Marathon Training by jaylo1

We headed off for Edinburgh on Saturday morning, arrived in blazing sun at 10.30am. Got checked in and went to do some sight seeing and have a very cold drink! I was I have to say extremely worried re the weather as it was so hot, but the forcast kept saying it was going to be cooler on Sunday with the chance of sharp showers.

Got up Sunday morning - cloudy and infact there was a sea fret, so it was cool and damp - perfect especially for the half marathon as they set off at 8am - that's my kind of time to run! By 10am the sun was out and it was clearing pretty quick.

There were no hold ups and we were off at 10am, it took about 10mins to get to the start line from the blue pen where I was, just got my head down and settled in feeling quite good to about 14 miles, the sun had been out all the way and it was now mid day, had been taking plenty on board to drink and pouring plenty over my head too. It started to go downhill physically I felt my legs getting really tired and felt so hot it was getting uncomfortable. I ended up walking for a stretch then my legs wouldn't get going again, so the rest of the run was a mixture of walking and running, there was nowhere to hide - no shade, there were plenty who were doing the same even some of the elites were walking at the point where the outgoing runners were running alongside the incoming. They looked hot - they were in the sun all the way on that side of the road, one runner described the last 6 miles like running through a furnace and he wasn't wrong! The turnround point was at 18 miles, there were parts up till then that just felt as though they were trying to make up the milage by sending you out along a route then back down to the main flow, then a loop up some trail round some farm land and back to the main flow. It is about 8miles from the turnround to musslebrough and it felt like it was never going to end!

My planned 4h45 was gone and it ended on a 5h52 - I felt completely and utterly drained by the time I got in. I collected my medal and goody bag and headed for the pick up area I just wanted to get my bag with my mars bar and milkshake, that was about half a mile to the baggage trucks, got them then phoned my hubby, headed for the shuttle buses - could not believe how far away they were, they said it was a 15min walk - had they timed that after you have just run 26.2 miles in 25degrees, it took me nearly half an hour to get the bus, then I felt ill by the time I sat down and we were off, they then dropped us back at the start which was again another 20 min walk from my hotel - the whole experience was a nightmare!

I got to the hotel, had a shower and lots to drink, opened my goodybag got my t-shirt out to find they had palmed me off with a relay t-shirt, so I just felt totally mashed, I could've cried! I have since e.mailed them to express my disgust. The one thing that kept me going was proudly showing my 3 boys the medal and t-shirt, while on Monday people were proudly walking with their marathon t-shirts on I only had the relay t-shirt which I refuse to wear.

I loved Edinburgh - had never been before - but have vowed never to run this marathon again - it is the hardest run (whatever) I have ever done in horrendous conditions, the route isn't particularly nice and they toss you off with a rubbish shirt making you feel like your effort was worthless!

~So there endeth this years marathon experience! Yes I covered the distance and feel I have gained a very big insight further into marathon running and training, but wish I had possibly chosen a different one earlier in the year when the weather is cooler - unlucky!

Clearly a man died on this run and plenty of others needed medical attention - I did at least finish the run in one piece and for that I am grateful!