Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

On The Home Straight

by Russell Turner - 17:17 on 15 April 2018

By this time next week (4.25pm at the time of writing), all being well I’ll be walking (or hobbling) out of the London Marathon secure area, with a medal around my neck and a bagful of finisher’s goodies, and into the arms of a proud Matchgirl. I’ll probably need them as support to get back to the hotel.

But seven days is still plenty of time for the unexpected to strike, as poor Matchgirl and her possibly broken, possibly sprained toe can testify – an injury picked up in what would usually have been a minor household bump.

So with two short runs left I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I stay injury-free and well away from carriers of illness.

The biggest remaining challenge will be the heat on race day, still forecast to be 20ºC. Fortunately, the Highlands is also getting an early taste of summer so I was able to begin my London acclimatisation today with a 50-minute run my Garmin told me was in 12.2ºC. It felt hotter. I took it steady with the two-mile run, two-minute(ish) walk planned for the marathon.

I carried water – something I’ve never needed before on such a short run. (The fact I now consider it a short run shows how far I’ve progressed in six months.) On a day when Commonwealth Games marathon leader Callum Hawkins collapsed a mile from the finish in 28º heat, that also shows I’ve learned a few things along the way. Hopefully I won’t emulate him in London.

The race kit will soon include a big bottle of high-strength, waterproof and sweat-proof sun screen, which will add at least 20 minutes to the race morning preparations. There will be lots of exposed skin to protect – even a short-sleeved shirt will be too much on The Big Day when I’ll be down to shorts and the Cats Protection vest.

That’s something for London to look forward to.

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