By 
After running my first marathon, I was extremely proud of my results. Especially considering that only three runs took place between January and March 8th.
Despite telling myself that I would go hard and prepare as much as possible in the month I would have left to train after the doctor gave me the go ahead, I just couldn’t get my head back into running.
So, after a 5.50 mile run last week, I told myself I would run my first half-marathon with no expectations regarding time. Instead, I would use it as a learning experience for the London Hackney Half-Marathon in May.
Below is summary of how the run played out.
The first half of the run was great, with most of my miles around the 8:00 mark, which I never accomplish while running alone. However, after about half-way through I started getting painful stomach cramps. At that point, my legs weren’t in bad shape, but my stomach was screaming bloody murder. I tried to shake the feeling, but it continued to creep back.
I didn’t want to sacrifice time but realising the pain was slowing me down, I finally ran into the nearest hotel to find a commode. Now I really feel bad for Paula Radcliffe. What. A. Champ. Unfortunately, the pit stop took about 3-4 minutes, which brought my final time up by a few.
Minor setback aside, running through Paris and seeing the famous sites along the way, the support from bystanders and bands playing, was an overwhelming and beautiful experience.
Looking back I absolutely loved every minute, except for the 4 in the hotel.
Anyways, below are some photos from the weekend. Stay tuned for my top tips on running your first half as well.
The Vic Edit 