Time2Run Strathclyde Marathon

Time2Run Strathclyde Marathon 

Being only 1:15 away this falls into the local event category for us, plus it's the 1st time this event had been run and after having a good time at Time2Run Scorcher event it was an easy one to book. 

I am not a serial PB chaser and all my running is done to heart rate, occasionally though I like to throw in a PB attempt.  I have a Marathon booked for 1st December which was to be an all out PB attempt.  My 1st attempt since end of July which was indeed at the Time2Run Scorcher 10 in 10 event, though I only did day 3 and got a PB of 3:36:10. The last 2 weeks though have seen a considerable pick up of the pace for a low heart rate, so we thought, why not give it a go today, see what happens.  I was to use the exact heart rate tactics as that run in July.  

We set of from home at 6:30 am intending on arriving at 8 am, but sat nav threw a wobbly on us and added a bit of time, still got there with plenty of time for the 9:30 am start. 

It was cold, I suffer from Raynauds but just beforehand the hands were ok so I decided on no gloves, shorts, T shirt and shoes and socks obviously.  Also I had a belt with 4 gels in and some sweets, the sweets went untouched. 

The event was 7 laps of Strathclyde Water Park. The lap was all on good path but unfortunately we shared it with walkers, prams, dogs. The dogs being the most troublesome but not blaming them, I blame the idiot owners. So avoidance was needed throughout.  The lap was 3.5 miles ish. 

Weather was absolutely perfect except my hands froze from start to finish. 

Sharon was also running this but we never ran together, I was PB chasing, she was taking a steady pace. 

On the last PB attempt it all went very well so I tried to keep to the same tactics,  the pace though was sub 8's till mile 18. That is new territory for me but I put it down to the fact that all has been going well of late, at no point did I run to pace so I knew the heart I was in was ok. I though just stick with it. I had written on my hand the times for 5, 10, HM, 20 & 23 miles that I was at on the last attempt.  If at any time I was slower, the attempt would be abandoned. It turned out that on each of those mile points I was quicker. 

The laps all past by rather quickly, and besides the idiot dog owners and people feeding the ducks so the ducks were all on the path, it all went ok with no mishaps. For fuelling I had a gel and water after lap 2 and the same on lap 5 & 6. 

Was pleased to do 4 laps and feeling ok, except the hands, it was a tricky operation removing the gels from the belt, which is also why the sweets went untouched.  But after 4 laps, theres only 3 left, your over half way. There is the slight issue that PB attempts HURT. I had decided to try and stay in the heart rate zone I was in up to lap 6, then for laps 6 & 7, about 7 miles, give it some more welly.  The start of lap 6 though was the start of the proper pain so tried to stick to what I had been doing, though by this time the mile splits were getting slower. 

Also as I approached the start / finish line to start lap 7, I heard the announcer call Sharon's name, though I couldn't see her till I also had got through, she seemed a long way ahead and though I was in proper pain now, I used her as incentive and tried to catch her. It took 2 miles to reach her and that was only because she stopped for water 1 mile from the start / finish.  Those 2 miles though, I knew I was slipping and losing some of my time I had made. I had to keep telling myself " keep going Ian,  dont f### this up now ".  Anyway, I caught her up and said " run with me, I need you " but sharon is coming back from illness and declined my request,  rightly so because I wouldn't want her to do any harm. Though half a mile away she caught me up and told me to get a shift on. I couldn't of gone any faster if someone offered me a million pounds to do so. 

I struggled through the last half mile and crossed the line and to get a new PB of 3:31:33  a quicker time by 4 mins 47 seconds,  that will do nicely.  

I now wished though that I'd gone out with a lower heart rate, had I of done so, who knows, I may of sneaked under 3:30. 

After getting my medal I walked to the car and had to ask a lady to unzip my shorts pocket as my hands were frozen. I put extra clothes on and gloves and went back to the finish line to wait for Sharon. Who may I say, did a fantastic job considering recent ailments. I may of eaten cake while waiting. 

Official results 

3:31:33

22nd out of 86

1st V50 ( though there were 2 V60's ahead of me )

Home and treated myself to 2 homemade burgers and a warranted Cheesecake. 

Last word has to go to Sharon, she is the mastermind behind my running, she will say " yeah but you go out and do it "  but I wouldn't do it without the plans she writes and her belief in me. 

Ta very much Beautiful XXX