RUN 10

I ran a race today (North Shore half marathon) I really enjoy this distance, mainly as I don't need to train for it, that's not to say I don't train, but it's not like a full marathon which for me requires dedication to a training program. That's also not to say it isn't a hard race, it is...

Racing is very different from my usual every day runs. The motivation and determination you feel from the pressure and promise of the race is an amazing feeling, equalled only by the fear of failure. I don't know which drives me on more, but both thoughts definitely run through my mind in equal measure. Knowing my wife is waiting for me at the finish line gives me strength too.

Waiting at the start i realized id left my GPS watch in the car, usually i track my heart rate, pace, time and distance as i run, using it to control my effort and manage my goals. I'd not run a race without it before and didn't know how id perform. I suppose then that my running isn't entirely emotional, i get a lot out of tracking the numbers and my performance. I had to rely on the mile clocks today, doing the math at each mile helps me to focus too.

Looking around at the people I'm running with and those you meet while on the course, its amazing to see what people are capable of when they set their minds to it, if its true of running, then what else is possible in life?

[North Shore Half Marathon; 13.1m; 1:35:44; 07:18; 128/1366 runners]