Vicki: Graceless Whippet by aminita

Virgin London Marathon 2011 - stats & splits

Evening all, I love my results and stats, so here's some info from the big day:

My run - I know where it all went wrong, but looking at the splits it doesn't seem so obvious:

5k - 27:53  slow first two miles, but then settled into the rhythm
10k - 54:49  sun really started to heat up, but kept a nice even pace
15k - 1:23:37 (9.3m) not far off target time from training
10 miles - 1:31:40 only just 2 mins slower than in training, great support from the crowds, jelly babies, orange quarters and great party atmosphere
20k - 1:54:05 (12.4m) Tower Bridge, really struggling with the heat now, had plenty to drink, but the temperature was silly.  Saw James Buis from Heaton heading along the 22 mile mark as I headed towards Canary Wharf
25k - 2:25:06 (15.5 miles) Isle of Dogs, the sun was pretty relentless now, just kind of trundled along pouring whatever water I wasn't drinking over my head.
30k - 2:57:17 (18.6m) It was a relief to be heading into some shade in Canary Wharf, but the humitity in the tunnels was pretty stifling.  Again, superb support from the crowds kept me going, but the temperature on the ground was 23-24 degrees. The wheels fell off my race here as I turned the corner with the big TV screen by the HSBC building my hip went.
20 miles : 3:11:15 - knew now that my hopes were fading and I just needed to survive
35k - 3:32:26 (21.7m) just decided to get through the rest of the race as best I could.  Several folks now collapsed/sitting/lying by the side of the road being sorted out by first aiders.  Tried to run-walk alongside a guy with a 60lb pack.  Saw Stoxy @ 22m and then the Fetchpoint.
40k - 4:12:07 (24.8m) Embankment.  Saw the 25mile marker after hobbling my way up through another tunnel, and just hoped to make it from one mile to the next.  Knew I had no hope of getting round in a quicker time than the Townmoor and felt totally deflated.
26.2 miles - 4:31:58 Birdcage Walk & the Mall.  It took me 19:51 to do the last 2k and I felt every step of it.  I couldn't have finished without the help of the other runners, the crowd, the great guy who got the crowd to cheer me on, or the nice policeman.

I just kept thinking afterwards that I'd somehow messed it up, but once it sunk in that the medal was round my neck, and that I'd made it though without falling or passing out, I felt a great deal better.  I wish I could have done a great time but it just wasn't my day.  Hopefully my hip will recover soon and I'll be back on track for a decent time at Redcar Half Marathon.

On a plus note - the Jarrow Team got a mention on national telly by none other than Steve Cram.

Here is a run down of their results:

Many congrats to them all for some great times in challenging conditions