Training with Pain #16: My Fastest Half Marathon

It's Done

Twelve weeks. Forty-two hours of running. 452 kilometres.

It's all over.

Looking back now, I can honestly say that was the toughest training block I've done in years. There were times where I questioned why I was doing it, times where I wanted to throw the towel in, and weeks where every session felt like another thing I had to tick off.

Standing on the start line Sunday morning made all of that worth it.

We got down to Batman Avenue around 6:15am. It was 4 degrees, still dark, and there were runners everywhere.

A few strides, a bit of mobility work and trying to keep warm was about all there was time for before making our way into Wave A.

Over 11,000 people had entered. The atmosphere was unreal.

The jumpers came off, the woolly hat went in the bag and the bloke on the microphone started the countdown.

I wasn't nervous. I was excited.

After three months of work, it was finally time to see what I'd built.

Mistake Number One

I completely underestimated how busy the start would be.

I lined up towards the back of Wave A and paid for it.

For the first half of the race I spent more time weaving around people than actually running my own race. Every time I tried to build a rhythm, I'd end up boxed in again.

It wasn't until around the 14km mark that the field finally opened up and I had some space to run.

I remember looking down at my watch around Docklands and seeing 4:30/km.

That wasn't where I wanted to be. I knew I had more in the legs. I just couldn't get to it.

Mistake Number Two

This one's on me.

I didn't properly look at my overall race time until about 19 or 20 kilometres.

When I finally did, I saw something around 1 hour 28 on the watch and immediately thought, "I've got this."

I lifted the pace and emptied the tank.

Then I turned the final corner.

There it was.

That bloody bridge. I completely forgot about the final incline.

Watching the pace drop while climbing that hill wasn't much fun.

By then it was too late.

Could I have found another minute or two if I'd managed things differently? Maybe, but that's racing.

The Result

I crossed the line in 1 hour 32 minutes.

A 6-minute personal best.

On a course with around 150 metres of elevation.

I finished 833rd out of 11,429 runners overall, and 121st out of 1,018 in my age group (35 to 39).

When I take a step back, I'm really proud of that. Would I have loved a 1:29? Absolutely. Do I think it was there on a flatter course or with a cleaner run? 100%.

But that's sport.

Looking Back

The biggest thing this training block taught me had nothing to do with running.

It reminded me how much consistency wins. There weren't any magic sessions. No secret workouts and no shortcuts.

Just turning up over and over again. Some sessions felt incredible. Some felt awful. A couple nearly broke me mentally. But every one of them counted.

When people ask how to get fitter, stronger or recover from injury, the answer is rarely exciting.

It's consistency. Again and again. Week after week. The boring stuff works.

Jaz & Shaz

I also wanted to give a shout out to Jasmine and Shaz. Both completed their first ever half marathon on Sunday. What makes that so special is knowing where they started.

When they joined us at Brimbank last August, running 500 metres without stopping was a genuine challenge.

Now they've completed 21.1 kilometres. That's an unbelievable achievement.

Just turning up consistently and trusting the process.

I'm incredibly proud of both of you. Well done.

What's Next?

First things first.

I'm looking forward to training legs again. It's been 8 to 10 weeks. And I'm definitely looking forward to not seeing another running programme for a little while.

I'm also heading to the UK this Saturday for 5 to 6 weeks. I can't wait to see my family and friends. I can't wait to meet my niece. I'm looking forward to having my first holiday in over 5 years.

Then it'll be time for the next goal.

Because if this training block taught me anything, it's that you're capable of far more than you think when you're prepared to keep turning up. No more evident than watching you guys smash it in class.

I'll see you guys in September.

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Thanks for all your words of support. I really appreciated it.

Craig x