Cardiff Marathon

Entrants (25) Club PB SB Pred Time WAVA
Sodahead Loftus & Whitby AC 2:41:46 2:41:46 2:38:00 2:49:59 76.80
Doonhamer Managed to aggravate a back injury around the 14 mile mark, which got steadily worse over the next two miles and was reduced to walking/ jogging most of the last 10 miles. Finished the race as i mistakingly thought we had to have 4 counters for the works team prize( Only needed 3 and the guys won the mens team prize) . Overall disappointed as i was in good shape and felt very confortable going through halfway in 1'22' ish and was hoping to crack 2'45 after blowing up in London in April. Never mind there is always next time ! Linlithgow AAC 2:48:21 2:48:21 3:36:24 56.18
Glevum Runner Gloucester AAC, Road Runners Club 2:51:30 2:55:46 2:55:46 71.33
Couldn't Run A Bath Unaffiliated 2:48:15 2:55:51 2:55:51 69.51
Dull Napoleon™ A clean run in close to perfect conditions. Didn't quite make the 3 Trent Park Running Club 3:01:29 3:01:54 2:59:59 3:01:54 73.61
Running Fish trying for sub3, blew up at 20m. next time Unaffiliated 2:59:15 3:09:31 3:09:31 66.65
Donald S Harmeny AC 3:11:36 3:11:36 3:19:29 67.13
TooTall Aberdare Valley AAC 3:05:39 3:16:40 3:16:40 65.29
Midpack Didn't pace this properly, 1.29 at halfway, tired over 2nd half.  Glad I gave it a go, though. San Domenico RC 3:17:11 3:17:11 3:17:11 62.46
tick follows tock City Of York Athletics 2:35:04 3:19:32 3:19:32 60.92
nrg-b ॐ Ran to 85%MHR. Worked a treat. Lots of energy left at the end. East London Runners 3:16:00 3:20:00 3:30:00 3:20:00 61.58
agc Unaffiliated 3:29:05 3:29:05 3:29:05 64.60
racheybabes Took the first half at 9 min/mile pace, felt really good so went a bit quicker second half (still can't believe my time for this!!!)  The course was flat, well organised but didn't like the cobbly bits!!! Unaffiliated 3:26:58 3:36:51 3:36:51 61.78
krusty flat as flat can be, cracking course. weather just right. good run Bournville Harriers 3:21:02 3:38:25 3:38:25 62.38
Dickie York 420th Pocklington Runners 2:41:18 3:39:41 3:39:41 55.64
Windsurfin' Susie PB and Club over 40 record! V pleased, but course appeared to be measured way too long! 27 miles? Victory AC 3:15:18 3:41:30 3:41:30 63.25
Cleo Pembrokeshire Harriers AAC 3:48:19 3:48:19 3:45:00 3:48:37 60.40
gavine1976 Real Buzz RC 3:54:23 3:54:23 3:54:23 51.86
Silent Runner Unaffiliated 2:52:44 4:10:48 4:10:48 49.65
scooby snax Unaffiliated 4:11:21 4:11:21 4:11:21 54.60
TommP San Domenico RC 4:13:46 4:13:46 4:13:46 47.91
brett1959 terrible run Chepstow Harriers 4:18:44 4:39:42 4:46:05 45.63
jolguk The biggie. After 5 months of great training, it didn't work out at all on the day. Rick had problems with his leg, then Laura's tummy gave way ... so slowed down, then walking for 4 miles... Whatever, a fab weekend, and cried with happiness over the finishing line. What it's all about. Dragons RC 3:41:55 4:45:16 4:45:16 46.97
plodding hippo Cardiff marathon report-a sense of perspective

Well now
You all know how dreadful my recent training has been
Posting a pw for a half and generally having no motivation to run

