The reason, I feel, for the improvement is merely that I'm slowly returning to my natural pace/ability after a ten year break.
I don't really have a plan. Just to get faster. I like the Nike motto of "Just Do It". Although I do have my PE teacher friend (PB of 64 minutes!) who is always on hand to offer advice and training tips. He's had me doing 6-minute-mile intervals and stuff , which has helped no end.
Jake
With a personal coach like that you will sure reach your goal and be "younger" than 18 years before. And then why stop at half the distance and not run a full marathon. Or do some swimming and biking before the running. That's were I'm currently headed. Though I'm only a minute behind you, no coach will ever push me below the 1:30 HM barrier. But trying to just finish the longer triathlon distances is a similar adventure. Plus you have more time to enjoy the pain ;-)
As you said: "Just do it".
Christian.
If I did a full marathon it would only be so I could say I had and so I could "tick the box". A full marathon just seems too far to me and must reap untold damage on the body.
Whereas with 1/2 marathons I can do them in a reasonable time I think I'd run a full marathon with the sole aim of getting round rather than doing it at a decent pace. I'd rather stick to a distance I could "compete" at than merely prove I can run a certain distance.
I'm sure I'll get round to ticking the box at some point though...
Las and I were discussing last night how you supposedly begin losing muscle mass in your 30's, but how odd it is that your 30's is when you are supposedly most energetic. I can attest to the last bit of conventional wisdom (definitely working harder than ever and feeling better than ever) but as far as muscle mass, I seem to have twice what I did at 18 (now being 36 myself). Probably all the manual labor that goes along with the title "homeowner".
However - I could run about 10 miles and follow it up with a 20 mile hard bike ride when I was 22. I don't have much occasion or desire to do that any more... and doubt I could ever record a PB of any kind. No reason not to try I suppose, though, aside from the damage to ones body you and I both fear. ;-)
At any rate, nicely done, Jake, er, Tim, er Watson?