Well, well, well........
Started at 9am and it was cold and windy, everything felt good and I was well hydrated. Took it at a nice easy pace, roughly about 10 minute miles, and headed off. Within 15mins of starting the wind had blown the clouds away and the sun came out, but we were still running in to 17 / 20mph winds and this went on for another 18 miles! Hit the half way mark just a bit slower than my normal pace for a 1/2 marathon but I expected that. Judith managed to get a couple of photos of me around the course, which surprised me, I didn't expect to see her until the end so that was a nice suprise and gave me a wee bit more energy to carry on.
Sipping away at my energy drink and just plodding along things were feeling really good, I set myself a target of running nonstop until the 20 mile marker.
About the 2 hour mark the front runners started to pass us on their way home! These guys and girls were machines, running at that pace must take a lot of training and mental strength, hats off to them.
Went past the 17mile marker and thought to myself, from here on in I'm in new unrun territory....hit 18miles and still felt fine, legs were starting to hurt a wee bit but not enough for me to stop. 19miles, 20miles and I was still running! Well when I say running I mean plodding along
21 miles was a struggle, from this marker it was take every mile as it comes....I stopped and walked for a couple of minutes then picked up the pace again, 22miles legs feeling heavy now but kept on going, 23 miles walked again for a couple of minutes but picked up the pace and did the same for 24mile marker.....2 miles to go! I got a second wind and ran the next 2 miles, I came round the corner and could see flags for the finish line, right, no stopping now! The crowd were amazing and one wee boy shouted....Come on lifeboats! You can do it! This made my day and I picked up the pace for one last push....came in to Musselburgh race course and Judith managed to get another photo of me and then I managed my signature sprint to the finish
No idea where the energy came from but I did it! 26.2miles in approx 4 hours 50mins, the official time will be announce on Tuesday in the Edinburgh Evening News....
Im now sunburnt and tired but so glad I managed to run 99.9% of the full 26.2 miles
All the training has paid of.
Thank you to everyone who supported me and now I am going to rest and then get ready for the Dundee 1/2 marathon at the end of June
Will I do another marathon??? Just now, I'm not going to say no, but I'm not going to rush off and sign up to one either.......
Karen, I couldnt remember which water station you were on so couldnt even look out for you
I will post some pictures later and you can tell me if you did spot me
Thanks again to you and everyone else who did a great job supplying water to the masses! It was much needed when the sun came out!
Now Im off for a bath
edit: Just thought I would say, always wear shoes you know and trust, after 26.2 miles I have zero blisters......I did see some nasty blisters around the course though...
O.
