Half Marathon #3 - Great Forest Events at Waitarere
14 April, 2018. The day was here. My first half marathon in two years. The half marathon I wasn't sure I would run again after 'that hip injury' in 2016. It took a long time to physically recover from that injury but a lot longer after that to mentally recover. The fear of re-injury, to the same level, or worse, was real. It was a chilly morning - there was snow on the nearby ranges after the storm that week - but it was dry and fairly still. Perfect running conditions. I arrived around 8.15am for a 9am race start, which gave me plenty of time to get myself organised, a porta-loo break (or two) and a bag drop of food and warm clothes for afterwards at the tent. Kevin found me in the starting area and pulled me closer to the front. He was only one of a few I'd shared my sub-2 goal with. He intended to do the same, and had some advice for me. "You gotta come up closer to the front," he'd said in our chats over Instagram the week beforehand.