Bath Half Marathon race report
What a lovely day, perfect for running in fact. The organisers had put a lot of effort into resolving the root causes of last year’s problems – no postal strike, no rain, more tentage, more toilets, and a new attitude of insisting that the start time was sacrosanct. It was lovely to meet up with all sorts of forumites, and there’s a team photo somewhere.
At the start LLL, Hilly and myself squeezed up towards the front, but we couldn’t see Alan Pitt. It’s hard at the best of times, but impossible in a crowd. It took 5 seconds to cross the start line, so that’s not too bad. The first mile is gently downhill, and we are pretty much together. I heard Hilly’s name called within the first mile, but she had drifted behind me, and LLL was ahead. Mile 1 was reached in 6:35. I needed to reel in LLL and did that in the next mile, clocking a 6:15 I think. As the race progressed I noted that my mile times gently faded, so that all advantage that I had over target was annulled by halfway. A-n-y-w-a-y, at about mile 4 this short green thing buzzed by my ankles. It was Alan Pitt. There wasn’t much time for conversation, he just zipped past and was gone. I guess that he started a bit too far back and was now on an adrenaline rush. At mile 5 there’s a shout for Sarah, and a fit looking young lady in Lycra comes up against me. (I’m dreaming again, sorry). I discover that she wasn’t Sarah, but there was no denying that she was a brilliant advert for crop leggings. Pace upped a bit. (Elevated HR – possibly due to terrain).
Halfway and we are lapping people. I’m feeling good, but know that I’m off the target pace. I check reflections to see if I can spot LLL. I didn’t need to. I could sense his presence like a spirit in the night, tugging at my shadow, like some great dark gravitational force.
Mile 10 was reached in 65:45, spookily the same as at the Gloucester 10. It’s now that I need to relax and try to push in a 90% sort of fashion. I spy Not Sarah ahead, and make my way towards her assets. Spirits lifted. At mile 12 it’s time to think of the final push. There’s a holler of abuse from The Black Hole behind me. Lift pace on downhills. Give up on verbs. Push. The last mile is (you guessed it) a reverse of the first mile, i.e. uphill. 1000m or so left. Black Hole draws level. “I’m just about spent” he says. I give up on words. I need all my efforts in my legs. Try not to get dropped. No avail. 400m and still uphill. GO FOR THE MAX. Close back some. Final straight. He’s off, I am undone. 15 seconds the gap. (pb 1:26:19, by 1:36 margin). Also got trounced by Ratcatcher. Well done you.
Nice to meet everyone I met by the way. And good eatery located, well worth the "warm down walk".
