Heartbreaker Marathon 2013

Reporting back from a very chilly very hilly New Forest Heartbreaker Marathon.
I am still getting over this virus so left it up to the morning of the race to decided whether I should do it. As the alarm rang out at 6.30am I was pretty sure it was going to be a no, but once I got up and moving about I felt ok !! Nice drive down to Sandy Balls in the New Forest and within 500 yards of reaching my destination .... SNOW !!
I decided I wasn't going to get caught out like I did on the Meon Valley Plod, so I came prepared, Under Armour base layer, technical t shirt, windshield jacket, charity Children with Cancer vest, liner gloves, windproof gloves, hat snood and neck snood, extra thick socks and a sunny disposition !! I thought I looked like some kind of mean running assassin ninja, upon reflection I looked like I was modelling a colourful charity burka.
The race started with a hill, then went up and down some hills then there was some more hills, then it ended on a hill, if undulating means mountainous they got it spot on. My first ten miles went to plan, a nice steady 1.30, still on target for a sub 4 hour, which in these conditions I would take all day long. then it all started to go downhill (or rather uphill). I felt nauseous as I had picked up the wrong flavored shot blok sweets and the course ran in a T shape coming back and forth on yourself, this meant that you knew exactly what was coming, yep .. more hills. Also running on my own for the entire race I had nothing for company apart from Steps 5.6.7.8 song on repeat .. this is what happens when a song falls into your running beat .. usually its Ollie Murs .. a shade better than steps ha ha ..
So as my target time came and went I was on the final stretch, I thought the last 3 miles were all down hill so I would be fine, the knees started to complain and my head had almost given up, then I saw it Mount Everest !! I am pretty sure I let out a whimper, one final push (and a bit of a walk) and I was at the top, literally on the home straight all downhill and the last mile is on tarmac, rounding the corner at Sandy Balls and over the finish line in 4 hours 19 minutes. After I had defrosted my hands with the hand dryer for 20 minutes I felt better.
All in all picturesque, beautiful surroundings, loads of friendly and familiar faces and I am sure the next time I run I will enjoy it a lot more - 2 weeks until the 50k !! sheeeeeeeesh !!

Personal Best and 59th !!

The Sun was out and the legs felt good .. what a difference a week makes .. The Portsmouth coastal half marathon is a multi terrain event covering road, track, boggy fields and beaches. The good weather had firmed some parts up but the beach still claimed a good haul of running shoes that weren't tied on tight enough .. all in all it was still a good chance to go for a pb .. Running  next to the sea for most of the run was awesome and counting back I put myself in about 75th place by half way .. I was sticking to about 7 minute miles which was the plan .. The support was fantastic and the turn out was brilliant .. completed by high fives from 5 benches of pensioners in the last 500 meters .. my final time of 1.36 smashed my pb by 6 minutes and I placed 59th out of over 1300 entrants and 24th in my age group (30-39), narrowly beaten by 2nd placed lady !! Fantastic race and lets hope for more of the same next Sunday with the Heartbreaker marathon in the New forest
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyPittman

Hypothermia

Meon plod .. will now go down as the only race I have quit !! Gutted beyond belief .. but .. this was the most grueling toughest hardest wettest coldest race I have ever done .. I have run in some tough races but by 11 miles I couldn't feel my hands or feet and even took refuge in a church (being a practicing atheist you can imagine how tough that is for me) .. Neal and I had such a great time up until then but the elements beat us .. we endured mud hills rain wind trips spills puddles rocks styles more mud more puddles .. but just couldn't reach the end .. thanks everyone for your sponsorship .. we gave 100% and we hope we haven't let you down .. people were literally dropping out with hypothermia .. next week is the pompey half marathon and the week after the heartbreaker marathon .. I WILL finish these .. even if I have to drag my cold lifeless limbs to the finish ..

Dirty Runners

Been ill since Monday and off work for a couple of days .. not the best training for a race .. been eating really badly and sugar overloading on lucazade .. tonights run did not bode well .. plus it was colder than a witches wotsit !! .. first 10k clocked at 43.35 .. not too bad .. but then felt awesome .. pushed on to a ten miler in a pb of 1.09 !! .. bit of confidence now for Sundays meon plod .. apart from the forecast of snow and rain .. tonight's run was awesome around the coast and next to the sea.. the only downside was getting my brand new bright blue sneaks dirty running across the beach .. .. thanks again to everyone who has donated .. we have hit £200 !! .. the last tenner has been donated by a mystery Neil .. if you read this thank you very much .. can't wait to post more photos this sunday of the mud fest