In may, for the first time ever I DNF a marathon. I didn't like it, it's not me but it left me with a bit of a problem. I had signed up as the marathon relay runner with friends Lesley and Saffron at the Outlaw Iron distance tri in July.
I will be honest I considered not going. Mentally I no longer felt I could run a marathon and in the end I feel that it is your head that runs a mara. Your body just follows.
I thought, and thought and came up with a plan. I would go, but I would go as part of a team, to complete and enjoy what is one of my favourite events. If I could get a good time then ok, but that wasn't the be all and end all. It couldn't be, that broke me at Halstead.
So in the months in between I have been concentrating on shorter stuff and loving it. I made a nod to marathon training at the longest parkrun, but that was it. I also did my best half at Southend, this told me yes, I am getting faster over longer, but I also know in my heart that I need more time to translate that to marathon distance.
So outlaw weekend arrives. I decide I may as well do parkrun and surprised myself with a 21.14. I wasn't going for a quick time but it felt fine and I wasn't broke after. I also wanted that 25th First Lady ....tart!!!! As it happened next lady was 5 minutes later, I could've eased off a bit :-D
Then a dash home for haircut and to set off to Nottingham. We set off and alls well. I'm nodding off and I suddenly wonder if I put my wallet in my bag in the boot, I'm not sure.....then I see a missed call from Lesley. I ring her, ' have you got photo ID?'
'Erm, I'm not even sure I've got my purse'
'Well Saff can't register us without photo ID of us all, no way, I have emailed mine to her can you do that?'
Cue major panic. We are in a traffic jam with no where to stop. Eventually we pull into a pub car park and I check in the boot. I have got my wallet and it does have a photo work ID in it. Need to speak to Saff to find out if I text it to her they will accept it. Of course she has just gone into the briefing.
A very tense hour followed....I had a pint of beer :-D now there isn't time to get there for registration so I have to pray that they will accept the texted photo. We set off anyway with Mr H breaking speed limits and are mightily relieved when we get the text to say they have accepted it!!!! We slow down a bit then.
We went to the water sports centre for a wander but it's 5 o clock by now and most people are gone so we go to the hotel :) it's about 10 miles away but very nice. We settle in and have a few beers and a burger on a breadboard.....a plate would have been so much more convenient, but there you go.
In bed nice and early and up for 5.45 so we can get to HP and see Lesley out of the swim and pick up my number.
Lesley does us proud, in 1.25. Quick swap of chip and Saff is off doing what she does best. Now I just have to wait. Go for brekkie though I'm not that hungry cos its already proper hot. Mr H suggests a walk round the lake. Like a fool I agree even though I bloody know its about 3 miles :-D
After that I find some shade to lie in and concentrate on drinking water. Lesley finds us and advises that Saff is storming the bike and expected back around 1. I go and put my kit on cos I don't want to not be there.
Go to the holding pen and wait, and wait, and wait really in blazing sun. I run to the portaloo about 4 times cos I can't stop weeing! Not ideal I'm thinking although it must have meant I was properly hydrated.
Eventually Saff arrives, she had a puncture! Worst nightmare (well nearly, not as bad as coming off) I get the chip and off I go. 2 laps round the lake. At the grandstand end the support is brilliant. It gets a bit lonely at the far end but you always know there is something to look forward to. I start well, between 8.05 and 8.15 for the first 4 miles, but I know already that's not sustainable. Sweat is pouring off the peak of my visor and I can feel my skin burning, when I turn off the lake for the first out and back after 6 miles I know I need to walk the stations and take on fluids and also get fluids over me.
The out and back is a mixture of good and bad, some of the surfaces upset my feet, but there are also some shady bits that I like. A couple with sponges are a godsend, and also the man with the pump sprayer. Just after the turnaround is the 10 mile sign. I'm ok so far. Another couple of miles and I can feel my feet start to hurt on the bottom just like Halstead. Doubt starts to creep in. I know need to get to that 15 mile marker and pass it. Case of grumpy head down pirate for a while. It's a relief to get back to the lake and get my third band, but then the slog round it is hard, until you get to the grandstand where the pirate support was just awesome!
Then it's off out along the river again. Aid station at about seventeen I just didn't know what I wanted.mi knew I needed fuel but felt sooo sick. A sip of coke then. And a cup of water over my head.
Then slog to the turn around. I see 20 miles and think I may cry, I know I can do it now, just got to hold it together, just got to get back to the lake for one more lap. I'm a bit worried now because I really want to be sick. I pass a man being tended by a medic who is chucking his guts up. Doesn't really help :-/ I see people running towards me with no focus in their eyes and I feel so sorry for them because I know how far they have to go. Almost to the lake a Marshall tells me how good I am looking (!) and then shouts 'and Murray won!' I stop, turn round and say 'really????' Yes he says really! 'Fuckinghell!!!' Is my eloquent response.
Now I'm smiling though and beam at all the marshals I pass coming into the centre. Got onto the lake and the second to last aid station. I can't remember what the woman there said to me but it made my want to cry but I didn't I pushed on and got that last band.
Then I put my head down and ran. I passed loads of people, of course many of them had done the whole thing and I really do salute them, I do know what it's like, but I had heard the time and knew I could get us under 12 hours if I stayed focused.
The best thing ever was seeing Lesley and Saff waiting just before the finish Shute to run in with me :)
That wasn't my quickest mara, but I am very proud of it and my team mates for a simply awesome day.
Many thanks must go to Mr H for not only supporting me but every person he saw out on that course. I'm sure he alarmed many people brandishing that water pistol but more were thankful :)
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