Marathon Report

Run: 26.2 miles (42.16 km) in 5:52:30.

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21/04/13. Marathon achieved.

I’ve had some time to digest the M-Day experience before writing this, and regaled more than a few people with some of the details, so I’ve been able to reach the conclusion that it was a great experience. I am very proud of completing the marathon. I will treasure the medal, and every second that it took me to get to the finish line, for the rest of my life. 

The TEAM!...

After an early start from Luton I met up with several TEAM! members at the pre-start gathering point, where we all shared our nerves and last-minute coping strategies. With different estimated finish times we were assigned to different starting pens, so we said our good lucks and split up. I think my nerves might have got the better of me at that point if I hadn’t been in the same pen as several TEAMsters, lining up for the whistle with Alex, Katie, Anna and James. Being in the final pen of the mass start it took us a full half hour to get to the start line (at which point the timing chip on your shoe kicks off your personal time). Finally, we were off.

It was a beautiful day for a marathon – maybe the perfect day for it. The sun was shining but the air was still fresh when we started, and the good weather brought out the crowds. Some of the early pubs we passed were playing music for us, and a surprising number of people had rigged/dragged speakers outside their home to play tunes for the hordes of runners streaming past their doorstep. Alex, Katie and I stayed together and we got a lot of supporting shouts when people spotted us in our matching Diabetes UK tops and purple TEAM! hats. 

The day warmed up as we did, and I was glad of the showers at certain points along the route that send a chill mist across the road. M-Day was the warmest weather I’d run in for at least seven months, and probably only about the third time I’d run outside in shorts this year. (After all, I did complete a reasonable portion of my training in sub-zero temperatures.)

 

...the smiles...

My supporters were brilliant. I had a whole gang from Luton who managed to cheer from a crazy seven points along the course (if you’ve ever tube-hopped around London to support someone during the marathon you’ll realise what an effort that was), shouting mostly* supportive words as I ran past, and even waving signs. I also had my parents to look out for, and Katie’s and Alex’s supporters, too. The lift it gave me to see anyone I knew was amazing – I was grinning massively after every batch of cheers. Well, up until the point where the grin became a permanent grimace of pain.

Through to the half-way point we were doing well – ever so slightly off a 5-hour pace, but going strong. It was after then that things became difficult. I could already feel The Knee by 12 miles and it became progressively more painful. I pushed myself a bit further, but at around 16.5 miles Katie and I dropped into a walk for the first time.

My running pace suffered from then on. Katie pulled me forward for a bit longer, repeatedly encouraging me back into a run and keeping me at that run longer than I would have managed on my own, but eventually I slowed so much that she pulled away.

The last third of the route was hard. I estimate that I walked between three and five miles of the total marathon distance. Some of the running over the last seven miles or so was pretty slow, but I knew that every step I ran was another step I didn’t have to walk, so I kept pushing myself back into it. By then I had my music on and I was playing a game where I walked for one song and then ran for the next. And repeat.

...the pain...

At each mile marker past mile 18 I was calculating how long it would take me if I had to walk to the end from that point. But there was never any doubt in my mind that I would finish.

The pain was definitely showing on my face, which garnered me a lot of support from random strangers yelling my name (“Head up, Riz!”) – and every single shout helped. Every one gave me a little push onwards.

By mile 24, as I limped past my parents (for the second time), every single step was painful: my bad knee on my left side and most of my leg on my right side, probably due to me unintentionally favouring my bad knee. My lower back was aching (as the pain in my legs increased I ended up running a lot more with my arms and upper body) and my feet were beginning to hurt. I ran-walk-limped on.

I managed to run (really run) the last few corners and the final straight and to lift my arms as I crossed the line. I got my medal, got my tag clipped from my shoe, and got rather emotional - flooded with relief that it was over, with a lot of physical pain, and with a lot of thoughts about Em.

This was my first and last marathon. I can see why people get hooked, because the pain does fade and the experience is unique. If it had been my fitness that held me back, I could even see being tempted to try and better my time. But it was injury that slowed me down and I'll still be carrying that injury in the future. This was just the once, just for Em.

...the reward.

I was the last of TEAM! to limp across the line. You can see the rest of the TEAMsters’ results here.

Favourite bit of the course: Tower Bridge. Lots of supporters and a great London landmark to run across.

