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.
Virtual London Marathon 2023
by Russell Turner - 14:58 on 22 April 2023
Five years from my debut London Marathon I’ve completed my tenth 26.2-miler. And at the second-fastest time, despite four pit stops to refill Tailwind and try to eat something. My athletic career has come a long way.
A City Limits gig in Banff tonight meant Saturday and official marathon day on Sunday were both non-starters for The Big Run, so Friday was the chosen day. This turned out well: today is cold, tomorrow will be windy and raining but Run Day was sunny, warm and mostly still apart from an occasionally cool breeze. I’d intended to set off between 8.30 and 9am, but tending to an invisible and ailing feline meant it was after 10am before I was dressed, stretched, sun screened (it really was that bright), and equipped with Aftershokz headphones, iPod filled with Christopher Brookmyre’s Quite Ugly One Morning (an old favourite), and half a litre of lemon Tailwind in a collapsible hand-held bottle.
A couple of out and backs covered the first six-plus miles at a 5:1 run/walk. After the first refuelling stop, the second six-plus miles covered a regular loop and suddenly I was almost halfway round in just under 2:30, everything going well. I even had time to move the iPod from shorts to a belt, which stopped it stuttering, feed cats and change into a dry shirt after towelling off. That felt so good. I also had most of a High5 energy bar but couldn’t manage all of it, despite enjoying the flavour, which doesn’t augur well for ultra intake.
Another out and back with a small trail at the end covered another five miles, not aided by having absent-mindedly filled my bottle with water rather than Tailwind. Back at Race HQ I managed another few bites of energy bar and a couple of inches of banana but food still held little appeal. Hopefully that will be less of a problem when I’m at ultra pace. This time I filled with Tailwind rather than water
Don’t believe the elevation – going indoors baffled the GPS.
Five more miles of out and back took me to 23 miles and the final pit stop. Nothing was eaten; Tailwind was replenished although I knew I’d need little; a second dry shirt was donned. After a short uphill walk I returned to run/walk on the flat, finishing (with no change of a lumbering pace) on a welcome downhill, crossing the virtual finish line in 5:14. Brookmyre lasted just long enough to get back home. I guess the iPod had about 30mins left in it, so I’ll have to use it sparingly on RTTS day or practise running with a power bank.
My finish time was 37mins short of my PB, but considering I’m not at the end of a marathon training plan, and my longest training run was 15.5 miles, I’m satisfied with that. I look forward to my sixth London Marathon medal arriving soon.
This year’s medal.
One day later, apart from the expected aches, and some unexpected slight sunburn on the back of the legs, all is well. Matchgirl returned home early to be greeted by the ailing feline (Pandora) who’d hidden away from me for the past three days and caused much angst in her carers. I tried not to be offended. The vet will examine her on Monday.
So that’s another marathon over, two more to do in training (at sensible ultra pace) before the Race to the Stones in July. The ballot for the 2024 London Marathon opened today. I’d decided a while back that I’d give it a rest next year. Yet, somehow, I’ve entered. It must be an addiction.
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