Geneva Half Marathon

Got into town seriously early due to there being only one train an hour on Sunday from Rolle to Geneva.

Plan was to get the "Dossard" which took me ages to find had to ask a lovely helper to make sure and test my French was still working. Walked the start/finish which was good to have done and see how it was all set up. Got my number which also had my first name on it, nice touch. They also gave us a goodie bag before the race which bizarrely contained a shampoo sample, some bumf and a big canister of shaving foam. Are they trying to tell me something? Anyway, I was not going to use the communal "vestiers" as have my Holmes Place membership to enjoy. Had to swing by the office to get my soap bag and then to the luxury of a near empty gym. Pulled on the running vest and disaster, my number is still in the goodie bay I've left on my desk. Opps. Quick dash back to the office and now I'm suddenly a mile from the start and it is 20mins to gun time and I'm not even dressed! The three guys appear and all start putting numbers on. I relax. Leave with them and bit of local knowledge takes me under the main bridge avoiding cutting over the marathon runners and going through the crowd. Warm up nicely and just make it a few minutes before the start of the half, just as the first guys in the marathon are finishing.

I had planned to go to the back of the 1:30 pen, but could get nowhere near it so settled for the 1:45 pen and was pushing to the front when I saw the guy with the 1:40 balloon. I decided he was my mark and drifted back to make sure he was ahead of me. I promised my self I would not go past him until at least 11km.

The start was smooth and having the balloon man there helped massively not to shoot off too quickly, in fact mile one was my slowest split.

I let them go. All different shapes, sizes and running ability. Some I knew I'd catch sometime others was not so sure.

Let the gap grow between me and the balloon as too many people had the same idea as me and it was crowded around the pacer.

Quai de Seujet sees us cross the river over the hydro electric dam and I know exactly where the metal and glass pyramids are on the deceptively clear crossing. Suddenly, I'm sure one is right in front of me so a quick elbow in the ribs for the guy behind to the left of me makes sure I can jump the comer of the pyramid without us both going over.

At around 4km there was a woman trying to come out of her underground car park, but had no hope as there were several thousand people running past!

My route recci last week paid off as we came to cross the Arve I knew the cycle lane some guys were taking was no good as it came up behind the crowd barriers, while I took advantage of the closed road to run supper wide and use my "hill skill" to clear twenty places on the rise to the bridge.

By now the yellow pacer balloon was drifting too far in front and the field had spread out enough for me to decide to catch him. Took a couple of km and then I was running level with him. Suddenly he pulled the balloon down narrowly missing me and held it in front of my nose - what was going on. The I realised, we were on an avenue and the trees would have snagged the balloon. I burst out laughing. Got chatting to the pacer and he felt we were too fast for 1:40 which suited me fine, but was annoying him. We slowed a bit and a thought about pulling away. 8km. Too soon.

Back into downtown Geneva and suddenly the empty roads are replaced by massive crowds cheering, bands playing and alpine horns blaring. Loads of people had cow bells and rang them with vigour. By now we are nearly at my normal running start point and I am very concerned about the steps from the road down to the lake. I need not have worried they've build a massive wooden ramp to take us down level with the lake, I accelerate down the ramp and hold the speed for a bit, dropping the balloon man and his merry band. 11km, hrt 140 time to rock. All well trodden paths now as we take my regular route out to Geneve Plage and the Yatch Club de Geneve, I feel like I am on home turf and push on streaming past everyone moving through the crowd.

The turn comes sooner than expected and it is BEFORE the hill. So I get a massive boost make the turn tight and accelerate back to race pace. Homeward bound now and I can see the whole route back to the start. Gramin beeps 10miles and I think nice, nice, now lets go again. Percived effort massively up working hard to hold the pace if not increase it. Still moving through the pack. Gery 20km Lausanne t-shirt goes past at speed, I consider a challenge, but let him go. He stops putting distance between us about 20m ahead. I close the gap. Draw level a few time and he still pushed on but I know he's mine, just a question of when. Lots of kids hi-5ing along on the side so I take every one that is offered. Time one a bit to well and set a little kid on a 360 spin - opps.

One mile out and it is time for the final push. Up the pace and go past grey shirt at pace, out the corner of my eye I see the look of death in his face and permit myself a wry grin. The band plays some rock song and I respond. Every cow bell is just for me. I channel the energy in to the big finish and try not to go too fast before the turn at the President Wilson hotel. I around the corner and see the finish. I remember the first tunnel is the start not the finish and keep a little something in reserve. Under the first tunnel and 30 people between me and line. I decide to take them all. Full Lockett's Rocket mode is engaged and I'm pumping the arms and getting very close to max. One more to clear and overtake the light blue shirt with 50m to go. Feeling very smug until just as I am about to cross the matt a flash of light blue goes past me like a missile and then collapses ahead of me. Someoe tries to tell him what to do with his chip, but he pushes them away and wobbles around. I chat to him later in the runners village, he's very pleased with his time. And so am I.

Set off with a sub 1h 40m attempt and ended up with a well balanced race, where I felt totally in control and happy with the result. 1h 35m 18s. Only three mins outside my PB and if the training keeps yielding improvements like this next year will be a blast. 120th in my age group and 319th over all out of 1530. Hrt was low, first half in zone 3 and then zone 4 from the first kick and only the last mile in zone 5.

So, a great start to my racing in Switzerland. The hills, Tenke and a sensible approach have got me pretty close to where I want to be. Not long now until the PBs start coming again!