belfast 1/2 marathon
Let’s just say the morning after running the Nifty at 50 marathon with We Run Wild NI; my legs felt… less than fresh. Dragging myself out of bed, I hobbled down the stairs like a 90-year-old after a breakdancing contest. Still exhausted, but hey, the Belfast Half Marathon wouldn’t run itself.
Event: Belafat Half Marathon
Distance: 13.1 miles
Start Location: Belfast
Breakfast was a struggle, but the real issue was this: no lift to the start line. So, a 2.5-mile trek was on the cards. Silver lining? Any excuse for a Vietnamese coffee. Priorities, right?
As usual, I was cutting it fine—classic me. Five minutes to the start time, and where was I? In the loo, of course. Top form.
I made it just in time, and the start line was absolutely bunged with people, buzzing with that electric atmosphere only a big race can bring. When the gun went off, I tried to get going, but my legs felt like they’d been cast in concrete. Each step was like running in slow motion through wet cement. Oh, and my left knee had decided to join the rebellion. Brilliant.
But something magical happened around mile 8—suddenly, the legs woke up, the knee pain disappeared, and I actually started to feel… fresh? It was like my body had finally remembered what it was supposed to do.
Then I came across this guy called Chris, who was clearly having a rough time. And since I wasn’t setting any speed records, I figured why not bore him with some of my running stories? Either I’d take his mind off the struggle or he’d run faster just to get away from me. Win-win.
We ended up crossing the finish line together, Chris completing his first ever half marathon, and me adding my fourth to the list. Not bad for a day that started with lead legs and a long trek for coffee.
Another half marathon in the books, another story to tell.
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