Just keep running....just keep running..... by legs_of_lamb

EDINBURGH MARATHON - DONE!

04:56:05

FUNDRAISING TOTAL SO FAR: £1526 FOR MACMILLAN!

Will write a full race report later on when I can sit undisturbed at computer.

Sorry it's taken 3 weeks to blog but we went away on hols right after the marathon and I'm only just recovering and getting life back to normal.  Let's just say that - driving all night to get to Gatwick due to flight cancellations, followed by a week in Florence, followed by more flight delays and not returning home until 03:00, then getting up & going to work at 06:30 the next morning - is most definitely NOT the most ideal marathon recovery strategy!

Happy Running

Legs x (now fully recovered)

Unfortunately not just a cheesy 80’s rock anthem by Europe, but the inevitable onward march of time towards the start line of the Edinburgh Marathon.  As I write this it stands at:

4 days, 12 hours & 31 minutes to the gun.

I have my race number with a very fancy timing chip stuck to the back, I’ve ditched the alcohol, my name letters are standing by to be ironed on to my running vest, the sponsorship is rolling in, my hotel is booked and I have tickets to the pre-race “Comedy & Carbs night”.   With the last 2 LSRs done, there’s nothing more to do but rest, keep the legs ticking over & eat (properly!). 

The Sunday before last saw a 15m LSR in the pouring rain.   I think it only stopped twice for about 2 minutes each time.  I have never been so wet on a run, every single item I had on me was soaked thru.   Received a couple of "she's crazy" looks from passing motorists & a couple of walkers (who were just as wet as me!). 

The last one, a 10 mile LSR was a really good run, if a little too fast in places.  Ended with a 10:08 mile!  Definitely WILL NOT be going that fast next week.  Must manage my pace in the early stages of the race otherwise I'll not reach the end upright! Have kind of worked out a race strategy-ish (besides "stay on feet & finish" that is!).  Try & maintain an 11:00 pace for the first half, then gradually try to pick it up to perhaps 10:50 from 18m.  Then hopefully, I’ll have enough in the tank to maintain a sub 11:00 pace to the end.  That should see me to a sub 5 hr marathon.   However, I am deeply aware of the state of my body after 22m and am making no assumptions as to how I will perform beyond that.  I just hope that I'll have enough to keep putting one foot in front of the other for those last miles.

I CAN DO IT! 

Set the alarm for 07:15 & awoke to Kanye West’s “Stronger”  (a vague effort at psychological motivation!) & sunshine streaming in around the curtains.  After making sure of good hydration & carb loading last night my morning pre-run nutrition was a wholewheat bagel with loads of honey & a cup of coffee about 2 ½ hrs before setting out.  I knew I was really well hydrated as I couldn’t stop going to the loo before we set off, I even had to make a quick stop in Tesco’s before heading off!   And I STILL needed to make use of a convenient “wooded area” at about 5m!   Today’s plan – Ellon to Peterhead along the old railway line – 22m.  Armed with 1 litre of fluids, jelly babies, vaseline, iPod (loaded with an assortment of podcasts & motivational playlists) & smeared in copious quantities of factor 30, I started my plod.   All went really well actually up until about 17 miles when I really started to feel it.   I had managed to avoid getting my feet wet at all for the first time in about 6 weeks and I was even managing to stomach the jelly babies & lucozade sport.   The sun continued to shine and I continued to plod.  I have a feeling I am more than a little fried,  I dare say we shall find out later on when the full effect will reveal itself!  The pace was pretty consistent up until mile 18 when it steadily deteriorated 11:17, 12:02, 12:06.  By now I was at mile 21 & determined not to finish on my knees, so I phoned the Hubby Taxi to let him know where I was & tried to kick up the pace.  I managed to claw it back to a reasonably respectable 10:59, completing  22.03m in 4:03:32.   EVERYTHING hurt, and I mean REAL pain!  It took me about 10 minutes before I could even think about getting into the car.  I have also found a new muscle, the peroneus longus (I had to look it up) it feels like it has been kicked by a horse!  Let's hope today's ice bath does it's usual trick.

Ok, I am probably not going to break any records in 3 week’s time , and if the pace drops any further in the remaining 4.2m I may struggle to get it under 5hrs.  But I have now done all I can to cross that finish line on May 22^nd.  The mainstay of my marathon training is done.

The wildlife count today was quite impressive including 4 buzzards (at close range) one was right next to the pathway on a fencepost and  it didn’t move until I was right on it, then it looked me up & down before flying off in disgust!  I terrified at least 6 rabbits, one of whom ran frantically along the path right in front of me before deciding that turning into the bushes was a better plan.  The wildlife prize however goes to the two deer I rudely interrupted while they were happily minding their own business, who bounded elegantly out of my way and into the forest. 

It’s been a funny old week.  Kicked off with an amazing 20 miler which left me on a big high.  But..... woke up on Monday morning covered in a really sore prickly heat rash & with quite severe facial oedema!  The rest of the week was spent in an anti-histamine haze in an effort not to claw my skin off and wondering if I’d ever see my cheek bones again!  Got slightly concerned on Tuesday, Wednesday when my face resembled a water filled chipmunk but things started to settle by Thursday.    Unfortunately, my running suffered and I didnt run again until the Balmoral 10k on Saturday.

Every year we head up to Balmoral Castle for the annual road races.  It’s a great atmosphere & they open up the castle grounds to hundreds of runners.   The 10k course is notorious for “The Hill”.  This “Hill” is a mile of steep, leg-jellifying forest trail.  Runners are rewarded at the top by a water station & a piper!  Due to this inconvenience, I have never managed to get my time for this course under 60:00.  I had decided that this was my year!! 

Had something to eat & went to the porta-loo another couple of times (!) before pinning on my number and joining the melee at the start.  Lined up in the 55 min+ area but on after thought really should be lining up further up the field these days as we spent the first 3k overtaking people.  The hill was it’s usual upwardly steep self, which I managd to run a lot more of, a lot faster than ever before today.  I still walked the really steep bits when my legs started solidifying.  The rest of the race was just one mad dash to make up the 2 minutes lost on the hill to get it under the hour.  Turns out it was one hell of a negative split, with Km 7 a ripping 4:55! Even managed to have enough in the bag to maintain pace up the second “sneaky” hill at 7.75km.   Thought I was done for when the runners ahead of us came to a complete stop over the wee bridge, however this was shortlived due to a few choice phrases of “encouragement”  from behind! 

Smashed  through our sub 60:00 target to cross the line in 58:05.  A tad jealous that Hubby Lamb hasn't run a step since Christmas & he knocks out a sub 60 10k on the most challenging course around, while it's taken me 4 years (and lots of training) to crack it.  In reality though he has always been there sacrificing his own target time to keep me company & push me on, so I guess he's ok!

This 10k is one of Scotland’s most beautiful, if you’re ever up this way, it is a must.  Plus you get to run right past the Queen’s front door (she wasn’t in – she must be getting her nails done for the big day on Friday).  A great day, and a fab pace.  Won’t be going out for my LSR today, did a couple of miles recovery & stretching instead. 

The plan - really work hard this week as my training reaches its peak on Sunday with 22m!