Sun 22 May, Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon

Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon at Williamstown. A beautiful morning, 12.6 degrees when I left home, sunny and very little wind, really none. I arrived about 7.15 and registered myself and Cam for the 10k, done quickly and painlessly. Back to the car for final preparations and off for a 15 minute slow run, taking advantage of the public toilets where there was no line.

I did a couple of stride thru's with Cam and then finalised shoes and had some more to drink. I then made my way over to the start/finish line and said hello to a few CRs & a couple of AV people. PaulC, Courtlove, RMC, Eat Em, Fish, Wobblyman, Virtual Runner, Obi-Wan & Chilliman, I also seen a few others who I didn't get to say hi to and I saw SlowSue on course.

Today was about putting some more 'k's in the bank' and nothing else, but it was suggested that I could push the pace in the final 5k if all was good, which I thought sounded like a good test. Plan: 4:45 pace for 10k, 4:40 pace upto 16 and then push home!

Re meet Eat Em on the course just before 1k and we run together, happy with the pace and talking the whole way (I think this annoys some people we pass & they are on the edge, oh well). The first 10km was very casual and enjoyable, no probs: 4:46, 4:39, 4:39, 4:42, 4:50 (water station game), 4:34, 4:43, 4;43, 4:35, 4:44 = 46.49 (4:42 pace). The km markers stop but we are comfortable with this pace and continue on. I notice that we haven't been passed by anyone since the first km and we are starting to bring alot of people back to us. The next 5km was completed in 23:07 (4:37 pace) and I feel good, I think Eat Em is starting to work harder but he is still sitting with me, I confirm in my mind that I will push the last 5km & remind my running partner that I will soon be moving the pace up, we have run 5 min and no marker is seen, so I assume we have slightly less than 5km to go, so I start my push, the last 6.1km (including the casual 5 min) was run in 25.44 (4:13 pace). Very happy with the last 5km and my time is 1h 35m 50s, which is close to a PB (I thought).

Cam Mac won the 10km in an ordinary 37 min (his words) and we stay for his presentation and then move on. When I get home I check my previous Half Marathon which was a PB at Burnley (1h 36m 45s), so I have cruised for 16km and then pushed and ended up with a PB of 55 sec. Very happy!

Another well organised event from the Sri Chinmoy organisation.

4:46, 4:39, 4:39, 4:42, 4:50, 4:34, 4:43, 4;43, 4:35, 4:44, 23:07 (5k), 25:44 (6.1km)

Edit: The results are now posted, I finished 49th out of 219.