Run > Race

Well, that was fun! Couldn't really have asked for better - weather was good, travel worked fine, got to see family who I wanted to visit and marathon was 1 min quicker than April off poorer training. So that's a win!

Booked this a few months ago - right time of year, London, so a chance to visit family in the South East and only 40 quid. Training hampered by stupid calf / tendon / Flexor Hallucis Longus. Had done almost no running for last 4 weeks but just tried to think of it as an uber taper.

Easyjet flight to Gatwick Sat, cheap hotel near airport both 80 quid, thought that wasn't bad. Fun bit - hotel was close enough to walk c 2 miles but they do not make walking away from an airport easy , do they?! Found sneaky back entrance that only security staff seemed to be using. Then lovely cycle path. Even saw a fox! Anyhoo, hotel found, bag dumped and a shower, off to meet sis for dinner 30 mins train away. Lovely chat, rare without kids about. Back in time to watch rugby (bad luck England, South Africa just bit too strong for you).

Planned to be up at 6 train 7, London 8.30. Obv early to sleep planned, but usual fretting about travel and plans. Woke 2.30 and 5.30. Decided just to get up then. Another 30 mins in bed not sleeping was pointless. Tip from sis gave me shorter walk to closer station and ditto at other end. Bonus! Because I had woken up early and journey shorter arrived about 8 and announcer on tanoy was calling us early arrivers! So actually loads of time and v relaxed.

I had 4 gels with me - which got through security strangely! And had bought 2 x Lucozade Sport locally. I recced out to the Bandstand, which I knew we would pass 10 times. Asked a marshal, could I leave a bottle and she said she thought fine and she'd keep an eye out that it didn't get picked up as litter! V kind. Consumed the other and bag drop was ace because they let you come and go to retrieve stuff. Only discarded fleece in last 15 mins. There were coffee stalls and all sorts. Clean and plentiful portaloos, no queuing. Did the the jump aroud warm up because, why not?! Fun chatting to folk. I like a chat! A lot of folk moved forward for sub 3, 3.15, 3.30. I waited til 3.45. Planned to set off around 8.00 min/mile and see how things felt. Just a few hundred people so no wait to start, just 3, 2, 1 Go! Chip timed so started watch at mat.

Pretty comfortable 8.30 pace to start. Busy and narrow and risk of tripping so didn't speed up until round onto wider part of course. This was a theme - some very congested sections, faster marathon runners lapping, half marathoners set off in middle of marathon, pace groups for both, and the public running, cycling, skating, walking dogs and even driving cars across the course. Surpringly I saw no crashes! Fell in step with people and chatted about goals - first time marathoners, those returning from injury, some 100 marathoners etc. About 3 miles in so second lap? 2 of us caught the 3.30 pacers. I was chatting about ultras and the pacer said that sounds scary so I ended up chatting at front of 3.30 pace group. Stayed with them for a good few laps. They were doing 1/2 each though the guy started well before half way and did 22 I think. Found myself ahead of them as the half filtered in and it was chaos so decided to stay ahead and out of the way.

Quick aside - bizarrely saw at least 3 people cutting the course, 2 were just inside a turn (but maybe a dozen metres but x 10 laps) but one cut off the whole of the bandstand loop so about 1/4 of a mile? Why would you do that? Who are you cheating but yourself? Back to the race...

This was maybe only 8 or 9 miles in. I felt fine and wondered if I should ease back and let the 3.30 group catch me up to have some company, but I kept the pace up. By 12 I was feeling tired already and consciously tried to ease back a little as there was a long way to go. I was chatting and saying hi and thanks to about this point but was getting quiet by 15. The marshals were great, it was fun seeing them multiple times and knowing what was coming up. It got hotter - was a lovely morning but by 11 the sun was fairly beating down. In late October. I was using the single water station (so every 2.5 mile lap) to wash gels out of mouth (5, 10, 15, 20 miles was plan, plus the 500ml Lucozade if it was still there - spoiler alert, it was - at 22). Again, all went fine. At about 15 I was struggling a bit but got chatting to someone again and we tapped along. Slowed again at 18 maybe but decided I should be able to keep pace going. Cramp started to twang in calf, ham and quad so had to adjust gait a bit. At lowest point, 23 got my Lucozade bottle and it picked me up a bit. I don't know if it was just the distraction. I knew it was only this lap then one more. On final lap I said more, final thank yous to marshals I wouldn't see again.

