Run > Long Run

Great Eastern Half. This was supposed to be a target race but was downgraded following disrupted training in September. Even so, was hoping for better than this! After 3 miles it became clear it was (yet again) not my day, so I backed off and switched the Garmin over to the HR screen so I wasn't distracted by the pace falling away rapidly. Tried to run according to how I felt but frankly that was awful, so if my body had had its way I'd have been walking from about half-way! Am proud of myself for keeping going (had to stop briefly to stretch at 9.9m as right calf suddenly tightened) and even picked it up in the last 200m or so. Other than that, there are very few plus points from today. Am seriously considering not racing any more. I can't get motivated, which is part of the problem, but also the races never seem to coincide with when I'm feeling sharp. I knew I was off the boil today and it always takes me a couple of weeks to get going again after a week off. Other things to consider are:
1. Lack of long runs. Did Wissey Half at beginning of September and one 10m run just over two weeks ago. Obviously needed to do a lot more, especially up to and over the distance.

2. DNS is not a crime. If I don't feel right, I shouldn't run! Have been fighting off a cold all week, and should probably have pulled the plug on this a few days ago, rather than hoping everything would be all right.

3. Anaemia. This felt much harder than it should have done and when I'd finished the insides of my eyelids were almost as pale as the whites of my eyes, which suggests I'm low on iron again.

Don't want to keep making excuses every time I race and it doesn't go to plan, but I *know* I can do better than this.