Stupid - 2 years in a row

So I've done it. I've applied for a place in the 2010 London Marathon. What an idiot.

The hardest day of my life

So yesterday I ran the London Marathon and it was hard. 10 things I learned were

1. South East trains at London Bridge were rubbish. Twice we were moved platforms and twice hundreds missed their trains. On the third attempt after a third platform change we got on a train.
2. The organisation of the marathon was phenomenal.
   
3. Getting stomach cramps and needing the toilet at 8 miles and then again at 8.2 miles slows you right up. Thank the Lord for a handily placed McDonalds to nip into.
   
4. Running in the sun is bad for me. Stag day - hot day and I get cramp. Triathlon challenge - hot day and I get cramp. Marathon - hot day and I nearly cramp and crash into the wall
5. People talk about the wall but until you hit it you have no idea. Chris Boardman sums it up well, "Towards the last three or four miles I just couldn't care less. I just wanted somebody to shoot me but since they wouldn't I had to keep going,"
6. From 21 miles I could have cried every time someone called my name, after the finish I could have sworn at every spectator getting in my way. Exhaustion does that to you.
7. I drank Lucozade at every stop, ran through every shower, took water on every other mile and still ran out of energy. Ran out of steam and ideas long before the finish.
8. 4 hours 47 was OK but I'm a bit disappointed. Cue another attempt.
9. I'll need to up my miles next time around.
10. You can't finish without saying something about the crowds. Unbelievable support every step of 26.2 miles. Just incredible, never experienced anything like it, would like to taste it again.
    

Here are the facts:

PERSON
Name	WHITTALL, PHIL R (GBR)	Club
Runner No.	12807	Age group	M18

TIMES
5 km	0:29:35	25 km	2:37:01
10 km	0:58:09	30 km	3:11:52
15 km	1:35:15	35 km	3:54:52
20 km	2:04:53	40 km	4:31:22
half	2:11:35	finish	4:47:04

TOTAL
Position (overall)	22437	Position (age group)	9504
Position (gender)	16962	Finish time	4:47:04

By own stopwatch it looked like this:

1 mile 10'10
2 miles 9'26 19 min
3 miles 9'00 28 min
4 miles 8'58 37 min
5 miles 8'56 46 min
6 miles 9'34 56min
7 miles 9'34 1 hr 05
8 miles 12'00 1 hr 17 (Toilet stop 1)
9 miles 14'24 1 hr 32 (Toilet stop 2)
10 miles 9'23 1 hr 41
11 miles 9'23 1 hr 50
12 miles 9'45 2hr 00
13 miles 9'50 2hr 10
14 miles 11'14 2hr 21
15 miles I forgot to lap this mile which is why the next number is...
16 miles 20'22 2hr 42
17 miles 11'07 2hr 53
18 miles 11'01 3hr 04
19 miles 11'57 3hr 16
20 miles 13'11 3hr 29
21 miles 16'03 3hr 45 - at this point I was walking
22 miles 12'22 3hr 57
23 miles 11'44 4hr 09
24 miles 11'30 4hr 21
25 miles 12'12 4hr 33
26.2 miles 13'50 4hr 47

So that was the story of my race. A big congrats to my friend Tony Thompson who did it in 3hr 5 min (and 69th for his age group) and Simon Pierce who finished in 3 hr 55. Well done fellas.

Last club run

So last night we had an alternative out at Ironbridge. I'd map it but I've no idea where we went. What I do know is that the steps were an absolute killer but several miles of steep hills and trail runs were a good last run before the marathon. I feel in decent shape and I'm hoping if I can be disciplined with the hydration I'm on course for a reasonable time.

Sweat, contacts and on time

Not many more training runs left now, not much more time to make any adjustments. I did this run today



9.82 miles in 1 hour 28 minutes 39 seconds which is exactly my target 9minute mile pace. I just need to keep that up for another two and a half hours!! Today is a warm day (18 degrees) and if its anything like that in London the key will be hydration. I didn't take enough with me today and so I slowed in the second half, so these ten miles weren't evenly paced which is my aim on the day. A bit disappointingly I was only 40 seconds quicker than in January, although if I count in the contact lens stop (see below) that would probably be nearer 2-3 minutes but I think if I get my hydration right and maintain a steadier pace I should be ok.

Secondly, sweat. I had one small stop as sweat ran into my eyes and dislodged a contact lens which both stung like anything, was tricky to put back in and slowed me up for at least two minutes.

The knee is OK but I felt it a bit in the last mile.

I can tie my shoelaces

I know, it's not exactly a unique achievement but it's been causing me some grief of late. If your shoelaces are too loose, it's an uncomfortable feeling that will distract at best and give you blisters at worst. Tie them too tight and you'll give yourself pins and needles and cut off blood to your feet. Either way stopping and re-doing them is a pain, a nuisance and you just don't need that.

So I've relearned how to tie my shoelaces by using two websites:

This one and this one, I'm currently using the first and we'll see how that goes but I'll probably combine them and use the two. See how that goes.

Testing the knee

So no runs 4 whole days and 3.43 miles today. I've been worried, the knee has felt pretty sore and I've not wanted to run on it. But today was a glorious day and too nice not to run. So started pretty gentle and kept to roads and flat track. I ran this route which 6 months ago took me 33m 40sec. Today on a recovery run I completed in 28m 47 sec, nearly a 5 minute improvement on a test run for a dodgy knee. So I have to be pleased with that. The average pace was 8.5 minute mile although that wasn't even, I guess I was 9minute miles for the first half and 8 minute for the return. It's quicker than I need to be on the day to get 4 hours and running in a group should help.

Abandoned Run

OK so this goes down as a bit of a setback with only 20 days to go until the London Marathon. This was to be my last long run and was over 20 miles. It's a mix of trail and road and the river sections were just playing havoc with the outside of my left knee. It very quickly felt sore but I thought I'd keep going. The downhill bits were the toughest. After about 14 miles I stopped for a quick drink and an energy gel and even though it had been a bit slow, I felt ok, other than the knee. I was at the top of a section that dipped back down to the river and as I set off it just felt like my knee locked. I just couldn't run on it. Walking was hard enough. Run over.

I hobbled to the nearest main road and hitched a lift, I'm so glad someone stopped and gave me a lift. So now what? This hasn't happened before. I'm going to assume it's just inflamed from the running so rest, ice, more rest for a few days, then test it out on some short runs. I'd be tapering the training soon anyway, so it's more important I rest it and hope it holds out on the 26th. There's no offroad so that should help!