I laid my ghosts at Cardiff last year with a 42 minute pb(5.16.09) and my first official sub 5.30 marathon.
Followed that with  another 2 sub 5.30 marathons within 5 weeks  .
And the after 2 months a 30 miler in 6 hours 4 minutes
And then a half marathon pb(2.15)

And then it all went pear shaped
As the weather got hotter I got worse
I don’t expect the 49 mile track race helped nor doing two marathons a week apart for the first time-and even an ultra followed by a marathon a week apart.
Also needing to recover from the worst blisters I had ever had and bilateral medial collateral ligament pain
No I was getting slower-and it was back to 6 hour marathons-back to the beginning


Anglesey marathon 2 weeks ago gave me a little hope that still a sub 5.30 marathon was possible.
But I felt I ran that HARD
So I approached this race with some trepidation
We had the usual madness at work in the week leading up to the- race one complete nights sleep lost writing a presentation, and the frenetic activity that precedes annual leave.
Situation normal then.





Up to Cardiff with hubby on the Saturday
Nice couple of pints and a meal out-took care to have fish just like last year
Slept like a baby in the hotel on St Mary street-excellent triple glazing blocked out the “Cardiff party sound”
Breakfast was 2 Nutrigrain bars and 2 immodium-hotel didnt cater early enough.
Watched the start of the half-6000 people-amazing
Some of then seemed to start 10 minutes late as an afterthought.
Weather almost cold-oh wonderful!

Standing in St Mary Street I met with Tinribs FA Running For Beer and HKP.
Mac Donalds was popular-for the toilets!!!!!
I lined up at the back(anything over sub 4-ha ha)-along with a Scooby Doo and a cardboard box.
And we were off---no---we aren’t-shuffle-walk-oh yes here we go-about 2 minutes to the line-------

So the stupid hippo cruises off at 10 minute miles
Again!
Its not cruising for me though is it
That’s a hippo sprint-and bloody idiotic
My goal is to do 10  miles without walking
Not done that since march this year.
Right
Just hold it together don’t think of the miles ahead-and just go.
Into the barrage and we start seeing the halfers coming through-most walking by now
Shout encouragement at them-must still have some breath then

OOOOOOOOOOOOH LOOK
The leaders
One massive advantage of 2 lappers-I get to see the leaders
Spy matt the brum flying along near the front---actually ahead of the eventual race winner.Disembodied voices float down . Cries of “hippo” and “Ruth”
Awwwww
Bless the forum-I feel better already
Wave cheerfully upwards and carry on
At the barrage turnround I hook up with Miranda and Sarah-doing 10.5-11 minute miles
They are doing their first marathon and we exchange stories
Turns out sarah is an occasional forumite and thought she might like to run with me
And so we do
Miranda stops to stretch at 6 miles ad sarah and I carry on into Pontcanna fields.
Start to feel distinctly unhappy at 7 miles-well I always do dont I.
But we keep poing and we have been passing half marathoners sice mile 6.Still have breath to say well done to all of them
Now the blumming sun has come out and Im too hot and I can see that we have to run around a massive field.
Im not happy at all.
But I somehow get through that and get to 10 miles in 1 hour 44-oops how did that happen.
Its getting hotter and at 11 miles I am walking.
Oh well one goal accomplished
Sarah gets a second wind and steams off
Through Bute Park and I espy Jen—big cheers all round.
And as I am grappling with those cobbles-here comes the lead car----slow down to applaud the winner(ok that and the cobbles was an excuse for walking)
But MUST run down Castle and Westgate street-these are public areas aren’t they and we aren’t quite half way.
Spot hubby(eh??----he doesnt usually stay around during races)

Catch up with Dawn in a bright yellow t shirt.She was running with her hubby-and Id heard them arguing from mile 12  .She didn’t want to hold him back-and needed a walk.He wanted to stay with her.Eventually he heads off and Dawn starts to look happier.now she can run her own race.I know that feeling.We chat for a little while, and the she gets her pace back and heads off into the distance.


