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Feb 2009
8:52pm, 22 Feb 2009
4,844 posts
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Marathon Lads
So proud after today
Draycote Water Marathon in 4:49 - Our 33rd Together
We arrived at Draycote for around 7am, so as we could prepare quietly without any rush
The first thing we noticed was the air was almost still - but by race time a huge gale had blown up
I went to Draycote knowing I’d done it all before, but was just nice and confident and relaxed
I’m never complacent over the marathon distance -
We met many people mainly Fetches - but not all -
So, the race set off, I thought here we go, along the bottom walk, waving to the 35 milers going in the opposite direction - then we turned to follow them onto the top walk - and then I noticed a breeze, we carried on to the other part of the lake, along the top walk, where it was a GALE - seeing the others come towards us on the bottom road, we waved shouted support and cheered
Then we came off the top walk and followed the other back onto the bottom road, cheering the others once again who were now back on the top road, heading for a straight run around the lake - we turned and followed them heading now ourselves straight around the lake having done the extra bit
The gale made it HARD work, and I mean HARD work - from being there in confident relaxed mood , I lost it all, mentally and physically, I don’t think we’d run 2 miles - at that time I said to myself - a couple of laps but NO FM today
I already was giving myself a ruddy good talking to - we arrived at the sheltered tree lined undulating part of the course, it was warm and quiet, but I knew that if we continued there were 4 more laps - including the GALE part - I was anxious, nervous, - not interested
So, came the end of lap 1, I prepared for the top walk and the gale, onto lap 2 now, we hit the GALE again in 1:20 and I thought come on Mick, this ain’t you
Then things changed, I started to settle, through the sheltered are, over the undulations, I thought, were ok, we’ve had worse, but can’t quit - so I was feeling better now, bit more relaxed, and moving gently, end of lap 2 came, I thought, come on Mick, 2 down 3 to go - you’ve got all day - forget the time , onwards through the GALE again, reaching the far sheltered side, I drank plenty- fluid was VITAL, then all of a sudden I felt in charge, I felt we were coming through this - oh a long way to go , anything could go wrong still - but lets be positive
THEN, end of lap 3 - about 2:56 or so, leaving 2 to go, I thought - now come on, I felt proud, tearful, gob smacked, you name it-
Along the top walk through the gale and get to the undulated shelter, I was now in control and enjoying what I do best - I though I ain’t come all this way to give in now-
Then came end of lap 4 - this was it, thought nice and gently, bit at a time, lets brake this down, lets go through the gale first - and we did- NEVER could I have envisaged seeing lap 5 today - so, back along the top walk in the GALE , but this was the last time, we were on the way home, we’d done the hard bit, lets cruise home, NO walking - then into the sheltered area, I just kept plugging away 3 miles to go, We’d done it - I felt great, in charge , on top of the world- I felt proud - as we came out of the sheltered bit onto the last top walk, I could see the finish, -
How the hell did we get this far, I was delighted, pretty tired but relaxed, finishing in 4:49 - our 33rd FM together
I just could believe what I’d done to be honest - I kept a cool head, stayed positive as I could
I was beaming in delight, the pain that I may have had disappeared -
Talk about walk tall and proud, we’d NOT given in - we turned a real bad start with no chance of finishing into a WINNER
So many thanks to all who supported us today
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