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Birmingham and Black Country Half-Marathon
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Morning all
Great day yesterday, fab to meet so many of you, before and after the race.
3 mins short of a PB, but did what I wanted and at least beat last year's time by 8 mins
Garmin time spot on with official time, just the distance that was out (13.32). Was going great guns for first few miles, but by 9 miles my knees were complaining so had to keep stopping to stretch. Hey-ho, not the end of the world.
Atmosphere was great - think the larger, more mixed groups really helped this - there was always someone just ahead or behind, whereas last year there could have been half a mile between runners so was a bit lonely. Felt more like a race this time round, bigger crowds at the finish, and great support en route from marshals, drinks people etc. The Canal Club at the start was handy - though very very dark (and no loo paper in the ladies
)
Daft not to do this race - love the Saturday feeling - drinking started at 1.15pm and finished at 9.30pm, only a bruschetta for sustenance (and a sandwich at 8pm by which time the damage was done)
- oops!
See you all next year!
Lurker - sorry for not introducing you to Spence!
Post morning hello
Still aching like hell and have a lovely red nose - not sure if from the sun or the alchohol - hic
Just reading back - I was feeling fairly brave entering the tunnel, but then got caught by some faster runners who were insistent on pushing past. Felt a little annoyed about this - given that is only 360 yds long and being faster they could easily make the time up once out. Anyway - no harm done. A little bemused by the lighting - which resembled bike lights rather than the fairy lights I had envisaged.
Looking at the feedback from last year Irondog and Stu you definitely ticked all the boxes for improvements. I loved the floating drinks stations- very in keeping with the race format.
Yeti - I didnt last beyond 4.30, all day drinking needs practice!Well done on your time
Hi yeti, how come your Garmin was spot on offical time and mine wasn't!?? even taking into account I started my watch just after the mat.......
still a great race
Chris M:
Road Kill, sorry I didn't come over to your table in P&P but I had met up with another friend.
No worries Chris, at least we spoke a few times earlier! And my apologies to HTA & co for leaving them to join a friend of mine!
Spence:
Sh*t and f*cking bo$$ocks!!
my offical time is 2:26??????? how can that be when Gary The Garmin says 2:21??????
no PB for me
I'm shocked! I wouldn't have expected that kind of language from you Spence! Not sure I want you to join our club anymore...
Alialy:
I agree about the cup drop points - they need to be moved further away. Can anyone tell me - cuz of course you'd all gone by the time we were at the water stations - how the hell you drink from a cup on the move? I nearly choked myself. I really dont want to stop once i'm in a bit of a rhythm,whats the trick?
That's a skill most of us struggle with. If I can get a couple of sips from a cup I'm doing well! At one station (was it 6 miles?) I think I breathed as much as I drank!
Various:
As I understand it, Garmins (and other GPS devices) check their position every few seconds, so unless these checks just happen to be at the apex of corners it ends up measuring across, as if you took a little short cut. Add to this the lack of signal in tunnels, under bridges, and even under trees sometimes, and there will be errors. Some models are better than others, of course.
As for measuring time though, I can't see how that could go wrong, really!
Need to echo all the positive comments - great job Stuart/Irondog, and your many helpers. Glad they got positive feedback, after all they were doing it for free. I've marshalled once so far, on a much shorter race, and I think you get out what you put in, so clearly the guys and girls were doing good work.
I also got held up a little in the tunnel, but it was no big deal. Thought the glo-sticks were quite funny!
I confess I was take by surprise at the start, as my wave went off sooner than I expected, somehow, and almost without me! I didn't therefore hear the briefing, but as a 'veteran' of last year's race I guess I didn't miss much of importance to me. I seem to be getting into a habit of forgetting to start my watch at the start, and to stop it at the end (doh!) so the almost-immediate timing screen was great. Also handy to see if friends have finished yet!
I was thrown by the results list, too, being split between the elite wave and the 'RoW', but mostly because while down as 76th overall, I'm 86th male!
I'm definitely a Marmite lover!
indeed you will
Spence I know how you feel mine was out by 4 minutes also, luckily I checked on the thingy at the end so I knew straight away. Keep thinking I could have pushed a bit harder but was so pleased with my 2.12 anyway will know for next year. At the start wanted sub 2.19 so pleased with the 2.16.
I just walk at the water stations if I need a drink don't think you lose too much now that I think about if if I hadn't maybe I would have got sub 2.15
Anyway great day and great organisation.
just a little moan someone who was doing the race as a sprint walk session stopped before the tunnel to walk so I went in ahead of them I went quite slow through as it was a bit slippery then they almost bulldozed me over to overtake me in the tunnel, then as soon as they were through I overtook them again not sure what that was about.
Flo-Po - that behaviour in the tunnel isn't on - I'm pretty sure there was a rule somewhere about no overtaking in the tunnel.
