Edinburgh Half Marathon – THE RACE

 

Pic: Mary, Aleks and me the day before the race at Edinburgh Castle.

 

Event date: 29.05.16
Distance:     21 km
Route:         mainly flat

Edinburgh is a beautiful city. We stayed in the old town, very central and about 10 min walk from the start line. The day before the race we were exploring the city by foot and enjoying the gorgeous weather.

 

 

Pic: Easy 3k run at Princes Street Gardens, just down the road.

Pic: A romantic flair of the city by day and nighttime.

 

Pic: Carb loading with my friends.

 

 

 

THE RACE DAY

Pic: Race Map: Start at Regents Road along Portobello Promenade

 

 

The next morning we only had a porridge with banana and a freshly brewed espresso. Racing and travelling with my Italian friends comes with a cultural benefit… The coffee maker travelling in the bag! I loved it.

 

Pic: Half Marathon first-timer Aleks and Mary felt nervous and excited at the start line.

Both of my friends got a novice training plan printout from me and a few tips according to my experience in training for a Half. They sticked to it and it payed off.

 

 Pic: We were at the start line with thousands of others.

 

Pic:  Sneaky running selfie!

 

Excited to tell you about my running strategie. Most newbies make a very common mistake running to fast in the beginning. A race is overwhelming with the atmosphere, so may people and the fear can I do it. Running over the start line many runners just go with the flow. That means starting running with the crowed without checking on their personal pace. Your heart rate will be high anyways because of the general excitement so you don’t think about slowing down to a pace you normally run in. My plan was to stay together for 7km to pace my friends. It was also good fun for me chatting away and getting a proper warm up. I wasn’t training as much as I wanted, therefor I didn’t have any expectations on a finishing time.

 

 Pic: Portobello Promenade

 

“Have a gel now and when you see the 9 miles mark you have the 2nd one. Keep a steady pace and you will be fine!” That’s what I said to Mary and Aleks before I ran off. Both were feeling great and with my legs worm-up done I had to throw myself into the challenge.

 

Pic: Finish line

 

With a last push and feeling strong legs I finished! Happy that I managed it so well. During the run, after I left my fiends, I increased my pace and focused on my technique. It means I was aiming to straighten my legs each time, make sure I ran with a straight upper body and  I constantly said to my self RELAX! My shoulders were tight and from the beginning I was struggling to relax them. It must have been halfway into the race that I finally felt a change in my body. I felt more relaxed, the hormones must have kicked in.

 

When I felt better overall I still acknowledged a small niggle in my right ankle, but I said to myself well done, stay strong, I can do it!

The mental game is important and I always listen to my body and enjoy the run on the same time. The only thing is to lern and find out when to push and challenge myself.

 

I felt strong and kept a steady but faster pace from midway trough the race.

 

Super happy and excited that I finished you can see my feedback after crossing the finish line here:

 

Click HERE for the VIDEO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pics: Another Half Marathon Medal added to my collection.

 

Items in my bag for after the race: Whey Protein, Banana and warm cloth.

 

Pic: Thanks  to Alessandro and Sergio for the support and lovely surprise at the finish line.

I saw my friend Aleksandra and Mary and we passed running with a high five on Ravenheugh Road. Both looked happy and strong. At the end the ladies managed to run the whole time without walking! I was so proud.

When we met at the finish their husbands surprised us with a handmade banner.

That was such a great fun run and having supporters at the finish line was so important.

 

 Pic: Typical for the region Haggis for dinner! Mmmh I liked a lot.

 

Pic: Whiskey tasting in Edinburgh.

 

We wouldn’t have gone in for the whole Edinburgh experience if we haven’t sat down for a proper pub lunch with the traditional Haggis. Oh, after a weekend passing all the Whiskey shops we managed to enjoy a Whiskey tasting in the afternoon as well.

 

A perfect weekend with friends exploring a new city and its food while challenging my running passion.

 

My friends loved it so much that we are already looking for the next Half Marathon. They finished in 2:30h and felt so strong crossing the finish line.

 

Well done ladies!

 

Love Sabine xx