Favourite London landmark: Big Ben, because it was right near the end.

Best supporter sign: a tie between the man holding up “Finishing is the only f___ing option” at 7 miles, and the supporter in an elephant costume waving a “Come on, random stranger” sign at 24 miles.

Most enthusiastic supporter: my dad. At the point when I was walking he cheered me past, then ran ahead to wave at me again. And then did it again. And again. (And by then I managed to run again and left him behind.)

Best through-the-pain running tune: the Thundercats theme tune. I limp-sprinted to that. 

*After shouting "only eleven miles to go" at the (painful) 15 mile mark, Rob is no longer allowed to pick his own cheers.

Marathon Time

Marathon completed in 5:52:30.
And a lot of pain.

Report to follow.

£2,211.30 raised for Diabetes UK (so far). 

On The Slow Down

Today's run: 10 miles / 16.09 km in 1:50:26.
Injury check: Knee pain.
Support crew: Robert, on bike.
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Today was a good day. 10 miles at a good pace and I'm actually feeling pretty ok afterwards.

The spring weather undoubtedly helped: bright but not too sunny; mild rather than too cold (or too hot); with a light breeze on the air. 

If I could have today's weather on Marathon Day that would be pretty much perfect for me. I actually ran in only shorts and T-shirt. I couldn't even see my breath on the air! (The contrast with the last couple of weeks is just stunning.)

I'm on the taper down towards the marathon now: my long runs are shortening this week and next, hence only 10 miles today. Robert was with me on the bike today (as a last minute sub) and it was almost - almost - a fun activity. 

It wasn't all completely cool runnings: The Knee was feeling a bit tender before we started and I could feel it from early on. By about 4 miles it was twinging, but luckily it didn't get anywhere near as bad as last week. It was hurting more through the last couple of miles and Robert observed a certain lopsided-ness in my gait, despite the fact that I was trying to keep an even stride. 

Niggling pain aside, most of this run was pretty good. At the end I was tired but not exhausted. Almost as soon as I'd stopped running my knee stopped hurting - although I am icing it up now - and I didn't even need much TLC during my post-run recovery.

As you can see in today's photo, I ran in full race gear: Diabetes UK T-shirt and TEAM! cap. With the shirt tested (verdict: very comfy) I shall now add the iron-on letters to encourage people to cheer my name.

13 days to go...

And Repeat

Today's run: 6.35 miles / 10.22 km in 1:11:13.
Injury check: Toenail is tender but no pain.
Training buddy: Rob (bike + foot)
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Note to future self: this is the right level of fitness to be at. 10k in just over an hour, with enough left for a sprint at the end. And then the ability to carry on with my day. After all this marathon nonsense is through, try and remember this feeling and don't let it get away.

A short long run today, if you will. I'm tapering down to the Reading Half Marathon on 17th of this month, so only an hour's worth of run required. 

Rob was my training partner again, and actually fancied running a bit this time, so I planned a 3ish mile loop and we covered it twice: once with him on bike and the second time on foot. I, of course, ran it all. And felt very good about it. I kept a good speed all the way around; the time isn't a record because we paused to stretch out a couple of times, but I was mostly going just a little faster than my usual pace.

The best bit of today was being able to manage a sprint finish over the last few dozen metres. Well, one of the best bits. Another good bit was the novelty of being the one coaching Rob at the end. 

Oh, and another great bit was the post-run snack: paté on crumpets. So good. 

More Than Halfway There

Today's run: 13.5 miles / 21.73 km in 2:45:00. 
Injury check: All the injury are belong to me.
Support crew: Rob on bike.
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This was a tough one. For no discernible reason, this was markedly tougher than last week's long run. I was struggling even before the 12 mile point, so it wasn't the extra 1.5 miles that made it so much harder. 

My salubrious warm-up zone.
In a car park. But in the sun.

We even started out in the sun, so I can't blame it on the weather either

For variety, this was a single direction run (rather than out-and-back): I started out by getting the train down to St Albans, met up with Rob, and then began the run back up to Luton. 'Up' as in northwards, but also 'up' as in gaining elevation, as Luton is on higher ground than St Albans (see map). 


It did give us variety but my route planning was exceptionally rubbish and we ended up travelling along a good two miles of 60mph roads that had no footpath beside them... Consequently there was a little bit of off-roading here and there, which was much easier for me than for my road bike-riding training partner:

Road bike tyre has an argument with sharp stone. Loses.

