Today is my fourth attempt at my home town half marathon and
the third different course I’ve ran it on. After the dark days of the last
three years where they made everyone explore industrial parks that even us
local residents didn’t know existed, then made everyone run two miles up and
down the Embankment just to make up the distance, this year we are back to
something far more interesting.
Key are the return of the loop around the Castle and the
re-addition of Wollaton Park. If you’re a marathoner you even get to run
through the Market Square. They have also added a few hills. Nottingham is hilly, so embrace it. They have.
It’s the first time I’ve not driven and parked at the start
but attempts to get there by public transport seem a total no starter. All the
buses have been rerouted and the tram isn’t running. So L tries to drop me off
and we get the first inclining of the traffic chaos to come when we find the QMC
roundabout shut from 5:30am rather than the usual 8.00am. No idea why.
L drops me off as close as she can and I walk the rest of
the way to the race village whilst she heads home to go line the course. The whole of the
Embankment is already one big toilet queue with lines of people snaking off in
all directions. I hunt out the secret unmarked urinals which I know will be
there somewhere and where they’ll be no queue. If only they advertised these
with a big sign and put a load more of them in then it would remove the
majority of the men from the portaloo queues.
I do a warm up, then strip and dump my excess kit in the
baggage tent before heading to the start in the ‘red’ zone, which is quite near
the front. Now to find out how much I’ve over-tapered.
The morning had started out quite cool, in fact the
Embankment was shrouded in fog at first but that is now lifting and it looks like it
could be a sunny one.
The wheelchairs get a head start, as do the elite (not sure
they need it) and then we’re off. Time to check out this new course. The first two
miles are great, if a little evil. A short, steep climb up around the Castle, a
lot of it on the cobbles where it was also a bit narrow and congested. Then
downhill into the Park estate before climbing up out the other side on to Derby
Road. This is quite a hill but most likely the highest point of the course.
Surprisingly, as there’s been talk of how hilly the route is
this year, from mile 2 onwards it’s pretty flat. Not pan flat, slightly
undulating with a few bridges like Abbey Bridge to cross that involve a
small climb but nothing really to disrupt your pace much. Even the bit through
Wollaton Park is flat as they avoid going anywhere near the hall itself.
I miss a drink station in Wollaton Park which upsets my
fuelling strategy slightly but I’ve got a steady eight minute pace on now, as
planned. Only problem is that I dawdled to nine minute miles on the first two hilly
miles and I never get those minutes back.
I pass L and the boys at four miles but miss them at seven
when apparently Doggo decided the correct way was the way I went and not the
short way to meet me at the next point as I head back out for a loop alongside
the University Lake.
It’s great to do your local race and know large chunks of
the route, and this year I certainly do. Unlike on the old course where even I
didn’t know where I was at times and the crowds are fantastic this year. I don't think there is a section
of the course that doesn't have spectators on it unlike before when in some places it was just us and the tumble
weed.
The University had gone to town by providing their
own cheerleaders who gave us all a rousing cheer, wave their pompoms at
us then for good
measure flashed their chests and knickers as well. Utterly disgusting
and
incredibly sexist of course but exactly what you need eight miles into a
half
marathon. Although, I probably don’t speak for all the female
competitors when
I say that.
I see L and the boys again at ten miles as I kick on
towards the finish. I feel I’ve really got the hammer down now but then clock 9:25
between miles ten and eleven. What??? Now that’s demotivating. Then I do 7:10 for the next
mile, clearly an impossible feat at that stage of my race and then 7:30 for the
next one, all without adjusting my pace. So I think someone put that eleven
mile marker in the wrong place.
Finally, the first of three finish lines loom into sight.
The first one turned out to actually be the start line again, which we run back
through. Then we turn right and run through a big inflatable arch, which wasn’t
the finish either but was actually to mark the 13 mile point. Then finally THE
finish and they are not lying this time.
My time of 01:47:16 is two minutes outside my planned pace but
as I said, I lost those two minutes right at the start and never got them back.
Never mind, it’s a good marker before I do the new Derby City Half in two weeks’
time.
I grab my kit and join the massage queue. Sadly I’m allocated
a big bruising bloke with tattoos to unlock my calves as does the chap beside me.
However the female masseur with the impossibly tight leggings working away at the
next table lifts our spirits somewhat.
Then I crawl towards town, walking down the middle of the road
between the two rows of stationary traffic. Oh dear, this is going to generate
many column inches in the local paper. I pick up the Marathon route on Stoney Street
and cheer through those hardly souls doing the Full. The route then takes them
right through the Market Square, where they get some fantastic support from the
public. I meet L here and then we follow them up Derby Road which is a killer
hill to have 20 miles in. We have a pint in the Hand & Heart, then a couple
at the Borlase, all the time offering our increasingly drunken support.
The new Marathon route is truly inspiring and I vow to do my
first ever Full in my home race next year if I can stay injury free. That is if
they keep the same route, which is a big ‘if’ as they seem to have made a bit
of a mess of the traffic management. Not sure why Derby Road still needs to be
totally shut for a single file of Marathon runners.
Having seen the last runner through, we have a final drink in the
Blue Monkey before heading home.
