The 30th of July rolled around and I headed into the city bright and early for Run Melbourne. I felt pretty good on the morning, I’d been clear of almost all cold symptoms for a week, except the mildly annoying cough that would take another two weeks to go away.

I figured that my goal was a sub 2 hour half, so despite a less than ideal last month I started the race as planned and settled into my goal pace of around 5:40km a minute. I felt strong, until I got to 11km, then the legs said nope. With 10km to go I knew there was no way I could keep that pace for that long not matter how hard I pushed. I backed off and changed the plan to just finishing. By 18km I was completely done. I had to walk up a couple of gentle hills! I managed a slight ‘sprint’ to the finish. Got to look good for the photographers; I didn’t.

I’d missed the sub 2 mark by 7 minutes, but somehow I’d managed a 2 minute PB!

I was so disappointed with not getting the sub 2 that I really didn’t care about the PB.

It was all the fantastic running friends, both online and locals and my wonderfully supportive, enabling wife that made me see that it was a successful run. A PB is a PB. There’s always another half marathon.

Funny I should mention that. Many months earlier, early enough to get the race number 83, I had signed up for the Sandy Point half marathon. I did the 10km race here last year.