Spence - do you have your Garmin set to 'auto pause'? That might account for the discrepancy.
LJB - I didn't intend to be there later than about 4.30 myself - haven't done all day drinking for a long time... Suffice to say, I woke up at 2.30am today, lights all on, TV blaring and contact lenses still in.... (having crashed sparko about 10pm)
is it the next Rowheath 5k on Thurs? must check diary....
Overall I really enjoyed the format going from one place to another. The train link made that easier.
I liked the registration in the nightclub, and there were good toilets too. The 1/2 hour 'early' start meant my wife didn't meet me to cheer at the finish line in time, but it did mean I had time for a shower - and it was lovely to be able to get one after a race! I can see why the starts were put closer together now, so maybe starts at 5 minute intervals would be better!
I liked the tunnel and did get stuck behind someone, but adhered to the no overtaking rule, which was fine and all part of the fun of running in a tunnel
Drinks stations were regular and plentiful - although I didn't realise until it was too late that some were laced with energy drink formula (SiS I think)... I had poured some over my head and face!!!
Finally I was not sure if the mile markers were accurate, or like others have said that the GPS gets confused by the tunnels.
I was pleased with my 1:50 time, not a PB, but I could have done a bit more training.
Cheers guys
Tony (bib #264)
I don't know about anyone else but I am mighty sore today! With my first half being yesterday I expected to be sore, but wow - sore is an understatement!!
I really had no idea what to expect. To be honest I expected to be ravenous yesterday but my appetite was no where to be found. Does anyone else experience this??
Well... off to read some more post-race recovery articles!
R-K - second thoughts - don't think i will be racing on thursday - got pain on the inside of my knee and the outside of my bum
off to look up which muscle that might be
I've done an unofficial re-sort of the results and reckon I came 89th of 661, 83rd male and 24th M40+. No PB, but that'll do for me!
If anyone wants their result 'according to Road-Kill', or the full list just message me and I'll either send it or post it on here.
go on then
what's mine?
i am happy for you to put it on here
I was tired out after a hard week and work on fri, so I took it easy and enjoyed the run. It was quite warm and the tunnels and occasional shade was much appreciated, loved the canal boat water stations and jolly marshalls. Laughed out loud at the glow sticks in the tunnel , I didn't lose much time as I knew the surface was level and just ran normally.
I too came across the tall thin chap lying on the ground , I asked if he was OK and he assured me he was, and that someone had gone for help. He just needed some time to get cool and have a drink, later I saw him and he said a kind runner had given him jelly beans, I had only just finished my lucozade (which I don't normally take on Halfs but as I was carrying my phone I took a drink too) or he could have had that. I saw him at the end and he was OK.
I couldn't go to the P&P as I had to get back to work but I did talk to a few who ran and they all enjoyed it , I spoke to an Australian couple who enjoyed it. Loved the donut medal and goody bag - red bull is always welcone.
All in all a cracking good fun Sat morning and it made the afternoon working much easier, think back to all the people I had spoke to and things I'd seen.
Cracking good stuff , what a diffrenece from that first race in the pouring rain with only a handful of people!
Lurker - I'd be surprised if any of us were totally pain-free today! You'll be fine by Thursday, I'm sure
(02:08:32 - 442nd Overall, 81st F, 21st F40)
After a bottle of wine I hadn't noticed I'd run!
Mike, you may have discovered the perfect recovery program!
Yeti, no worries, nice to meet you. The dinner wasn't very good, so you didn't miss much. I ate again when I got home!
(02:16:06 - 520th overall, 115th F, 40th F30 - that's if I've got the right person - Bib # 496?
Right time, bib was 694 though - think it might have been position 496 on their list. Thanks R-K, and see you on Thursday!
that was fun(except for the tunnel, which scared the beejesus out of me)
erm, did anyone acutally start at their appropriate time, cos i was overtaking all throuhg the race, and finished 12 seconds behind my predicted time
I will be back, i especially liked the human mile markers and longbaot drinks stations
there should have been a photographer the other side of the tunnel, i bet there would have been some cracking facial expressions
I was very glad of the chip timimg as my poor old garmin didnt want to play and stopped recording at 9.65 miles
And another thing
I like the finish photos-ihave bought mine and i NEVER do that
i didn't PH but then i was a late entry so i didn't have a start time related to my time, we were supposed to go off last but we went into the batch behind you
we just jumped in and no-one stopped us
it was quite nice for me because we overtook all but 3 of our group which i am not used to
particularly satisfying was going past the man who had gone flying past us with a very ostentatious "runner coming through on the right" about 200yards from the start
we passed him easily about a mile later
<snigger>
i did it in 1hour 58, i wanted to do it in under 2 hours, so im happy
i saw hot tub with your hat on, and i saw yeti from behind, but did not speak to any one,
i was outside the pitcher and piano, in red vest with a green stripe