As I was adding to the congestion in the queue for Furzton Lake mud bath car park before the start I spotted Teethgrinder pedalling to the start.
I never knew you were running it too. That was my first marathon. I decided that the best way to train was to not bother doing too much running and go cycling instead.
It was my first run in over 2 weeks and my longest run by 12 miles. The last two weeks of cycling 400 miles each weekend did lose me 5kg of blubber and I think it did make a difference.
1st 6.5 miles done in about an hour very comfortably and I wasn't breathing hard, I chatted to a few runners. I was even surprised how fast I was going because it felt so easy. I felt my legs start to get tired after that and they just got more tired as I went on and my speed kept dropping through the rest of the run. I never tried to force the pace up because I knew that I hadn't done enough running to build the strength in my legs and wouldn't be able to keep it up for another 3 hours, so I just let my speed drop until I was going really slow at the end. I only managed 4:38, so with my first quarter in about an hour, I must have got really slow at the end.
I prefered the uphills at the finish and hated the downhills. My hip flexors and thighs are tight as it is but they tightened up even more in the last 3-4 miles and downhills got pretty uncomfortable.
I found it easier than the MK half, but I might have been a bit ill that day and did push the pace because I knew that I could for a half.
I thought that the winning time of 2:41 was a bit slow for a winning time. Were all the big boys recovering from London or was it really that hard? I didn't mind the weather myself.
My legs are still stiff, but I think that when they are recovered I'll really feel the new strength in my legs from the marathon and want to go running a bit more than I did before the marathon. (I like doing things the wrong way around
)
I intend to get out and do some more regular running and hopefully build up to ultras. It'd be nice to actually go somewhere and see stuff instead of Milton Keynes in the pissing rain! Anyone reccommend any good Ultras for a non dedicated runner to aim for?
I'm thinking of doing some of the SW Coastal Path this Christmas too. I'll just be travelling on foot, whether running or walking. Just to see the views and see how far I get.
I never knew you were a runner Lady Cavendish. I wondered where you got all that fitness from when I rode a few miles with you on The Dean 300, now I know.
Good luck with the op, but only if it doesn't mean you'll stop cycling.