30 k in less than 3 hours. I was happy, as it took 1 hr 17 to do the first 10k. I was seriously deflated, why had it taken me so long? I did my calculations and thought there was no chance of finishing sub-3hrs as I had planned. Here I will sum up the main differenced between my ‘performance’ this and last year.
1) I had less sleep than before last year’s, I got about an hour, the night of it, but less sleep in the previous week’s also.
2) Definitely felt a lot stronger than last year, especially on the hills , got a faster time. Probably the compression socks’ psychosomatic effect
3) Didn’t feel sore during or afterwards. Possible the compression socks’ psychosomatic effect
4) Lunas were more comfy with socks for the night run, as was only about 17/18oC. Will still wear them without for summer running.
5) I left Mellieha Church at 130am, so arrived about 420am in Senglea. Then waited until 6am for a bus :’( I was wearing shorts and ran in a vest. I had a long sleeved top and a foil blanket with me, but had to borrow a bin bag and push some arm and head holes in it.
6) NO TEA!!! NO TEA at the end!!! I drank a bit of hot water and squeezed a bit of orange in it (contemplated dropping a salted caramel gel in and giving it a stir, thought that might taste tea-like, then I thought better of it). Then I burnt my tongue. Disaster. A very many people offered to bring me a coffee as I crouched by the church shivering, looking like a bedraggled Euroland Christmas fairy (white bin-bag dress and shimmery foil DHL blanket-skirt), wearing a hydration pack on top, and of course, long socks and sandals. Nice. I was just starring at everyone speaking in Maltese as I tried to work out whether I was even in the right place for buses.
Knowing that if I had had a coffee, rather than going to sleep I’d get home and write about a million far-too-intricate for a 4-yr old egg-hunt clues, I declined.
7) Just a bit not so greatly organised. Did I mention no tea, and no buses? Here’s last year’s report (more…)
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