This was my first ever 1/2 marathon, I was meant to start in this race last year but due to injuries I had to bail out, one year later I came on the start line to prove my fitness progress after stopping smoking for 4 years.

Training had taken me up to a running distance of 19.2k or one mile shy of the 13.1 mile mark. In training I never prepared for the full distance however I felt pretty confident that I could go all the way. 

Race day started with one hour less sleep due to the change in clocks for the summer time. Myself and my wife took the train direction Reading at around 08:20, on arrival we noticed a lot people waiting to get on the free shuttle bus to the Madejski stadium used for Reading football.

In the morning temperatures were just above freezing so I decided to run with long trousers and 2 tops - that's identical to my training sessions during the winter. However this turned out to be wrong choice!

I had lined up close to the 2:00 finishing group and promised myself to stick with the 2:00 pace runner and if I felt well enough after one hour I would increase my pace. I started rather well and kept up a nice pace, slightly faster than training but after all this is a race. I passed the 10K at 54 minutes. The entire race period the sun was nicely shining, great atmosphere but wrongly dressed, I was sweating too much and was very hot. At the first drinking station I took a bottle of water which turned out very chilled and got stomach cramps after. 

Around 16K I was getting it very difficult and had to keep on motivating myself, at some point I felt my body giving in on me and stopping but was able to pick up and keep going. At 18K I was unable to keep motivating myself, my legs were killing me, and I was overheated, I had to give in and started walking. During this break I took the opportunity to have a toilet stop as well. What a relief! I had been drinking much more than usual. The last few kilometers I stop/start walking. Did I hit the "Wall"? Was I burned out? Usually I'm really motivated and I never have to fall back on walking. 

I opted out of wearing my iPod to enjoy music, but this could have been the ultimate motivator who could have taken me through the difficult moments. Instead I was planning to enjoy the atmosphere. Just before the start, when setting my Garmin ready to go start I noticed that I forgot my heart rate monitor strap around my chest. I usually try to stay within zone 3 for these long runs. This time I was unable to rely on this, this gave me some false start. 

But what an excitement! What a feeling when one can sprint inside a stadium full of people, making noise, yelling and shouting when crossing the finish line. This truly gave me tears in my eyes and I felt all the training was really all worth it. 

Looking back the race I need to bear the following in mind for any other race:

• Do not dress too warm!
• If possible carry my iPod as a motivation stimulator. Mr Motivator!
• Wear my heart rate monitor strap and stick with the pace. 
• Train the full distance and just beyond. 
• Stick to my own nutrition's. 

At this moment I really feel that I could I have done better and I could have stayed below the 2:00 race time, but I didn't. I have learned a whole lot of this race and will come back stronger! I will do this again!

The official distance of the 1/2 marathon is 13.1 mile or 21K - Why does my Garmin Forerunner 301 tell me that I ran 22.49K? Did I run too much? Can I rely on my Garmin?