Edinburgh Marathon 2010
It’s been 4 days since the marathon. The physical pain is starting to disappear, but emotionally I’m still there, running it in my mind. This is the story of my first marathon experience:
The plan was simple, run an even pace of 8:20 per mile = a sub 3:40 time. As the day approached the weather forecast was of a heatwave, but on race morning conditions were perfect, a cool 15˚
The starter counted down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, hoooonk, we were off. I waved to Liz Yelling as I passed the start line and started my stopwatch. I set off at an easy pace, feeling good. However I was about to make an error that would affect my whole race.
Mile markers are usually black numbers on a yellow background placed about shoulder height, but unknown to me the organizers of Edinburgh decided on red and white ones very high up. I saw what I thought was the one mile sign (I now know it wasn’t) and checked my watch and thought I’d run 9:46 OMG panic, how could I let this happen. I then decided I’d have to run at 8:15 pace to make up this time by the end.
Somehow I didn’t see a single mile marker until 8 miles, but I do remember crossing the 10k timing mat at 49:16. It should’ve been 51:47 (2.5 minutes slower) but at the time I could only remember that my 6 mile split should be 50 mins so thought it’s about right.
About 8 miles I overheard a guy say to his mate, “we’re still on for about 3:30 – 3:31, and I thought “surely he’s got it wrong”. Averaging 8 minute miles at this stage in a marathon would be suicidal for a potential sub 3:45 runner.
At 10 miles, still about 2 minutes ahead of my Edinburgh schedule (about 8:10/ mile or less), I heard a shout from club mates Nicola and Caroline (they’d done the half marathon at 8 o’ clock), and I gave a confident happy wave. I felt good but realized I needed to relax a bit to conserve energy, so I eased off for the next 2 or 3 miles.
I reached half way(13.1miles) in 1:48:33, only a half minute ahead of the original plan, but the speedy way I’d got there was a concern now , and it was starting to get very very hot, a scorching 26˚
The next couple of miles were on quiet coast roads, but suddenly about 16 miles the course does a sharp right into the ‘finger of Hell’ a half a mile run along one side of a road, round a cone, and back the other side. Just when you think you are over this, the route again goes away from the coast, this time around the grounds of Gosford House, the heat really gets to you there and the 18 mile marker seems like an age coming. It was here I first had serious doubts about my projected time.
I composed myself for another 2 miles but the heat and the earlier crazy pacing were starting to take their toll fast. I was drinking water like I’d been in a desert all day, but even though my stomach was full to bursting, I just couldn’t get enough of the stuff. Runners around me were getting ill and being taken in ambulances, this was not normal.
The last 5 or 6 miles I just got slower and slower, and saw my time slipping away from me. The hardest point was when I realized I wasn’t even going to get under 4 hours, I just gave up psychologically but I was still putting one foot in front of the other.
The crowds of spectators were great at this point, offering sweets, and soaking us with garden hoses and water guns. At 25 miles I saw club mates again, which was encouraging but I was exhausted and really paying the price for my earlier exertions. I chatted with other runners on the final mile and enjoyed the music before crossing the finish line in 4:17:37
I collected my medal, 2 drinks, banana and race bag before staggering round to the meet up area where I collapsed on the grass and lay there feeling sick from dehydration.
Knowing I could’ve run half an hour faster is nagging at me but it was an amazing experience and next time the lessons leart from this baptism of fire will serve me well. Top on mu shopping list is a Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS speed and distance system..









eeek. We ran a circuit of Bampton village before heading out along Haweswater. This was really beautiful and I made a mental note to come back here for a day out.


