Half Marathon Trainers

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Egmond HM: PR! (Read 420 times)

bas


    Race report for the ‘Egmond Halve Marathon’, short version: PR! Longer version: The rain went away but the wind did not. Still, it was a different experience from what I had expected, A beautiful winter sun above the sea and dunes makes all the difference! The start of the race had to be delayed for an hour because the high tide was too high to let us all pass between the dunes and the sea. Even as it was, the beach was narrow and it was hard to find a good ‘track’ where the sand was not too soft or too wet and where there was room to put my feet. Smile The tide was retreating, but still sometimes a wave came higher than you would expect and yikes! Wet feet... The wind had turned to the southwest, so we were running against it. After 3 km through the village of Egmond and 7 more on the windy beach we reached the point where we went for the return leg through the dunes. At halfway mark my time was around 55 minutes, which was better than I had hoped for. The first part of the return leg went very well - maybe too well. It was a soft track going up and down the dunes. The view of the dunes in the sun and the runners before me was gorgeous. Going down the long slopes was fun! Going up was not too bad. But then, around km 13, we followed a brick road. The scenery was still beautiful, but I began to feel my feet and my calves. Especially my right feet had become sore. Running with wet socks in wet shoes is not very comfortable. And a brick road that goes on for many kilometers is not a great running surface. I had to force myself to keep running until I reached the refreshment station at km 17. There I allowed myself to walk for about 150 meters (I had done that at the 10 km station too). This helped. What also helped was the fact that I saw that I could still run a PR if I could just keep a reasonable pace for the last four kilometers. There was a steep climb at km 19, but that did not last long. And then we were back in Egmond for the last two kilometers. Just a few more streets, a small uphill stretch past the lighthouse, 150 meters on the Boulevard by the sea and... Finish! 1:53:26, a 38 second improvement of my previous HM best in october. Whew! bas

    52° 21' North, 4° 52' East

    zoom-zoom


    rectumdamnnearkilledem

      Very nice! Sounds like the weather wasn't nearly as bad as originally expected! And a PR on top of all that...sweet! Big grin k

      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

           ~ Sarah Kay

        WOOOHOOOOOO WTG Bas! Congrats on the PR!

        Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

        Jeffrey


          Congratulations on your race + PR! Thanks for the race report and the map in the Maps section. This sounds like a dramatic setting for a HM! Smile
          sassyash914


            Congrats!! Shocked