It was a close thing. I hit the snooze button several times before my bossy inner voice pointed out this was no way to train for a marathon! I wolfed down some toast and a banana and set off.
I was surprised how nervous I felt when I got there. Lots of 'proper' runners in marathon shirts and 10k shirts. People who looked fit. People with calves like iron. When they called the first timers forward I was the only one who really looked like a novice!
And the start. Oh, the start. 150 people who are faster than you disappearing over the horizon. I guess the marathon will be like that times a thousand but it was a little demotivating. As a result I set off far too fast, ran out of breath, and was walking by the first corner.
There are two hills on the route and I have to confess my strategy ended up being to walk up them each time. The marshalls were great though, and encouraging, especially the one who on my last lap shouted 'you're not last!' at me :) Some of the fast runners shouted encouragement as they lapped me, and an older man who passed me on the final lap tried to take me along with him but I'm afraid he was too fast!
Things I learned today include getting up and eating earlier (I thought I might puke banana half way round), and that I need to work out how to run up hills without my legs feeling like they are on fire.
Next time I need to stretch more before I start, try to be more consistent with my pace, and try to run those hills!
I also learned how important it is to remember you're racing against yourself and not against everyone else. I won that race, a new PB of 37.20 even though I was 143rd. Yay, me!
The face of a woman with another 23 miles to go.
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