Past the stadium(no gin this time)
Hit half marathon point in 2.20-that’s quite good for me these days----
 and back out onto St Mary street where I stop briefly to chat with one of my ex colleagues-a senior nurse from Cardiff
“What are you doing here Ruthie?”

Quoth I
“Oh just running my 25th marathon”

And then who should come loping along but Matt the Brum!!
Goodness this is more of a social event than a race!!!!
Am sorry to hear he has pulled out
He runs with me for half a mile or so-and then Im on my own again
Just as well
Im at the snivelly feeling sorry for myself stage-and it can only get worse.


Well I was still moving forward –albeit slowly so am surprised to reach 15 miles in 2.44
What?
Im walking a LOT here
Right
Here comes the barrage again
Team Macmillan are shouting for all runners now-that’s nice.
Im noticing a pain in my right instep and I know my back and chest are slowly being rubbed away
It hurts
Im huffing and putting one foot in front of the other
Glucose tablets aren’t working
Oh god we arent even at 18 miles yet
And my Garmin seems to be 0.4 miles in front of the mile markers.
People start to overtake me-but they are people hobbling and limping
Im not even injured-but I just cant get going.

Assume its some sort of wall
Keep going-into the headwind
And then its turnaround and warm and my legs unstick a little.
But I fail to reach every marker that I set myself to run to-never mind just keep going-at least there is an occasional run here.
Its hurting a LOT now.My legs don’t work.I have no mental strength-my brain is like cotton wool
WHY am I doing this, WHY?
I cant even bring myself to run when the marshals hold back the traffic for us-don’t care what anyone thinks anymore.
I get to 20 miles in 3.51-and I don’t know how I got there
And then the park
Again the huge field-and dodging the general public
But
I seem to be catching people up
I follow red t shirt for 2 miles-hes a bloody good walker with the occasional run
I overtake him he overtakes me back as I cant run for more than 20 seconds at a time
And then I overtake him again and that’s it-----and so it carries on with more and more people.I spy Dawn in the distance and suddenly Im overtaking her too.How can this be?
Im run walking and its like treacle
Vaguely hope the last mile will be short or something. My Garmin is now 0.6 miles ahead of the mile markers.
Out into Castle street for the penultimate time.I run for nearly 2 minutes-and whats hubby doing with that camera?.Hear my name called—its Tiny Tia!
Back into Bute Park

Big Cheer for Jen-she is amazingly still there.
That last 2 miles is endless-I hate the park.I hate the cobbles
And out onto Castle street again
Yeah right
My Garmin says Ive done a marathon in 5.16.16
7 seconds outside my pb
I stop in disbelief and despair that I haven’t actually finished the race!!!!!!!
Id cry-but Im surrounded by people-and they are all yelling at me to keep going.
Fuming with the sheer injustice of it all I head for the stadium, passing Windsurfing Susie(huge pb for her) and another ex colleague on the way.
Yes I walked in Westgate street
Whats the bloody point of running-I already FINISHED a marathon didn’t I?
Its into the stadium and I have to run all the way round-there are still loads of people there.
Ok plod nice and easy
And its over.
(chip time 5.23.01)






Post mortem

Lets get this into perspective.
With my crap training 2 sub 5.30 maras in 2 weeks aint bad.
Maybe I shouldnt wear a garmin in a race again?
Damage-blood blister right foot and a badly scarred ribcage .Slightly stiff legs but they have managed 2x2 miles and an hours dancing and a 2 mile walk.
Roll on Abingdon!
Otherwise great orgaisatio Cardiff-especially the road management
This race gets better
Once again I take my hat off to the forum
You people ROCK!!!!!!!
















 














100 Marathon Club 4:16:46 5:22:56 5:23:03 42.48
HerefordshireLass First marathon - enjoyed the day - aim to do better next time. Black Pear Joggers 5:41:31 5:41:31 5:41:31 39.38

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