September 7 (2)

[cerealjoe]

Ah, that marathon that wasn't. But the half-marathon that was. And the personal growth that happened. I think that nicely sums up everything. The morning of the race I felt rather good, optimistic even, everything felt very decent, perhaps even really good. I had a really good pace on the first 10K, didn't really force anything and I managed somewhere around 5:45min/km. Then it all went to shit, my head wasn't into it and my stomach wasn't into it either, stuff like that happens. I think at around km 15 I really wanted to just stop because it stopped being fun, I talked myself into finishing at least half the distance and if things didn't get better I would stop. And that's what I did. I finished the half in about 2 hours 9 minutes, kilometres 10 through 21 with horribly varying paces all depending on how that old body was functioning. I could have continued, I could have gone on alternating walking and running but there is only so much dry heaving without being able to force down anything and not being mentally into it that I can take. I may not have another finisher's medal but I respected my "I'll stop when it stops being fun" idea and I didn't have to be scooped up with a spoon!