While Rob was fixing his punctured tyre, I headed off across a farmer's field alone. Temporarily without my support crew, I resorted to singing to distract myself (Don McLean's American Pie is a good one - several minutes long if you know all the verses). This was also the point at which I met the big hill in the middle of the route - and I actually managed to run all the way up it (yay!). Well, I couldn't make it easy for Rob to catch up, could I?

It wasn't long before he did, of course, and we moved onto the second half of the run, which was mostly along the Harpenden to Luton cycle path. It was quite picturesque at points and the weather was actually fairly spring-like. 

It was all going pretty well and I was making good time, but eventually my various injuries and niggles started playing up and slowing me down. There was a bit of walking. My lowest point in this run was around 10 miles when I was hit with a sudden tightness in my chest and again I had to slow to a walk for a while, breathing deeply. This was rather annoying, as I've been ok to date cardio-wise, even when my legs were failing me.

By this point, of course, my legs were beginning to fail me (and feet, and toes...) and the last couple of miles were an effort to push through. Rob kept me going, especially with the final half-mile countdown. And then he called me a taxi to get me home! This was another consequence of my poor route planning: we finished the 13.5 mile route a good two miles from home. Which I could have walked, but by this point it would have taken me a long, limping time. 

The good points I'm taking from today are: 
1. This is further than I have to run for the half marathon in two weeks' time.
2. I've mastered the art of finding my pace and sticking at it for a long time: when I found my stride it felt good, even at the painful end of the run.
3. I have the best support crew ever.

I am also really looking forward to next week's long run, which is a slight wind down before the Reading Half and is therefore only ~75 minutes long. 
Yes, I can now actually say 'only' about a 75 minute run. Never thought that would happen.
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Injury roll call:
> Bad knee - no pain during, post-run achey hurt.
> Good knee - twinges during.
> Right ankle - all fine :-)
> Toe - popped the blister midweek, strapped the toe up today but still had some pain near the end of the run. Post-run unwrapping reveals nail to be bruised and tender but no blister this week.
> Left foot - arch started hurting around 3 miles; stretched it out and carried on and it gradually faded. Post-run inspection identifies a large bruise across most of the arch. New sports insoles ordered immediately. 

12 Miles!

Today's run: 12 miles / 19.31 km in 2:18:22.
Injury check: Bit of pain in both knees.
Support crew: Rob (cycling) and Robert (running).
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Today was much better than last week, for two main reasons:

• No uphills
• Awesome support crew

I carefully planned this route to avoid awful hills. There were a few bits of uphill but they weren't as bad as last week and they were much earlier in the run, meaning that when I was struggling at the end I didn't also have to cope with a literal uphill battle... 

Consequently the route was a little boring - out and back along the footpath to Harpenden - but my support crew kept me in a much better mood than I managed last week! The difference it makes having people with me is immense. The conversation and the company from my guys kept the smile on my face most of the way around. 

The weather was cold but not as cold as I'd been fearing, although the wind was pretty bitter along the more exposed sections of the path. I had a good moment when we overtook a pair of runners - who were also training for the marathon, as it turned out. It's quite nice to have people in your sights and chase them down...!

Even though the footpath is tarmac, and therefore slightly lower impact than concrete pavement, my knees were complaining towards the end and over the last couple of miles I was definitely slowing down. My thighs were aching too, so after stretching out and eating some hot, tasty food, I actually tried the cold water bath again. I cheated a little bit again, running hot water around my feet to stave off aching toe bones, but I stayed in the cold for a full 3 minutes. If that makes a shred of difference to my recovery speed, I shall report it here. 

When I signed up to the Reading Half Marathon (17th March) as part of my training I put down an estimated time of 2hours45. Judging by today, I'm now hoping to be able to beat that, and maybe even scrape in under 2hours30. 

Watch this space.

Long Run is Long

Today's run: 10.5 miles / 16.9 km in 2:02:33.
Injury check: All clear.
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I didn't have a training buddy today, which was a little bit daunting. This was going to be a long run and I knew it was going to be harder doing it on my own. Still, it was a nice day to try: there was blue sky above me and the sun even had some heat in it. 

