hey guys, congrats to the club 42, that's a feat!! I survived 21, had aimed to stop the clock under 2 and was working fine until the last mile. i came down the NIC hill full speed aiming for the gates only to realise that there was an extra loop to the roundabout and back, that part was a mental torture! i just took water and walked-run-walked and stopped at 2.09

The same stretch did me in last year, it's the toughest part of finishing the half marathon!!!....@masukuma, did you manage sub 3hrs?

Finished the 21km...it was pure torture. But maximum respects to Washiku and all the other 42ers!

Please read post #56....

@quicksand true running on tarmac has great effect on feet magoti na other joints. you must have good sports shoes(nice sole) to absorb the shock. running on rugged terrain,treadmill,track,tarmac are all different

I made the biggest mistake and ran with brand new shoes…. Now my toes are full of blisters

A few lessons I learnt:

1. Mental energy is as important as the physical energy. The kind of 'self-motivation' you have to do to yourself is too much. Same reason I think those loops should be done away with. They totally kill the mental strength.

2. On physical energy, it may be too much to run for 42kms purely on water. One needs some energy boosters along the way. I realized Urban Swaras had placed guys strategically along the way to serve their members with energy drinks. That must have made their journey much easier.

3. Train hard, win easy. One must have trained thoroughly well to have it easy for this thing. I was able to run for about 30kms non-stop(didnt stop even at water points, took water as I continued). That means had I been on the 21kms, I would have done the whole journey non-stop. But the moment you start stopping, the body starts shouting to you on the pain you are feeling and the rest of the journey is nothing but torture.

4. The best strategy would be identifying a speed you are comfortable at and maintain it for very long, instead of running too fast at the beginning only to run out of energy too soon.

5. A pace setter can help you go places. If you identify a guy who can help you overcome the temptation to slow down, one who can help you push yourself just a little bit to maintain the speed identified above, one can win easier. I realised once you stop even for 2mins the guys you were with leaves you very far back and its almost impossible to catch up again.

You are right.

Hii ni hujuma kabisa.

Someone had told me they got rid of that lookp from Nyayo stadium. So I get to Panari (loop 1) I feel I have a lot of energy, nikafungulia. Only to get to Nyayo to be told I have to go back for another 10K. My race almost ended there.

Something has to be done about that loop.

Good stuff, now you got to work on sub 2hrs!!!

The sight of blood oozing from her forehead sent a chill in my spine. I was so scared. Blood is the last thing you want to see when you have more than 20kms to go.