So, re: the Long Bien half marathon - I WON! How exciting! I am taking this as a good sign for my next full marathon that's coming up, and training is still almost completely on track, despite this last week of not much sleep and lots of food and drink and good times with my guests. I got in my last LONG-long run on Sunday just gone: 35-36km: twice round West Lake and then back near home and then into the bustling old quarter again. My legs were feeling it later though and so far I haven't ventured out again. I am planning on a short recovery run a bit later though.
The Long Bien race itself was good but SO so humid. Which slowed everyone down a fair bit. This was one of my slowest half marathons yet (just over 1:45) but somehow I managed to win it too, and I'm sure the weather and humidity was the reason. We are just a little bit wet in the above photo! This is me with a couple of other 21km finishers (including 2nd place female!).
Another slow-down factor could have been the fact that it was a course that featured two laps of the same route: mentally tough for sure! At least you know exactly what's coming on the second lap though. The route itself started at the Savico Megamall way out the back of Long Bien and meandered past the large, statuesque Vinhomes in the Vinhomes Riverside compound. It felt like a nice Sunday run, if a little too humid af! I reckon I could pick a mango tree in a line up now too, be it that most of the trees were labelled and I was trying to effectively distract myself (count trees? Similar to counting sheep?) To win first place, was pretty damn exciting too. Thanks to the Long Bien marathon organisers on a great job well done! This was the inaugural race, and I hope to take part in their second one next year.
Now how to time-travel back a week to "G&T Tuesday"? Or "Tuborg Tuesday"? (We couldn't decide)
I wish....