Boundary run half marathon

The Cambridge University Hare+Hounds organise a "boundary run" around Cambridge, which is either a full marathon or more plausibly a half, which happens to finish just by Coton. And Maz told me about the 2011 event just in time for me to sign up (though actually you can sign up on the day. And I didn't get a tee-shirt, boo-hoo, because I wasn't one of the first 300 signees.

I had half hoped to continue for the marathon, but really that wasn't a good idea because (a) I'm just a teensy bit injured, my right knee really could do with a little rest, and (b) it isn't a fast course, or indeed an easy one. The course is interesting, in an area I don't normally run in. The last km was mud, which did not flatter my running style. Also there were hills, which is surely unnatural.

Split analysis, as I remember it: my aim was to run ~4:30 for the first 5 k, then "coast" on that buffer by keeping just-sub-5. That is about what happened, though the hills and stuff threw it off in detail. To 15 k was 1:12, also a PB. And the last k was a little slow due to the aforementioned mud.

So, overall, great fun. Oh, and the result? 1:43:12, which I'm very pleased with. GSP track.

I should also record my thanks to Tom W who kindly took my bike from start to the finish. He was there supporting Jan who finished in 1:50:xx.

Results are now up: here. I was officially 1:43:15 and came 138th. Maz was third (1:21:11), and would have been second had he not got lost, silly boy. Chris Church (IMG_0175) beat me, but not by all that much (1:39:50, 93rd) but he got lost too.

I look utterly shagged in the photo at mile 12 (it is IMG_0228; they don't allow direct linking and I decided to respect their paranoia by not just copying it), but honestly it wasn't as bad as it looks. Maz (IMG_0096) looks as fresh as a daisy, of course.