kingston’s festival of running
As several of you are probably aware there’s two races within this two-loop course around Kingston and Hampton Court, an eight miler and a 16 miler. I’d had a crack at the shorter distance a couple of years ago and completed it in a pretty respectable 58.04 but with the Ironman fast approaching I thought I’d give the longer one a go and try and put some miles in the ol’ bank as they say. Sixteen miles represents the furthest I’d actually run since my one and only marathon in 2006 but I have to admit I wasn’t overly daunted by this as it can’t be THAT more painful than the 13.2 miles of your standard half-marathon. Can it?
Somewhat unsurprisingly, a two-loop race naturally lends itself to a game of two halves and so it proved to be:
First Half: Freezing cold, smelling off winter-green embrocation and huddled in a doorway to keep out of the biting wind before a 8.25am kick off and flying start of 6.30 for the first and 6.40 for the second miles. Top dollar, this feels really good. I quickly partnered up with a young, similarly paced runner, Matt Howells and we settled down to a pretty comfortable 7.15 pace and proceeded to gas away for the next six or seven miles. (Matt, guessing you were 40 as opposed to your true age of 31 I can only put down to my delirium and the fact you must have had a tough paper round in Swansea!)
Second Half: Chalk and cheese. It started to get tough after crossing Kingston Bridge for the second time and feeling the beginning of a nice little blister. Oh yes, it really was downhill from hereon in and even the speed bumps on the tow path started to give me problems. And it was now bl**dy warm. To his credit Matt didn’t hold my age-gaff against me and proved to be a stirling pace setter and drink sharer. At 14 miles he duly obeyed the order to b*gger off and get under two hours, which he did in a time of 1.57.
Final Score: 1.58.26 and not too shabby after all.
Replay?: Not likely. Not ever.