At 24.5 passed a lad struggling a bit. I asked if he was full mara and he said yes but toiling. So we started chatting and this *always* helps me, but I hoped I could help him a bit too. So I started saying the whole thing about last few miles are all in your head, training gets you to 24 etc. it's now just about toughing it out etc. And he came with me and then he pushed on a bit and I pushed on a bit. I'm Gavin I said, he said Charlie. He'd done a few marathons but found this one really tough. We both said to each other you go one if you want (not that either of us could speed up really) but neither did and we just suffered along and succeeded along together companionably to the end. He finished the last 200m on the track well and 10 m ahead of me. And we had a great wee mutual thank yous and even a hug at the end and off he went. At bag collection 10 mins or so later I saw him with his girlfriend and he shouted Hi Gavin and thanks again, and he had got PB and he said he couldn't have done it without me and said he was burbling and I said it's cos blood has all drained from our heads and he said kinda love you man and thanks I said same and we had another hug and his girlfriend laughed and looked incredulous. I love these moments.

Anyway, fantastic organisation final thumbs up to Runthrough Events and the Battersea Park marathon - they had showers. Because start finish was based at Millenium track, and it is an athletics club venue, they had changing rooms. I asked at their desk if we were allowed to use them, they looked at our medals and said, yes, of course. Oh bliss, a shower and change into clean clothes and different shoes. Particularly brilliant because I was going on train for 1.5 hours to see family. Oh, met a guy from Northern Ireland, Dave in baggage too and had chatted to him and told him about showers, and he used them too, so had great chat with him too. Love all these new meetings.

Got the train successfully and had picked up sandwich and a drink on way, so had a lovely journey down to south coast to meet sis and family. I'll put a bit about what I did with them in a blog rather than this training log comment! G

Split Summary
===
1) 1mi - 8:25(8:25/mi) 145/157bpm [1221b/mi] 110cal
2) 1mi - 8:00(8:00/mi) 154/159bpm [1231b/mi] 111cal
3) 1mi - 7:45(7:45/mi) 158/163bpm [1224b/mi] 111cal
4) 1mi - 7:49(7:49/mi) 158/163bpm [1234b/mi] 112cal
5) 1mi - 7:53(7:53/mi) 160/164bpm [1262b/mi] 115cal
6) 1mi - 7:29(7:29/mi) 166/175bpm [1241b/mi] 118cal
7) 1mi - 7:41(7:41/mi) 165/173bpm [1267b/mi] 119cal
8) 1mi - 7:42(7:42/mi) 167/177bpm [1286b/mi] 122cal
9) 1mi - 7:42(7:42/mi) 168/174bpm [1292b/mi] 124cal
10) 1mi - 7:34(7:34/mi) 172/178bpm [1300b/mi] 126cal
11) 1mi - 7:31(7:31/mi) 172/175bpm [1293b/mi] 125cal
12) 1mi - 7:36(7:36/mi) 172/176bpm [1308b/mi] 127cal
13) 1mi - 7:38(7:38/mi) 172/176bpm [1313b/mi] 127cal
14) 1mi - 7:33(7:33/mi) 171/175bpm [1290b/mi] 125cal
15) 1mi - 7:49(7:49/mi) 172/178bpm [1344b/mi] 130cal
16) 1mi - 7:40(7:40/mi) 173/176bpm [1326b/mi] 128cal
17) 1mi - 7:46(7:46/mi) 173/177bpm [1343b/mi] 130cal
18) 1mi - 7:42(7:42/mi) 173/176bpm [1333b/mi] 129cal
19) 1mi - 7:45(7:45/mi) 175/179bpm [1356b/mi] 130cal
20) 1mi - 8:06(8:06/mi) 173/176bpm [1401b/mi] 135cal
21) 1mi - 7:43(7:43/mi) 174/178bpm [1341b/mi] 129cal
22) 1mi - 7:55(7:55/mi) 175/183bpm [1385b/mi] 132cal
23) 1mi - 8:01(8:01/mi) 175/177bpm [1404b/mi] 134cal
24) 1mi - 8:27(8:27/mi) 172/176bpm [1454b/mi] 141cal
25) 1mi - 8:00(8:00/mi) 174/182bpm [1391b/mi] 133cal
26) 1mi - 7:51(7:51/mi) 177/183bpm [1389b/mi] 131cal
27) 0.46mi - 3:21(7:15/mi) 178/181bpm [1292b/mi] 56cal