STROUD HALF MARATHON – Race Review – 22 October 2017

I’ve wanted to run the Stroud Half for a number of years due to the fact that it is probably the most local Half to wear I live (prior to the recently established Gloucester Half, which was held in August 2017). Given that is was scheduled to take place two weeks after the Chester Marathon and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to walk, let alone run, so decided to hold-fire and see how the legs were feeling the day after. Despite the fact I actually couldn’t walk the next day, I was still bitterly disappointed to find out that it had actually sold out! Great for the event, but not so for me! Not to be put off, I entered onto the reserve list and hoped that if I did get a last minute place, I’d actually be capable of running it!

I did absolutely no exercise the week after the Chester, aside from booking an appointment with a local physio for this coming Wednesday. The hamstring issue had been going on for long enough now (since June) and I can’t continue to run on it for much longer without doing some serious damage. However, the week leading up to Stroud (still without a place), I did a few easy sessions on the treadmill at my local gym just to keep the muscles active and run-off the last of the aches and pains from marathon.

To my absolute delight, I received an email on the Thursday before the race advising me that I had a place! Even though the hamstring wasn’t great, I felt that I needed to get out and exercise a few demons after the disappointment of Chester, so what better way to do it than out on the roads I’m so familiar with on my Sunday training runs. No pressure and no PB expectation. I was actually excited about a race for the first time in ages, as I’d started to fall out of love with my running over the last couple of months due to the injuries and pressure I’d heaped upon myself before Chester. I was actually resenting training programme and the need to bang out long runs, in pain, on a regular basis.

My new, relaxed approach to road running allowed me to polish off a good few bottles of wine on Friday night and further quantities of wine and lager at a wedding reception in Cheltenham on Saturday night… So, feeling rather ‘unrefreshed’ as the alarm woke me at 6am on Sunday morning, I was soon sitting in a car park, still in darkness, at 7.30am, about a 10 minute walk from Marling School, which was race HQ for the day.  

Being a late entry, I had to pick up my race number from the information tent first thing that morning. Given that it was still fairly breezy after Storm Brian with a distinct autumn nip to the air, the indoor changing facilities were a welcome bonus and were used by many of the runners participating. There was also a bag-drop (more of that later) on the playing fields and ample toilet cubicles. Having male urinals always gets a massive thumbs-up from me and means I (and many others, I’m sure!) can take advantage of them 3 or 4 times before the race without having to join the lengthy queues that start to form about half an hour prior to the start.

The race is well-established and in its 36^th year (one of the oldest Halfs in the UK, apparently), and is well supported by many of the local running clubs. There were large contingencies from Dursley, Stroud, Gloucester, Hucclecote and Kingsway all proudly posing for their group photos before the start of the race. There were also many like me who were keen to participate in what is seen to be a friendly and respected road race within the local running fraternity.

As mentioned above, I had no strategy other than to enjoy the race and finish my season with a smile on my face. My only ‘plan’ was to run with the 1.45 pacemaker for as long as I could, and at the point my hamstring tightened up too much, I’d drop off and coast the remaining miles…however many that may be! I met up with a friend before the race who was looking at running c. 1.45, so he joined me in the pack of runners who were intending to closely shadow Michelle Balchin, a member of Cheltenham’s Almost Athletes, who was charged with getting the group round on time. No pressure then!  

The race started at 9am sharp and conditions were almost perfect for running an autumn Half; 10 degrees with a breeze that didn’t feel as strong as the 16mph that had been forecast. As we moved away from the start line, to my (and everyone else’s) delight, Michelle treated us to a feast of music via a ‘sound system’ she was running with! She began with some Fleetwood Mac, before moving onto a variety of dance/pop, with a bit of Eminem thrown in for good measure! Michelle’s intention was to increase the tempo gradually throughout the race, keeping spirits high along the way, which it certainly did!

The route effectively took us on the main road out of Stroud towards Ebley and then right into Stonehouse making our way along the high street, which was lined with enthusiastic supporters. Michelle’s mile splits were spot-on, ranging between 7.45 and 7.55 for the first 4 miles, and with this relaxed approach and some good tunes and laughs to keep us entertained, the miles flew by. Even the inclines on the country road out of Stonehouse towards Standish were made easy by the music and company who were riding the 1.45 ‘fun bus’!

Mile 5 was run slightly quicker intentionally (7.36), to bank some time for the hill at around 6 miles, which was effectively a climb up to the Whitminster Inn, as Michelle’s plan was to approach it fairly cautiously to ensure everyone had fresh legs for the second half of the race. A section of mile 6 was tricky, as this was run on the busy and often dangerous A38, so the width of a cyclepath had been coned-off to provide the runners with a safe route up the hill. At this stage I was still feeling good and given that I was feeling no effects from the hamstring, took a gel and decided to attack the hill. As I moved away from the pack, I heard a few people comment that I’d likely tire myself out, but I was feeling strong and didn’t want to lose momentum by slowing down, so went for it! After all, that’s what hill training is for. Right? The ascent was brilliant, and reminded me of the Tour de France, as there were a large number of supporters at the top of the hill cheering, shouting and ringing cowbells. Just the motivation I needed! Mile 7 was an 8.07, and whilst it was slightly slower than those previous (which was deliberate), I knew that there were no more hills to tackle, so my confidence was still up. I was also conscious of the 1.45’s behind me, so I knew that if I couldn’t hear the music, I’d be running well and maintaining my form!

