Sydney running Festival 1/2 marathon - 81.05 !

A very busy week with a wrap-up of a major project at work on Friday that had been going for 18 months and a few social engagements meant not a lot of time for running this week.

Ran home from work every day except Thursday when I didn't run at all. Nothing flash - all runs at about 4.15-4.30 pace for about 50k's all up. Didn't run on Saturday either so by Sunday was feeling very fresh but a little underdone.

I had set a few goals for the year and although I've had p.b's in some of my races I hadn't actually achieved any of the goals so I was keen to do well in the half.

I wasn't sure how I would go and was having the usual self doubts during the week.

Bloody early start to get to the race - up at 4.30am on the train at 5.10 and at the start to drop off my bag by 5.45am, go to the toilet and still no time for a warm-up ! It was bloody freezing in a singlet as well.

Got a good position at the front and a nice clear start as well - ended up in a nice little pack of 7 or 8 runners after 2-3 k's including Dennis, Billinda and Enda.

Got to the 10k mark in 37.58 and the pace felt easy - it's probably overall downhill to this point.
A few hills on the way back sorted out the pack - Billinda and Enda dropped me and Dennis but we had dropped the rest - so it was just me and Dennis all the way back. Once thru Pyrmont it was dead flat along Hickson rd and around the waterfront to the Opera House - what a great finish ! Got a big cheer from the CR cheersquad and then a bit of a sprint finish to the Opera house steps - finishing in 81.05 and 40th place for a 1 min 48sec P.B. !
Dennis finished a few places behind in 81.24 and a big p.b. for him as well.

Splits were 4k - 14.53
6K - 22.35
10k - 37.57
11K - 41.47
13K - 49.35
14k - 53.27 (a new C2S P.B !)
15K - 57.23
18K - 69.11
19K - 73.05
20K - 76.55
21.1 - 81.05.

Didn't see any other markers - I'm sure they were all there though.