Run > Race

Barcelona Half Marathon finally arrived and we nailed it! Really proud of Dad and his efforts. Official time 2:41:54 well inside the target of 2:45.

Dad handled the day really well, especially the crowds at the start. The spectators and runners were plentiful, and the excitement of it all meant we went off a little fast. Before the race I had talked about 7min km's being as fast as we wanted to go and 8min km's being as slow as we wanted to go. Outside of the first 5km and the last 6km I think we stuck pretty well to this rule.

The first 5km's were all sub 7 and I encouraged Dad to rein it in a little. After the frantic first km I think we did get it steadier. The crowds soon thinned but we saw our cheer group around the 7km mark and were still fresh enough to raise a smile and a wave. I even gave a bow for their beautiful performance of Happy Birthday.

The course was fantastic. Flat, no wind and pretty ideal weather, perhaps a degree or two higher than perfect but pretty damn close!

So after those fast first 5km's we settled into a steady pace and got through halfway fairly unscathed. There was an incline as we got through halfway and thus the slight slowing of the pace but we were still going well.

Aside from looking out for Dad and ensuring he had everything he needed I had another worry, my bladder! I had been dying for a wee for a while. The only portaloos were every 5km at the waterstations and there were only 2 and always 5 or so people waiting patiently for their turn. It being a city centre marathon there were not too many trees to water and hide behind and so I was running out of time and options. In the end I plumped for a bin to hide behind and could then catch up Dad and run in comfort.

The effort level was increasing as we approached the 10 mile mark, a distance that often sees a tail off in performance. Dad was feeling the heat, and his struggles to get in food with a dry mouth and low appetite as well as his weary muscles meant the pace slowed.

I love the sound of drums as I run and they never fail to give me a lift. Barcelona may have been light on spectators but it was big on drums, we must have seen 5 or 6 groups and they were well placed near the end to give the weary runners a late boost. There was also a band a little after 15kms, the lead singer modelling some rather short shorts. The song they played as we ran by had some very appropriate lyrics "We've come too far to give up who we are. So let's raise the bar and our cups to the stars" Which really put a smile on my face as we headed back up the road we had just come down.

With 5km to go I saw the sweeper van a km or so behind us, and that brought it home that we were close but definitely not out of the woods just yet! Dad was just getting through anyway he could, the pace now slowing significantly but we were still running and moving forward in a quest to finish. A cruel incline at 18km wasn't what we needed and Dad's groan let me know what he thought of it. But we crested the top and were now running along the seafront, with a little more crowd to distract us from our discomfort.

We passed through Dad's previous longest run which was a nice landmark to tick off and headed on, desperate to be done. A final boost as we headed through the 20km mark in just over 2 and a half hours was the sight of Luke and Gareth. I found out later that Ross had been close by but had seen the family scene and left us to it. Typical of the sweet guy.

Luke was asking Dad how he was feeling and how the run had gone, but fatigue had set in and Dad didn't have breath in his lungs to waste on chitchat so Luke and I caught up on each others races and talked about the final km of the race. Luke had been here before and was so pleased when I told him we were on 2:37, and urged us on telling us the final corner was approaching and we were going to smash 2:45.

The finishing straight was long, and Dad was nearly ready to pack it in when I told him the red arch,the first of 5 was not the finish but that it was the one at the back with the clock. I thought we were going to down tools at the very end, but Dad picked up the pace as the line approached and we benefited from one final big cheer from the gang. One very happy group and one very relieved wife (Mum not Lauren). Her hubby had made it round in once piece. I smiled and waved to the crowd and let Dad lead us home for his moment of glory. We had made it and with 180 seconds to spare, easy!

Dad was broken and was eager to take any food or drink on offer and found himself a nice seat to park himself on. Friends and family were eager to meet us, but we were well fenced in so had to drag ourselves through the finish area, making sure to grab our well earned medals before we could.

Triumphant photos were taken and war stories exchanged before we headed back to the hotel on foot. A very contented group we were too. Congratulations Dad, hugely impressive effort and a well earned rest is in order.

Split Summary
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1) 0.62m - 6:34(10:34/m) 79cal
2) 0.62m - 6:45(10:53/m) 83cal
3) 0.62m - 6:56(11:10/m) 83cal
4) 0.62m - 6:54(11:07/m) 84cal
5) 0.62m - 6:53(11:05/m) 84cal
6) 0.62m - 7:29(12:02/m) 80cal
7) 0.62m - 7:04(11:22/m) 81cal
8) 0.62m - 7:00(11:17/m) 83cal
9) 0.62m - 7:17(11:42/m) 83cal
10) 0.62m - 7:15(11:41/m) 81cal
11) 0.62m - 7:42(12:23/m) 73cal
12) 0.62m - 7:23(11:52/m) 79cal
13) 0.62m - 7:14(11:39/m) 79cal
14) 0.62m - 7:42(12:24/m) 72cal
15) 0.62m - 7:47(12:32/m) 71cal
16) 0.62m - 8:22(13:27/m) 53cal
17) 0.62m - 8:03(12:57/m) 66cal
18) 0.62m - 8:33(13:45/m) 55cal
19) 0.62m - 9:30(15:18/m) 53cal
20) 0.62m - 9:32(15:20/m) 52cal
21) 0.62m - 8:24(13:31/m) 60cal
22) 0.14m - 1:38(11:41/m) 16cal