Ealing half marathon race review

Today was the second running of the Ealing Half marathon. The first event in 2012 was a massive success, with slick organisation and a testing route. Described as undulating, many runners argued that it was actually 'quite hilly'. With a slightly altered course from last year, due to works in one of the local parks, many of those who were running it a second time were hoping for a few less undulations to tackle.

This is the second year in a row I've run the Great North Run and Ealing within a fortnight of each other. Great North Run is always my half marathon priority and I am usually desperate to get a good time there. But last year I PBed both races, knocking about 15 secs off my GNR time at Ealing two weeks later. So I decided I would try and achieve the double PB again this year, as part of my York marathon prep.

Unfortunately, Ealing half marathon coincided with my planned last 20 mile training run before York marathon so I'd rejigged my schedule to run 20 miles on Tuesday and use the 13.1 miles of today's race as a final quality workout before I started my taper. I was a bit worried about the extra miles, but I'd done it last year without side effects, so just made sure I worked hard on the recovery on Tuesday and Wednesday to keep me race ready.

I'd reviewed the route map beforehand and thought this year's new course might actually have one more incline than the inaugural route, but I knew it was a drag caused by a railway bridge rather than a hill. Plus it was a road I'd run several times over the year in training so I wasn't too bothered. Also, I noticed that the hills were nicely spread out, with some flat, recovery, straits to get everybody's wind back before the challenge. And of course, a nice flat, finish for the last 3 miles. I felt confident about the course. I just needed everything else to come together.

The pre-race atmosphere was relaxed - it's the Ealing Feeling. It's not often I get to start a race just 10 minutes walk from my house, so instead of having to spend ages in a toilet queue I was able to meet up with a couple of friends who were also running. Everyone was relaxed and looking forward to getting started. I'd decided that my main goal was to enjoy it, to relax and not worry too much about time. But despite this, I found myself heading into position in between the 2:00 and 1:50 pacers, not-so-secretly aiming to hit sub 1:55 again. So much for relaxing!

Then we were off - running along a road I run regularly as part of my training, but this time not worrying about the traffic. The local support was out in earnest, with signs and banners right from the start. We Ealing residents love a bit of free outdoor entertainment of a weekend and it showed today. Families had set up water stations outside their houses, kids were ready with the low fives and people were hanging out of their bedroom windows to cheer us on. Due to the early start of 9.15, Ealing also has the highest number of pyjama-clad spectators of any race I've ever run.

The organisers had gone out of their way to make this a welcoming race. The route was peppered with signage welcoming runners from other countries, each country getting their own sign. There were also lots of signs wishing various runners happy birthday - I really hope the birthday boys and girls saw their names in the right place. This was a lovely addition to the course, and really brought home the community ethos of the race.

Thankfully, the weather today was a million times better than a fortnight ago. I didn't have to worry about rain-slicked road surfaces today, although I did have to dodge an awful lot of spit! There seemed to be loads of people who were doing projectile spitting along the route, particularly in Pitshanger Park just before halfway. In fact there were so many spitters in the park, I started to wonder whether it had been designated a special spitting zone. Spitting is never ideal, but there was so much of it going on, it was starting to get a bit unpleasant.

 

I bumped into a couple of other runners I know mid-race, which is always a treat, and the Beloved cycled round most of the course and provided support at about 6 different points en route, giving me a major boost. I'd managed to get into a good rhythm quite early on. For a couple of miles I was worried I was going too fast but my Garmin said otherwise so I relaxed into my pace and pressed on. I tried to make sure I didn't lose too much speed going up the various hills but focused on maintaining the effort. And I was enjoying it. There was a great vibe all the way round, people running with their mates, spotting their friends and neighbours and getting cheers - it was a lovely race to run. All the churches on the route had laid on extra cheer squads and refreshments, and around mile 10 there was a massive cheer squad with music. I chuckled when I heard Billy Ocean's 'When the going gets tough' blaring out of the speakers, and I was starting to feel quite buzzy.

I didn't pay too much attention to the later mile markers, because I was happy with my pace and I knew exactly where I was, so the mile markers seemed irrelevant. It was only as we turned into the side streets at the end of the race, streets that I run a couple of times a week, that I realised how close we were to the end. I looked at my watch and saw I was well under 1:55 timing. Then the 12 mile marker loomed up and I decided to make this PB the best it could be.

The benefit of running a race on roads you know well is that you know how far you've got to go (I guess this could be a negative too). As the race finishes in the park that underpins my training, including intervals, I was on very familiar ground. I knew when to push and when not to push. And I knew, despite my Garmin having a little nap about the distance, that the time on my watch showed I was comfortably into PB territory. I saw Beloved just after the 13 mile marker, and he shouted 'sub 1:53'. So I went all out for a sprint finish, to make sure I hit a time beginning with 1:52 for a change.

For once, I remembered to race over the line before I stopped my watch - a really bad habit I have picked up over the last year - which probably saved me a couple of seconds. I was done, and I was delighted. I was even more delighted when I got my medal - a really fabulous design, so unusual. We also got a commemorative picture to mark the day. I don't know what to do with that but it's a nice touch from a local artist.

Ealing does the best medals

On the whole, my splits were very consistent

This brings me safely under a 1:55 time and gives me a lot more confidence about my sub 4 hour marathon target in 3 weeks. I know I've still got to deliver the combination of pace and stamina on the day, and keep the negative thoughts out of my head when the going gets tough. But I'm starting to believe I can do it. And that's more than half the battle won.