Monday 15 September 2008

The Nottingham Half-Marathon

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Yesterday, I competed in the Nottingham Robin Hood Half-Marathon.



The race start and finishes on the Embankment by Trent Bridge, with thirteen miles of scenic Nottingham landmarks in between, including Nottingham Castle, the University of Nottingham and Wollaton Park.



It was my first ever attempt at 13 miles (my training regime peaked at 10) and it was certainly a challenge. Most hazardous were the drink stations, as the runners usually take one sip then launch the bottle across the pavement before continuing on their way. This leaves the pavement littered with obstacles and you have to keep an eye on your feet.



But happy days, I finished in 1 hour, 50 minutes and 57 seconds! This fulfilled my target of finishing in less than two hours, so I was well chuffed. I also came 1,725th out of 6,648 people so I finished in the top 26%. Not bad for a first attempt!



Upon finishing, I collected my Lace Panel (which will look nice on my wall) and one of those tin foil capes which is supposed to stop you cooling down too quickly. I met up with my supporters too, who included Laura Clark, my Mum, my Uncle and my Nan.



It was a great day and a great achievement - one more challenge ticked off my list! And ironically, my Dad won my sweepstake competition so the prize money is staying within the Fairbanks family.



The Birmingham half-marathon is just five weeks away. Tempting...

UPDATE: I have now discovered that I actually completed the half-marathon in 1 hour, 50 minutes and 48 seconds. My original time includes the time it took me to get to the start line, so this recent update is more accurate. So basically, I gained another nine seconds!


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