With this bad boy weather system resembling a hurricane and poised off the South coast of England heading into the weekend and the forecast for gale force winds and three months worth of rain I decided to tell people that it probably wasn't worth coming to support as sitting in a field in those conditions is probably even more miserable than running in them! However, Euan and Annie courageously decided to brave the early rise and terrible weather to accompany me for the day. Thankfully they were rewarded with yet another failure by the Met Office and a beautiful day of sunshine that has left them both with something approaching third degree burns! Euan was looking so red last night that I genuinely think that he could be challenging the time he got drunk and lent on the counter of the chippy at Uni. Ouch!
No wonder the Met Office can't get the forecast right!
After a tour of Bournemouth and the surrounding area directed by the Audi's sat nav we arrived just in time to register and get everything prepared for the start of the race.
Mobility scooter fitted with the same sat nav as the A5
With only 42 competitors signed-up this would be by far the smallest marathon that I've ever taken part in. Organized by Barry Light who is attempting to run 60 marathons in 60 weeks at the age of 60 (stop showing off Barry, you're making me look bad!), a large proportion of the field (myself most definitely excluded) were serious marathon runners, totalling 1,500 marathons between them. Some of the most impressive included:
- Taviss Willcox who holds six world record, including the most marathons run in one year (a staggering 114!)
- Steve Edwards who also holds several world records and has averaged one official marathon every 16 days for the last 24 years!
- Adam Holland who holds the world record for the youngest person to complete 100 marathons (aged just 22)
- Michael Smith who has run more than 100 marathon in him Matthew Le Tissier Southampton #7 shirt (didn't stop him getting some serious nipple chaffage on the day!)
- Sandra Bowers who has twice been the Scottish 100k (and I'm pleased to report was only able to lap me once during the course of the race)
Barry Light during the Litteldown marathon, on his way to complete marathon 26 of 60! Truly amazing!
With such an elite field I was keen to make a good impression, and up until the end of the first lap I think I managed to do just that! My pace quickly dropped below the target 8 minute mile and realizing that by marathon nine there's not much left in the tank, tactics were quickly adjusted to damage limitation, making sure that the pace was dropping slowly enough to get me round in under the magic four hour mark.
Euan and Annie tried everything possible to keep me going. Their support was amazing and after a few laps with some failed jelly baby handovers the refuelling technique was working like a well oiled machine. Around the half way mark my bad ankle started to play up and within a quarter of a mile Euan was there with painkillers and a drink to sort me out. I don't think a marathon runner has ever been better looked after during the race! Euan was even able to complete three or four of the laps with me to try and help take my mind off the pain. With their help I managed to finish in around 3 hours and 56 minutes, good enough for a 15th place finish.
One of the main difficulties when running a marathon is managing the mental aspect, striking the right balance between paying enough attention to how you're doing against your race plan without focusing on the distance remaining. No matter how many times you run a marathon, 26 miles is still a long way and as soon as you start to focus on the distance you're in trouble! Running a one mile loop with each quarter mile marked out on the ground made it pretty much impossible to ignore and the battle quickly became as much mental as physical. In addition, being lapped seven times by the eventual race winner really does make you focus on your mediocrity! Always quite good but never quite good enough it would seem.
0.2 miles and lost already. Just follow the runner in front!
6 miles
13 miles, or was it 14, or maybe 15. They all look the same ;-)
20 miles and all tuckered out!
While getting showered and changed in the leisure centre Euan was even able to acquire a makeshift marathon medal in the form of a Littledown centre key ring which wrapped in typical man fashion by depositing at the bottom of the pint which was waiting for me on my return. I think that gifts at the bottom of your pint might actually be a business idea worth considering. It's just like a Kinder egg for adults!
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One Littledown centre keyring aka medal successfully retrieved from the bottom of my pint glass. Also, my personal water sponge for the day which is currently unwashed and available on eBay to the highest bidder!
The day was finished off with a trip to Christchurch for some rather tasty grub, a few lager shandy's to refill the tank and a slow crawl back through the usual Sunday jams on the London approach. Thank you so much Euan and Annie, not sure what I would have done without your support on this one! I hope you like your thank you presents :-) Thankfully that's nine down and only one to go. Two days and counting until the South African adventure begins :-D
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