Sunday 9th April 2017
@10am
(From Uxbridge to Watford via the Grand Union Canal)
On Sunday 9th April, John and I did the Grand Union Canal Half Marathon Spring Series. It was a very sunny morning. I don’t normally complain about too much sunshine but it got me worried even before we started. I already felt very warm with only my running vest and shorts on. I covered my skin with sunblock cream to stop myself from getting burnt. My phone app showed it was already 21°C at 9am at our start at the Cowley Recreation Ground in Uxbridge
. I
’d imagine it’d get warmer and warmer along the canal to our finish at the Cassiobury Park in Watford about midday.
With the Marathon season coming up, many runners (including me) used this event as a preparation for their full marathon. This event has been voted by the Runner’s World survey the 5th best scenery event in the UK. Yes, the canal is very pretty and therapeutic. Nevertheless, it is not a PB course due to the stoney terrain course for almost the entire race on the towpath with only the last half mile is on tarmac surface inside the Cassiobury Park before the finish.
John and I started together and after a while we said good luck to each other before I pulled off from him. I was on 9 minutes a mile average pace for the first mile then I dropped to slightly over 9 minutes a mile after passing the 1st mile mark. The weather forecast was right that it was going to be the warmest day in 2017. Since the canal has no shade, the sun was beaming above our head with hot dry heat. Fortunately, the first water station was just after mile 2. I grabbed 2 cups of water. I stopped for a few seconds to make sure I drank all the water because I knew I needed to rehydrate in such weather condition.
I was a bit worried about John as he is a big guy and he always says his “body mass” forms an insulation against the cold. But what about the heat? If I needed 2 cups of water, he’d probably need 4 to cups to rehydrate. After the first water station, my average pace continued to drop to 9 minutes 17 seconds a mile. By the time when I arrived at the 2nd water station near mile 5, my average pace dropped to over 9 and half minutes a mile. After rehydrating myself with another 2 full cups of water, I tried to pick up my pace but I couldn’t. By the time when I arrived at the 3rd water station near mile 8, I was already well above 9 and half minutes a mile average pace.
It goes without saying that every time when I had to climb up to each lock, my pace dropped. But when I was dashing downward, I didn’t really manage to make up the lost time. By mile 10, I was still just under 10 minutes a mile average pace. I was just hoping to maintain a steady pace under 10 minutes a mile throughout until finish. The last half mile inside the Cassiobury Park was really hard as there is a long stretch of incline from the canal to the centre of the park. By that time I was on 10 minute 1 second a mile average pace. I crossed the 13th mile mark in 2 hours 10 minutes but it took me another minute to cross the finish line of 13.1 miles.
I finished in 2:11’13”. I just couldn’t push 14 seconds faster to equalise my time in the same event back in November last year in 2 hours 10 minutes. I was disappointed but I did push my hardest.
John didn’t arrive at the finish until 2 hours 44 minutes. I first thought it must be the heat and dehydration which had slowed him down. Then he told me that he twisted his right ankle badly near mile 5 and he had to limp. He was thinking of DNF because he felt really painful but when he saw the ambulance near mile 6, he sought treatment and the paramedics wrapped his ankle in rock tape. He felt a bit better but could only jog slowly. To add salt to the wound (literally!), he twisted the same ankle again twice afterward. He didn’t quit. He jogged slowly and carefully all the way to the finish. Well done John. His determination had overcome his painful ankle. Truly respectful !!
Our next event will be the Milton Keynes Marathon for me and Half Marathon for John on the Bank Holiday Monday on 1st May. We’ll both need a bit of luck. When life gives us lemon, we make lemonade!!