The next mile (through Nupend) had a few inclines, and I went through at 7.57 knowing that there would shortly be a long stretch of dual carriageway back to Stonehouse (via the infamous industrial estate) where I could get into a good rhythm if the direction of the wind was kind. My plan was now to start reeling-in the runners I could see ahead of me, but balance this exuberance against running out of steam too early in the race as there was still 5 miles to go. Mile 9 was 7.46 (I was speeding up!) and I caught the pack I had targeted as we entered the industrial estate which was about a mile loop before getting back onto the main road. At the entrance to the estate a rock choir was performing well-known songs. They were amazing and definitely lifted everyone’s spirits! At this point, the faster runners were leaving the estate and I saw one of my daughters teachers (I shouted hi across to him, which took him by surprise!), who I know is very good runner, so I figured I was only a mile behind some decent guys! I caught more runners on the loop and was still feeling surprisingly strong and injury-free when I hit mile 10 and saw I’d run a 7.45, I knew at that point that it was (unexpectedly) going to potentially be a good day…unless the wheels fell off in the last few miles.

As we left the estate, I said to a fellow runner that we just had a parkrun to go, and I think that motivated her into keeping alongside me, as I seemed fairly fresh and she was starting to tire so probably needed to be pulled along. I knew my form must be good as I proceeded (not deliberately) to accelerate away from her. She caught me again and I remember saying “I’ve got a Golden ticket today! I’m actually feeling amazing and on course for a PB…I’m sure it’s all going to blow-up!” She was fantastic (a Stroud Athletic runner) and told me I’d do great and just to go for it. Running is one of the few sports where participants actually encourage each other to do well…unless you’re at the very competitive end of the spectrum.

Another 7.40-something(!), and I only had 2 miles to go as I turned left onto the Ebley Road, greeted with a tail wind of all things! This was certainly proving to be my day!  I was starting to tire now and was trying to deal with each mile at a time, knowing that if I ran this one fairly well, I’d only have one to go. As I approach the final mile I knew that a final push could get me close to my Brighton PB of 1.43.59, so mustered everything I had left to keep me moving towards my goal. The final mile was fairly lumpy, with some short, sharp inclines that were not welcomed when the legs are beginning to get heavy. The crowds on the side of the road were willing us on, shouting – “Only a minute to go!” and “It’s all downhill now!” which was great…even though it wasn’t entirely true!

As I got to 13 and saw my mile time was 7.53, I knew I’d probably done enough. Then, as I approach the final slight incline going into the home straight, I looked down to see my time was registering something like 1.43.06, and at that point I instinctively threw my arms up, repeatedly punching the air! I actually jumped over the finish line in jubilation with a huge smile plastered across my face. Despite the disappointment of Chester, the last minute entry and the injuries that had plagued me for weeks, I’d, against all odds, beaten my PB by 38 seconds (on a longer course than Brighton too), with my official time being 1.43.21. The leg had held strong (although I couldn’t walk the next day as the hamstring had completely seized up) and running without expectation (and a slight hangover) had clearly worked!

My friend came in about a minute later, which meant he’d ducked 1.45 too, which was a fantastic achievement, given that he’d been experiencing a few knee problems. However, the star of the show was Michelle, for getting me and the other runners on the ‘fun bus’ home as intended. She must have a built-in metronome to have been able to run such consistent splits! The music, the laughs and great pacing made this one of the most enjoyable Halfs I’ve run.

The only negative was the bag collection tent. Once I’d picked up my medal and finishers t-shirt and made my way back into the school grounds, the queue was huge, and not moving. After a 20 minute wait (at this point I was getting very cold and uncomfortable) I reached the front. The scenes inside were chaotic. Runners had actually started entering the tent themselves to retrieve their bags, (which is potentially a security concern as people leave phones and valuables in their bags) with the mayhem resembling a blue-cross sale in a department store at Christmas. I fully appreciate that many of these people are volunteers and am truly grateful for the free time they give up for these events, but they had at least an hour and a half (before the first runners came in) to get a system in place that would allow them to hand out the bags far more quickly and orderly. I’m not sure if this happened in previous years, but it would be helpful if it could be improved, as it can often be cold hanging around without a jacket in late October.

Aside from that minor grumble, it was a fantastic event and one the organisers should be proud of. I’m so grateful that I was able to scrape into the race by the skin of my teeth (so thank you once again to the organisers), not only to run a PB, but to also experience such a great local race that I’ll definitely come back and do again. Gloucestershire is establishing itself as a great county for road and trail running and there are some fantastic and innovative companies out there arranging some unique, and established, events. I’m probably biased since I ran well and live close to the route, but it’s probably the best small Half I’ve run to date in the UK; in terms of local support, the organisation, the volunteers and marshals and the fun, enjoyment and camaraderie that could be felt out on the course.