Planned run 120 minutes

Date: 21 Mar 2010
Time: 1:39:05 min
Distance: 21.23 km

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27713192

I have been sick all bloody week, woggy feeling, threw up Thursday. And Sunday again I woke with a headache, stomach ache, and generally feeling _terrible_. So frustrating.

I decided that since I had paid the entry fee I might as well front up and do the run - Twilight Half Marathon. I took 4 panadol and one aspirin to try and fight it off. DIdn't work!!

It was humid but reasonably cool. I took off following the 1:35 pace runner. I held on to the pace for the first 13km or so but still had my headache and stomach problem. To top it off, the new shoes I used - Brooks ST-4 'racing flats' - caused a couple of really bad blisters. The one on my left little toe is quite horrible, blood blistered and black/purple. Christine tells me she has never seen anything like it :)

So I slowed a lot, walked at a couple of the water stations. This lost me a far bit of time. I was about 1 minute up on my previous best race at Gold Coast in July last year, up until around the 18km mark, and lost all of that in that last 3km. I need to toughen up and retain that advantage. My next half will be much better if I am healthy and injury free I am sure.

I have done a total of three HMs so far:

Gold Coast, July 5 2009 01:39:09 on my watch, 1:38:58 from the race timing
Mooloolaba, September 19 2009 01:43:10 on watch
Twilight Half March 21 2010 01:39:05 on my watch

I am faster now for sure, just need a bit more endurance and to be healthy to get a faster HM done. I can hold a 4:30min/km pace quite well.