Kerikeri Half Marathon Race Recap...

On Saturday I ran the Kerikeri Half marathon. I wasn't sure if I would survive to see the finish how I would go only 2 weeks after doing a full marathon and since my body had been on strike for two weeks, but I actually really enjoyed the race and am happy with how I went.

Because of the last two weeks, I decided that I wouldn't have a time goal and that all I wanted to do was to finish it and enjoy it and not die. Check! I was also happy to be doing it with these wonderful ladies who were all running their first halves:

At the start line. Super proud of these babes!

It was a crazy hot day and the first 7kms were pretty much one long gradual up hill... Yay! I didn't want to crash and burn on the hills so decided to start out nice and slow and then if I felt ok after the hills, pick up the pace a little.

I started out behind the two hour pacer and was following behind her until about 12kms where I caught up to her. At around 14kms I overtook her and felt like I was happy to pick up the pace some more. With about 500m to go I decided I was just going to nail it to the finish line. Ok, so by nail it I mean sprint and by sprint I mean run as fast as I could after 20kms of running already (which was probably pretty slow compared to some!). I also decided I would count (in my head of course, out loud would just be plain rude!) the amount of people I passed... The total was 14 people... BOOM! Haha.

Sprinting towards the finish, not aware of the camera or I would have donned my best running pose instead of looking a tad special.

I got to use my Garmin which was the best part of the whole race. It helped me with my pacing and then the best part was hooking it up to Garmin Connect after the event to see all of my stats and details of the race. My average pace was 5:36mins/km. My final finishing time was 1:58:29. Rather happy with that indeed.

This is a really great event to do. It's a reasonably fast course as the last 14kms are pretty much flat or downhill with the odd small up hill in there. It is also a great day out. We stayed afterwards and had a picnic in the domain while waiting for the prizegiving where, true to form I did not win a thing, but it was a really lovely day out with the family and friends.

Loved running the race, and loved being able to celebrate with these superstars at the finish. A great day all round!

This was us at the finish - bare feet never felt so good!

My body has been on strike and I'm racing tomorrow...

As you know, I ran a marathon just under two weeks ago. In the lead up to the marathon I was uber zealous and in 'that happy running place' so thought I would sign up to the Kerikeri half marathon two weeks after it (the marathon). So this race is tomorrow.

Since the marathon my body seems to have gone on strike. I got a pretty bad ankle injury - which I am guessing is an overuse injury - and I got laryngitis and was a bit sick for a week. I did not get sick or injured my whole 4 months of training and then the week or two after the marathon my body seems to have just had enough. Needless to say, the only exercise I have done over the last two weeks is a few walks and two swims. Eek!

I guess that's what you could call all the couch sitting I have been doing lately.

Anyway. I have still decided to stagger run the half tomorrow. I have no idea how it will go and I have no expectations of myself but I am looking forward to it. My only goal for tomorrow is to enjoy it!

So here I go, off to run what will very likely be my last race of 2013, tomorrow. Can't wait!

Anyone else racing this weekend?

Does your body ever go on strike after an event (or just anytime)?

Beaten by a door and free race entry to giveaway...

Last weekend I had a relaxed 22kms planned. My running buddy lives just around the road from me (so convenient) and we always meet at the same time and same place for our long runs. I am always the one that gets there a minute or two late - although I always say I am just allowing her some warm up/stretch time because I am such a kind and thoughtful friend.

This Saturday, however, I was more than a couple of minutes late. Just as I was about to get changed and head out the door I had a weeeee accident...

Door 1, Rachel 0

Yip, I walked into the door. Blonde much? And not actually just the door, but the corner of the door. And yip, it hurt! It makes me shudder to think about it now. It was so hard and crazy sore! The stupidest thing ever, I was laughing and crying at the same time because of how much it hurt and how silly it was.

Anyway, moving along now...

Once I got on the road I managed to forget about the throbbing pain in my head, right in behind my eye, and actually enjoyed the run. I ended up running for 22kms and walking the last 2km home.

I am so excited to be on the downhill to the marathon now. Less than two weeks to go and I am feeling great. All the hard work has been done, now I am just on cruise/taper mode til the big day. I have been thinking about the goals I want to set for race day but have not completely decided on them yet so there will be a post about those coming very soon.

On another note, I also did a whole bunch of baking this weekend for some random people in my hood. It was great fun and I really enjoyed being back on the baking wagon for a few hours.

