Bath Half 2011

Just back from this race. Man was it cold to begin with, must have been nearer 0′C with the brisk wind.

Great race setup and all credit to the organisers – would definitely do it again even though I don’t really like doing loop courses.

Was aiming for around 1hr 47-50min with the training/injuries I’ve had recently and was more than happy with 1hr 44min. Had a tight calf which kept the pace down in the first 10K, bit it loosened up in the second half.

What Worked

Planning the kit out the night before – so much less stress in the morning

The usual – getting there early. This is my usual tactic, but I gotta say it works. Aim to get to the venue at least 1hr before the start.

Practising drinking while on the move. It is a bit of an art drinking while running and your stomach also has to learn to cope with it. Learn to have regular drinks when training and try and keep to this in the race.

What Didn’t

Ran a 12 mile training session a week before was fine at more or less race pace – great prep. However I tried a little too hard on a 10k session 4 days before and ended up straining a calf muscle. lesson 1 – take it easy the week before a race.

Drink stations. Never really taken this into consideration before. Took some of my own gels and used them up hoping to supplement it with stuff from the course – however it didn’t really synch up and spent far too long without the proper hydration.

Tried racing in the same kit as in training but ended up being too hot. Most of the outdoor training runs have been in the evening when it’s been colder. It’s a mistake I’ve made in the past and my rule of thumb is now to have a layer less than you think.

Looking forward to the rest of the season.