Bath Half 2015 – I did it!

I did it! I actually completed my first half marathon!

Bath Half 2015 - I did it!

And what an incredible experience it was to be in the midst of all these runners making their way round my home city

Bath Half 2015

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My ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots look the wrong way round as I started the race soaking wet and finished it dry. As we set off for Bath city centre, there was a cool breeze, the sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. I kept calling out to the family how it was the perfect day for running… no sooner had I uttered these words than the sky went dark and there was the most almighty downpour!

Bath Half 2015 - before shot

Stupidly, I hadn’t packed a waterproof coat or an umbrella, so I ended up soaked to the skin and freezing cold. Instead of heading to the runners village, I popped in Cafe Nero’s to try and warm up. At least I managed to stop shivering! Luckily, the rain stopped just before the race began and the sun started to peep out.

With thirty minutes to go until ‘the off’, I headed up Great Pultney Street to the ‘starting pens’. It felt surreal to be part of the running crowd. I couldn’t quite believe I was there! Suddenly the race started, and the only sound I could hear was the ‘pitter patter’ of thousands of feet. It was such a unique sound. I found it mesmerizing.

Bath Half 2015 - Bath Chronicle

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The first four miles went really fast, then it started getting tougher. I tried to keep up with ‘Pound Coin guy’ for a while. I did manage to say hi to him, but even his pace was too much for me. To ignore the fact my feet were screaming, I focused on the crowds and ‘hi fiveing’ all the kids I passed. Seeing their smiley faces definitely kept my spirits lifted.

Pound Coin guy

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Another highlight for me was being lapped by the winner, Paul Martelletti and runner up, Dean Lacey. I can’t believe how fast those guys can run! If I’d blinked I would have missed them! Paul was the first British guy to win the Bath Half in twelve years, finishing in 1 hr 5 minutes.

Paul Martelletti

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That’s a whole hour faster than me! I ended up finishing in 2 hours 5 minutes, which is quicker than expected. I even managed a kind of hobbled sprint finish 🙂

Once over the finish line, my body pretty much refused to move. I could barely bend over to reach the time chip on my shoe. I hobbled my way through the exit pens and collected my medal, finishers t shirt and ‘goodie’ bag.

Bath Half 2015 Medal

I loved the t shirt but the ‘goodie’ bag was pretty dismal. I was kind of expecting a protein bar or energy drink. Something to rejuvenate me after the big run. But no, here’s what was inside…

Bath Half 2015 Goodie Bag

Dairy milk bars and a Dairyfine Titan. Glad to see they catered for the plant-based runners 😉

But joking aside, I’m so glad that I took the plunge and signed up for the Bath Half. It was a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience for me, and one that I’ll never forget.

Bath Half 2015 - I did it!

The fact I got to run for such a worthwhile cause was the icing on the cake. Thanks to you guys, I’ve raised £436 for Mercy In Action. I have been so touched these past few weeks by your kindness and generosity. I can’t thank you enough. As promised in this post, I’ll be picking three sponsors at random to win some of my home-made chocolates. Since donations are still coming in, I’ve extended the deadline until this Friday, March 6th March. I’ll notify the winners by email.

Thank you once again, to everyone that’s donated and offered words of advice and encouragement. I couldn’t have done it without you xx

 

 

19 thoughts on “Bath Half 2015 – I did it!

  1. Congratulations Sharon – you look fantastic in the photos – you hardly looked like you had done the half marathon! x

    1. Hey Joni! Thank you so much for the pre race pep talk and for sponsoring me. You guys are my rocks ♥ Luckily, by the time the post race photo was taken, my face had time to tone down from bright beetroot to a golden red glow 😀

  2. Congratulations!! You are amazing! What an experience. I hope you have had a nice relaxing bath to soothe your muscles! 😉

    1. Thanks Koko! It was an incredible experience. I was shocked though at how my body seized up after the race. It was mainly joint pain rather than muscular. I was hobbling around like an old granny for at least 2-3 days after! Even though, mentally, I’d love to do more long distance running I think it would be sensible to listen to my body and stick with the shorter distances from now on x

  3. Congratulations Sharon!! I’m so glad it went well. That’s a great time too (said by someone whose half marathon times have ranged from 2hrs to 2hrs 9 mins – snap!) 😉 I hope you’re feeling justifiably proud!

    1. Thanks Kari! Being in a family of runners that complete half marathons around the 1:45 mark, I’m pleased to hear that 2:05 is a respectable time 😀 Out of all the thousands that took part, I came in around half way through the pack, which is awesome as I’m usually much nearer the bottom. What’s made me most happiest though is the money we’ve raised for Mercy in Action. Thank you SO much for sponsoring me. We’ve just reached £500, which is incredible!!!

    1. It was an incredible experience! I’m so glad that I did it. The part that has touched me most though, is not the day itself, but the kindness and generosity of everyone (people I know and people that only ‘know’ me through my blog). We’ve now raised £500, which is amazing! Big ‘thank you’ to you, dear Virya, for all your kind words of encouragement and very generous donation. It means the world to me xx

    1. Oh my gosh, thank you so much Mary! That’s incredibly kind & generous of you ♥ The money is going to make a huge difference to those beautiful children. I’m so glad I did the run… 3 weeks on and my feet & ankles are still hurting, but it was all worth it 😉 xx

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