Some of the treats I whipped up

I am so excited about my upcoming marathon that I decided to go ahead and register for another race... Only two weeks after the marathon. Yikes! I certainly have 'the bug'. I am still a little nervous as to whether I will be able to (or should) run a half marathon so soon after a marathon but I think I will be fine and worst case scenario would mean I walk for a bit (or a lot). No biggie.

So I registered for this half marathon and I also have a free entry to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog, or here on my facebook page letting me know that you have entered the race and you will be in the draw to win the cost of your ticket back. That is a bonus and $49-$67 that can go towards my Christmas present. Thanks, you are too kind :)

Entries for the half close 10th November, and early bird entries (cheaper price) close 27th Oct - this coming Sunday. Get in quick people, it is an AWESOME race.

Anyone else ever been beaten up by a door, some stairs, a wall or the like? 

Anyone else racing soon? Running a full or half marathon?

Any bakers out there? Do you bake for yourself or to give away as treats?  

Whangarei Half Marathon Race Recap...

Going into this half marathon I didn't really have a goal, I wanted to use it as a run to gauge where I was at for my marathon training. However, in saying I didn't have a goal I did still want to run my best and do as well as I could. During the run I decided that I really wanted to finish in under two hours and I thought I could.

On Saturday night there was one of the biggest, craziest and scariest thunder storms I think I have ever seen/heard/felt in my entire life! It was crazy! At about midnight we were woken up by the biggest blast of thunder imaginable. It was crazy! I got such a fright that I was shaking. The lightening was the most amazing sight but the thunder was scarily loud - it even shook our windows!!

So all while this was going on and it was absolutely bucketing down with rain I was lying there thinking that this half marathon would be cancelled.. There is no way we can run in weather like this, I thought.

Also, I could not believe that my baby slept the WHOLE way through the WHOLE storm, which lasted over an hour (I think). I actually had to check he was ok! 

Apparently so!

Alas, the next morning when I woke at around 6ish the birds were chirping away and the sun was making its way up into the sky for the day. It was the most beautiful day we had had in a long time. In fact, it was a typically beautiful and warm sunny Spring's day. Wow! I was so happy that the run would not be cancelled and that I wouldn't be running in the pouring rain. But this beautiful day also meant another thing... It was CRAY CRAY hot for the run! 

It was mandatory for the stripes on our hats to match our shirts

After picking up my running buddy we got to the start with plenty of time, always a bonus. At the start line they had some fitness instructors to take us through a booty shakin' warm up which was really fun. Then we were off! I find that in events like this you tend to start a bit faster than you like as you are all in a big pack with the fast runners at the front who tend to set the pace. My first three kms were done much faster than they should have been, at just over 5mins/km, but then I finally settled into my own pace about 4kms in.

During the warm up

I hit the 12km mark at just over an hour where I saw Tim, my Dad and my friend's hubby. It's always great to see supporters along the course.

Running along the waterfront just before the 12km mark

At around 14kms we had two hills - one quite long and the other quite steep. By then the heat was really getting up there and it had gotten to me so the steep hill killed me! The 2 hour pacer caught up to me just after this hill and I was gutted! I thought I was well ahead of him. So from 15kms to about 18kms I managed to stay with him. Then I stopped at a drink station for water, which I desperately needed, and he got a bit ahead of me. I thought he was running quite fast because according to my watch I may still make sub 2 hours, just. I caught up to him a bit more and then the last 1.1kms I was on my own. I just couldn't hold his pace. He finished about 50-100m ahead of me but I was really happy to see my time when I crossed the finish line being 1:59:16... YAY! I had made the sub 2. I knew that pacer was going fast! But now I think it was a good thing as it kept me on my toes and going just a bit faster than I may have otherwise.

I love free snacks and drinks at the end of a run! P.S. Red face much?

Tim didn't quite make it in time to get a photo of me crossing the finish line as the traffic was being stopped for the runners, but he got there soon after. Fletch was asleep at my parents for most of the time I was running so we got some photos together when we arrived back there.

The sweet life for a baby - still in his PJs

Overall, it was a great race and I am stoked to have gotten a sub 2 halfy only 7 months after having a baby. Yay! Now only 6 weeks til my marathon... YIKES!!

Did you race this weekend or have a long run? 

Do you love or hate thunderstorms? 

Which do you prefer running in - cold weather or hot?