Brighton Marathon Race Report

The Start - The day begun at 6:40 as I sneaked around my brothers flat trying to make porridge and not wake my daughters.  It had been a long night with a party downstairs and a snoring man upstairs.  My brother drove me to the start and I was all Vasalined up and ready to go by 8:30.  The race itself was late starting due to a car on the course.  We were off at 9:15.

Miles 0 to 4 - The first mile was a shock with a sharp rise around the first corner.  My usual sub 8 minute mile didn't happen and I was behind my planned pace of 3:49:00 from the off.  After that, my pace picked up and at the 4 mile marker, I was within 3 seconds of my exact race pace.

Miles 4 to 10 - My pace was still good and I crept slightly ahead of my pace.  It levelled off at 1 minute ahead which felt fine.  I had a minute in the bank and was running strongly.  I wasn't really paying too much attention to my HR as I figured that the only way to get it back down to zone 2 was to go slower but I couldn't do that if I wanted to break 3:50.

Miles 10 to 13.1 - It was getting really warm by this stage.  I'd run the hills I knew about and sweat was dripping from my cap at a regular rate.  I saw my brother and daughters at mile14 which was lovely.  My thighs were beginning to feel tight and my feet were sore.

Miles 13.1 to 20 - It was still ok until I got to a horrible out and back road that was so straight and went on for ever.  It was just a long residential road and felt like hell.  Getting off it was such a relief.  The joy was short lived as we then went into a very bleak industrial estate; was this the best Brighton had to offer?

Miles 20 to 26 - I couldn't feel any pain in my feet which was good but my thighs had become very painful.  I needed to stop and stretch which I did but it didn't seem to help much.  Miles 22 and 23 were poor and that was where my dream of 3:49 went.  It only takes a couple of stretching stops and its gone.  I felt like walking to the finish but if I had failed to get under 4 hours I would have been annoyed.  So I gritted my teeth and started hobbling.  I picked up a little and tried to smile as I passed the family at mile 25.

Miles 26 to 26.2 - I realised I could still scrape a PB so I sort of sprinted the last 800 meters and fell over the line.  All that effort to shave 28 seconds off the PB.  I called my Dad and told him his PB is safe for another year.  I don't think the Ironman is a place to try and break your marathon PB.

Today - Oh the pain.  My legs have hurt before after marathons but never like this.  I have a sharp pain from my feet and the achy pain from my legs.  I really cannot put my full weight on one leg so stairs take an age.  Its going to take a while to recover.

Thanks to all my supporters.   To my brother for looking after my girls to cheering me on, to my daughters for watching me, to my wife who I know would have been watching me if she hadn't got stuck in New York and to all my friends who sent me good lucks.