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Originally Posted by Steve
Had some isotonic orange juice so can now continue..........
....I hate my hips and groins......been giving me niggles for 18months now. A sensible person would stop running and let them recover through rest...that's what a sensible person would do...so I just carry on regardless.
So at 16miles the niggles started...not too bad to begin with but enough to start slowing me up....and just at the wrong time on the course...the hilly section was by now well and truly with me again. :eek: Never mind I thought...the first half of the race gave me 2hours to play with to beat my pb...no problem.. 
As I ran...well ran in its loosest use of the word...up the last of the two main drags a lady on the side shouted to me that I'd worked the hill well and was going well......I think she must have been on some kind of drug..LSD maybe...as I certainly didn't feel that I'd 2worked the hill"
By this time of course I was running alone...I could see folks in front of me...but they were a way off....then suddenly I realised I was at the 20 mile point and had to make sure I looked good as I was approaching the support team once more. Big breaths were taken, snow wet hair...well what is left of it....was used to clear my redenned face and a smile was made ready for the camera once more...I do hope they got my good side! 
With a cheer I was on my way...remembering to keep looking good until out of sight ....6.2m to go.
Jackanory........haha |
So the last stretch had begun.....
The 1/2m started 2 hours after the marathon. Just after I went past the 20m mark the race leader of the 1/2m sped by me...it wasn't until I got to 21m that the second 1/2marathoner...one of my club's members( who won the marathon last year and eventually finished 3rd in the 1/2m this year)....flew by.
From then on a procession of 1/2 marathoners ran by and also, annoyingly, those marathoners who I'd passed on the first lap.
For SWMBO this was a useful piece of race planning by the organisers. As she passed the 1/2 way mark the 1/2marathon started and another one of our club members...who is doing FLM...made a conscious decision to run with SWMBO meaning she had his company for the second half of her race. TOP BLOKE!
My mile times were getting slower and slower but I still had every chance of posting a good time until on 24 miles cramp set in.
I can run with knee pain, can hobble along with hip and groin pain but cramp is another story! From then on it was walk rub legs hard, run a little way and then walk, rub hard and run again. Valuable time was being lost big time.
I started to think that my pb ambitions had blown up ...again because of cramp...it did for me last year too at FLM. Even worse I thought the finish could call for a lap of the field and envisaged me cramping up and having to walk in front of everyone.
I don't know why but the last half mile was run..well hobbled really... cramp free.
Now remember I said the Garmin showed 1.1m at the 1m mile marker? Well thoughout the race the Garmin showed me as having run 0.1m more than the mile markers so I guess I started the Garmin and my race 0.1m early. Realising this I kept an eye on the watch and noted that on the same at 26.2m my time was 3hrs 38'06".....my official 26.3m time was 3hrs 39' 24"...........a PB whichever way you look at it
I was a bit disappointed about the injury niggles and cramp causing me to take nearly 2hrs for the second half when I though at halfway that a 3hrs 30min run was on the cards...but still a pb is pb.
SWMBO finished well but well outside her hoped for time...she hates hills...but was grateful for her companion's support as he kept her going when she felt bad.
Roll on Davos Marathon in July.........real hills there!!
