Hello
Felt excited about this one as any sporting event I had taken part in in Liverpool had always been very competitive. The weather was a bit chilly I had difficulty staying warm before the race started.
Alan Black was doing a good job creating some atmosphere over the tannoy at the start of the race.
A lot of runners at the start but getting away wasn't too difficult as it was on a dual carriageway with two starts one for sub 45 and one for the rest.
I was hoping to get around the forty-minute mark, hit 1k in 4:10 and 2k in 8:08 now for the hill which I found extremely difficult in the Liverpool half marathon. Hit 3k in 12:38,
so I had lost 30 seconds up the hill, managed to claw some back going downhill to 4k at 16:25 (you never seem to get back down the hill what you loose going up it!). Big crowd lined the streets around 5k which I managed to get
through in 20:25. First time my hands had felt warm, but this was a bit slower than I had hoped for, so it was going to be difficult in the second half. I had practised running negative splits in training but not at this pace. Hit 6K in 24:38 and 7K at 28:56.
Breathing was getting quite heavy now and deep down I knew the 40 minute mark was probably out of reach. I still had a good chance of a new personal best.
Looking ahead on the flat sections there seemed to be loads and loads of runners in front of me. 8K was reached in 33:18 and 9K in 37:40.
Managed to complete the course in 41:30 (Offical time 41:40) so beat my personal best (previously 42:48 in the Mersey Tunnel event).
A very enjoyable race with a large field (2400 runners), big crowds, clearly visible kilometers markers and a flattish course. I hope to do this one again next year.
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Hope to be able to give this a go next year if it doesn't clash with Chester Zoo.
See you in 2 weeks time for last Seaside Run?
COGRATS
Thanks for your support chaps.
Mike
Yes, see you in two weeks.
All the advice is to keep a training diary and to chart progress.
Nobody mentions charting your decline! Next year I will be an OAP and it is a little depressing to see the graph heading downhill.
I thought the course was great and the hill wasn't a problem, just the pace.
I managed 46-12 with an official time of 46-16 so I shouldn't complain. The event was very well organised and the result service is tremendous - full results on the net within hours of finishing.
Certainly an event worth supporting.
I've no idea what COGRATS are so CONGRATS!
and to you too Chris.
;-)
The results service is great Joe Lee Computing do have things organised very well.
Dealing with a decline in performance can be difficult but I think you should be proud of your time, after all you are still running times that lots of others aspire to.