I made a good start, through town and out down the picturesque trail towards Harpenden. I was running a 10mins20/mile pace and actually quite enjoying it all. And while there was no-one around I was singing silently along to my music without a care in the world. At the 4 mile mark I turned around and headed back the way I'd came, and then on around a loop past the airport and towards home.

I was doing pretty well all the way up to 7 miles. At which point I faced a good deal of Bad Gradient. Whereas last week I carefully planned the route to avoid uphills, this week I didn't. There was only really one proper uphill. But it was a nasty one:

Yep, that one right there. I did not enjoy that. 

After that hill this run became quite a slog. I was beginning to tire a bit and the hill, combined with turning into the wind and the sun going in, took a toll on my energy and my cheerfulness. I was much more grumpy for the rest of the run.  

Tunes!

The good lessons from today: I can make it around 10.5 miles, even on my own. And although I slowed down from the fast early pace - especially on the hills - I still made a pretty good time. I was hoping to scrape in under 2 hours, but the slow slog after the hill (and having to repeatedly stop to stretch out a stitch) stole those minutes from me and I just didn't have enough left in the tank to claw them back.

However, one of the worst things about running on your own is that it's so much easier to stop! Not even the Super Running Tunes I'd specifically picked for the end of my playlist could inspire me enough past mile 9, as my legs began to ache and tiredness crept up on me, and I did walk for a few metres here and there.

I mapped the run surprisingly well, finishing only twenty metres from my doorstep. By then I was definitely worn out but I wasn't suffering as much as I did last week. I think the energy gels and the isotonic drink I'd taken instead of water probably helped, as did the fact that the wind chill wasn't so bad today. I also made sure I ate some good recovery snacks while I was cooling down and stretching: a microwaved sausage roll followed by a banana and honey sandwich. Yum.

So, it was hard work. But I ran 10.5 miles in two hours. Ergo: I'm writing this one up as a win. 

9 miles

Today's run: 9 miles / 14.48 km in 1:40:00.
Injury check: All clear.
Training buddy: Rob.
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I've decided to track my distances in miles from now on, so this was a bit of a jump from the 12 k / 7.5 miles of last week. 

I had company again, to help me through. Rob isn't really a runner, so he accompanied me on his bike. Sort of like a coach, cycling alongside an athlete in training. It wasn't much of a workout for him, but it worked really well for me.

Only the good type of gradient in this route.

I felt pretty good throughout, especially given that I donated blood yesterday. I made up some sugary snacks (mashed banana + honey) to keep me going, and Rob counted off the miles and kept me updated on my speed. 

The weather was almost perfect for me, too. Cool enough that I didn't overheat but not so cold that I complained about it.

The Knee behaved itself, The Ankle was good. I had to pause at one point to stretch out a hamstring but otherwise the legs were fine, beyond the expected exercise-induced ache as I worked through the miles.

However, after the run, I crashed pretty hard. Shivery, faint, pale. The distance had obviously taken more out of me than I thought. Luckily Rob was still there to give me a hot drink and feed me crisps until I was back to normal. 
The moral of this story: do not go for a 9 mile run the day after giving a pint of blood. 

However, I did manage 9 miles in good time and at a good pace. So, overall, I'm calling this a win.

Long, Hard Slog

Today's run: 12 km / 7.46 miles in 1:25:41.
Injury check: Pain. All of me. 
Running buddy: Robert.
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This was a hard run. 

The world was not kind today. Yes, there were hills in the route - and they were nasty in places. There was one around 8km that I would have stopped and walked up if I'd been on my own (thank you, Robert). 

But it was the wind that sapped my strength today. Bitterly cold on exposed fingers for the first couple of kilometres, and occasionally gusting with the kind of power that you have to lean into when you're walking against it. Running against it was not fun at all. 

And then there was the pain. Not actually from the bad knee - although it did twinge a couple of times towards the end. Mostly it was the other leg: twinges in my ankle, pain in my 'good' knee, aches in my thigh and hip. Since it was essentially all of my good leg that was complaining by the end, I think I can put most of this down to the fact that unless I'm really concentrating I still seem to favour my bad (left) leg in an uneven stride. And I also have poor enough posture that my lower back aches after long runs. 

Basically the last 4km were simply an exercise in not stopping - it was a very slow "run" by that point. 

Afterwards I briefly considered sitting in a cold bath to numb my various aches and pains. And then I decided not to and had a hot bath instead. Much nicer. 

