PB for me at Silverstone

I'd approached the half at Silverstone with trepidation as I didn't feel particularly ready for it. However, I actually managed to take 10 minutes and 17 seconds off my PB, so I must have done something right.

Something I did not get right was taking gloves for the race. I forgot. I only realised that this may have been a mistake when I arrived at Silverstone and it was freezing. Luckily, Adidas were selling gloves. Unluckily for me (but not for Adidas), everyone else had clearly forgotten their gloves too. Adidas were doing a roaring trade and only had large ones left. My hands are not large. (Incidentally if anyone with larger hands wants the gloves I'll bring them to the track. They are unused. I didn't end up wearing them as it got a bit sunnier when the race started).

So I bought my oversized gloves and then wandered round the paddock. I felt quite smug about being female when I saw the queues for the loos. The queue for the ladies was much shorter and this never really happens anywhere else. Then it was time to go to the start.

In the holding area, I realised that there was a 11 minute mile pace maker. I've never seen pace makers in any of my other races (possibly there haven't been any). 11 minute mile pace is overall quicker than I've done my other halves in, and so I didn't think I'd be able to follow her for the whole way but I was interested in how long I could keep it up. Also, I'm not great at keeping a steady pace and I thought this might help.

I managed to follow the 11 minute pace for about half of the race. I lost her about half way round the course. I lost her going over a bridge-thing which constituted pretty much the only incline of the race (note to self: do some hill training). The second half was ok. I had realised that the PB was likely, and this helped a lot. I did get overtaken by a bloke dressed as Sonic the Hedgehog near the end though.

So I got my PB in the half. I am pretty pleased with this. I also think, but cannot verify yet, that I may have beaten my irritatingly long standing best time for 10km. They haven't released split times, but there were chip wire things at 10km and so I am hoping that they do. Anyway, it was a good day for me. All the more for not really having high expectations beforehand.