Road runs, love em or hate em?

Ok so I wish i'd not stated "i'll let you know how it goes" because, frankly repeating the Potter's Arf marathon to you is as painful as I found it on race day. The race had been entered as a speed session as it was given that I was still recovering from the World Champs in Annecy two weeks ago, however, It seems that as soon as I get on a start line all sense goes out of the window and the competitor in me kicks in. So what should have been a lovely enjoyable plod around a half marathon course inevitably turned out to be me wanting to get a PB on the less than flat "Potters Alf" marathon route. 

Certainly for the first 8 miles ish, I felt great, comfortable and really believed that I had this in the bag in terms of a PB half marathon, which would have placed me top 10. Yet, lets talk about mile 10, the point that 85k and 5300m ascent reintroduced themselves. (Well just shy of). Perceived effort at mile 10 was that I was well on track (I was so tired that I'd stopped checking the Suunto) however when I started to get over taken mile 11, 12 and 13 I understood I'd been kidding myself, probably just so that I actually finish a race this year. 

So the next race (in two weeks time) is certainly not going to be one that I am going to be competitive in, it's one that I intend to use to get my fitness levels back whilst having a great time in a beautiful part of the world, Chamonix. It'll take all that I have to not be competitive and burn myself out, yet i'm sure my patience will bear fruit later in the year. 

Overcoming a serious injury has been a huge wake up call and whilst I've almost been taking great running for granted, It's good to have been brought back to reality and reminded of how much time, effort and shear determination that I need to put into my training if I want to do well. Complacency, however forced does not cut the mustard when you want to get the best out of yourself. 

So, I'm excited about the next adventure and the next chapter, and I'm sure I will continue to bore you all with my shenanigans whilst i'm in the Alps as I intend to rest well with feet up, jeez I may even get the knitting needles out.