Prediction: I will ache tomorrow.

Sub-zero

Today's run: 12 km / 7.46 miles in 1:23:48.
Injury check: Twinges in the good knee.
Running buddy: Robert.
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Man, it was cold this morning! It was predicted to be -2 degrees and I could definitely believe that it really was below zero... It was trying to snow as we set out, although it gave up pretty quickly and was just cold. 

The benefits of this were that a) I stood no chance whatsoever of overheating, and b) the parts of the route that Robert had warned me might be really muddy were actually just frozen solid, and were therefore quite crispy underfoot rather than trainer-suckingly nasty. 

He also warned me it would be a bit hilly, which I blithely agreed to run anyway. The inclines involved weren't actually too steep, mostly, but they were fairly long and hence still quite taxing: 

Long incline was long. (Shaded grey incline = 1.5km.)

I hoped to be able to manage a sprint at the end but the final up-slope home (which isn't really visible on the elevation plot, but trust me, it's there) did me in. I have spent the rest of the day being a bit achey and making old person noises when I have to get up out of a chair...

Still, a good time achieved at a good average pace, especially considering the hills involved. 

10k

Today's run: 10.59 km / 6.58 miles in 1:13:07.
Injury check: Minor twinge in good knee.
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Ten kilometres!

The morning was gloomy, but Robert turned up at my door bang on time and we headed out into the fog on my planned 10k route...

Foggy Luton town

Since I am rubbish at directions we took a little circular detour along that planned route, but we kept up a good pace (11:11 per mile) with barely a stop along the way. We paused in the middle and I gulped down a tube of energy gel (which tasted horrible - good thing it was a freebie) and then it was back up to pace again. 

Again, I don't want to jinx it, but running longer distances is definitely not as hard as it was originally. Some of this is no doubt due to my body getting used to actually running for longer periods; I'm also sure a great deal of it is having someone to run with, as that absolutely makes it more enjoyable!

So, 10k in a little over an hour. Done. 

Woohoo!

Post Christmas

Today's run: 9.24 km / 5.74 miles in 1:10:00.
Injury check: Slight knee twinge on the way around, slight ache this evening.
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Still at home for Christmas so today I ran with my dad, who is roughly twice my age and can finish a 10k in roughly 50 minutes. Ergo, we did not run at his pace! 

Guess who got new running gear for Christmas?

That said, this was a slow run, even for me. I suspect the on-going festive period over-indulgence was slowing me down...

However, I didn't really stop at all on the way around and the total distance is only a smidgeon under 10k, so I'm still pretty happy with it. 

Next long run: the full 10k? Maybe. Watch this space.

60 minutes

Today's run: 8.59 km / 5.34 miles in 60:00.
Injury check: A few minor tweaks but not enough to stop me.
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1 hour run: done! And I beat my goal of 8k! And I didn't break myself!

I ran with my friend Robert today, which was brilliant. Running with someone is much better than running alone - it makes it far less monotonous for one thing. And running with someone who has a much faster pace than you is even better. I still took a few, short, walking breaks, but I was able to push myself onwards through some of the wanting-to-stop moments and I walked a lot less than I might have otherwise. I don't know how much he got out of it, because we stayed to my pace which is definitely slow for him, but it helped me so much.

Lovely weather for ducks...

It was pouring with rain when we started (it slackened off a bit later) but it wasn't as cold as it has been this week and I think that helped too. Running in the rain isn't bad either, once you've warmed up a bit. 

The Knee coped pretty well, with only a few twinges and a slight post-run ache. I will ice it shortly, as a preventative measure. 

Basically today was an awesome run :-D

Winter Is Here

Today's run: 5.46 km (3.39 miles) in 40:00.
Injury check: All clear.
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Cold. Really cold. It was sunny this morning, at least. But it was cold. 
I layered up and ran anyway, but I was cursing the cold most of the way round. 

I overheat like a [insert sweaty thing here] so I did warm up eventually, but when that icy wind picked up it was still so cold.

I ran the footpath again, which was actually a bit nicer than before because there weren't any damp leaves underfoot this time. I had to walk some of the way back today though, simply because the cold took so much out of me. 

I got a few stares from the cows in the field I run past, so I said hello to them (because I know that's what Em would have done). I also passed another runner going in the other direction, who looked like he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Hmph. 

Did I mention it was cold?