My initial reaction wasn’t to do another marathon. But when I went on the marathon photos website to look at my pictures for Brighton I noticed that they were covering the Milton Keynes Marathon on 29th April – two weeks after Brighton.
I don’t know why, but I clicked on the link. And before I really knew what I was doing I was emailing the race director to see if I could get in. To his credit, he replied promptly and said that he would extend the application deadline just for me.
The way I justified my actions was I had nothing to lose. The entry fee was £40, but I had just won on the national so this seemed like a good investment. I wanted to run a better race than Brighton. Well I had done all of the training, so why not try again soon? And if I wasn’t feeling up to it, I wouldn’t do it. And to avoid the pressure I wouldn’t tell loads of people about my plans.
As time passed, I felt less sore about Brighton. In fact, I started to think that for someone who had never run before and only trained for about three months, 4:06 was perfectly respectable. And it was taking longer to recover than expected. I tried a run a week after Brighton and felt so awful I walked the last two miles.
Still I thought I would have nothing to lose by showing up on the MK start line and giving it a go.
The MK Marathon
That was before the rain. For the week leading up to the Milton Keynes Marathon it rained continuously. I arrived at my brother’s the night before and it was relentless. I remember trying to sleep but just hearing the howling wind and rain hammer against the window above my head.
We checked the MK marathon Facebook page and the organisers were adamant that it would take place, even if they had to change some of the route at the last moment due to flooding.
We drove to Milton Keynes and got there just in time for the start. As I’ve learnt is always the case at these events, I quickly relieved myself behind some bushes and joined the start line right at the back. Freezing cold and wet, my ambition was to get round rather than run an amazing time. And if I didn’t get round, well I wasn’t going to give myself a hard time about it. It was biblical.
The MK marathon was very different to Brighton. It was around the ‘redways’ – a network of cycling and running paths that run through the parkland and forests that surround Milton Keynes, before finishing in the football stadium. This meant it was extremely wet and muddy. Many parts of the course were flooded, meaning you would have to run round the path on the mud. It reminded me of the Longsands Cross Country.
I started at a steady pace, trying to dodge the slower people who I had been at the back with. And I gradually increased my pace as I got to about eight miles. According to my watch, which I had purchased especially for this occasion, I ran the first half in just under 2:04 minutes, making a four hour marathon extremely unlikely. But I wasn’t disappointed. Under the conditions, I was delighted to have got that far.
The second half of the race obviously got more difficult as I got more tired and more wet. After Brighton, I was expecting to fall apart at any moment when I reached 18 miles. But it didn’t happen. At about 20, I found a pacer who I kept pace with for the next four miles. Still feeling strong, I quickened my pace and left him behind.
The marathon comes out of the parkland in the last mile and heads towards and then inside the stadium, finishing alongside the pitch. I finished as strong as I started. In 4:08 minutes. That was two nearly identical halves.
I was delighted, with no hint of disappointed this time. It didn’t matter that I didn’t do it under four hours. And it didn’t matter that it was slower than Brighton. I was delighted that I ran every step of the way at a consistent pace in the most trying conditions. I couldn’t imagine managing my race any better or finishing it any quicker.
Like last time, Stephen was there to meet me (a little late), load me up with McDonalds and take me home (including carrying me up to my front door).
In reflection
In hindsight, two marathons in two weeks was probably a bit over the top. And I’m not sure I would do it again. Recovery the second time was definitely more difficult and two weeks later, I’m still not feeling 100 percent.
But I’m glad I did it. I enjoyed Brighton most and with my mother and uncle doing it as well it will go down in family history as one of the best days ever. And with Milton Keynes, I am proud of running a good marathon in extremely difficult conditions that would have added minutes (approx. 9) to my time. I put the Brighton demons to bed. On top of all that, I raised nearly £1000 for my mum’s charity (thank you everyone).
And what next? Well amazingly, I got a place at the New York Marathon. This time I want to train slightly longer and break four hours. And once I have done that, I may well retire.
I don’t know why, but I clicked on the link. And before I really knew what I was doing I was emailing the race director to see if I could get in. To his credit, he replied promptly and said that he would extend the application deadline just for me.
The way I justified my actions was I had nothing to lose. The entry fee was £40, but I had just won on the national so this seemed like a good investment. I wanted to run a better race than Brighton. Well I had done all of the training, so why not try again soon? And if I wasn’t feeling up to it, I wouldn’t do it. And to avoid the pressure I wouldn’t tell loads of people about my plans.
As time passed, I felt less sore about Brighton. In fact, I started to think that for someone who had never run before and only trained for about three months, 4:06 was perfectly respectable. And it was taking longer to recover than expected. I tried a run a week after Brighton and felt so awful I walked the last two miles.
Still I thought I would have nothing to lose by showing up on the MK start line and giving it a go.
The MK Marathon
That was before the rain. For the week leading up to the Milton Keynes Marathon it rained continuously. I arrived at my brother’s the night before and it was relentless. I remember trying to sleep but just hearing the howling wind and rain hammer against the window above my head.
We checked the MK marathon Facebook page and the organisers were adamant that it would take place, even if they had to change some of the route at the last moment due to flooding.
We drove to Milton Keynes and got there just in time for the start. As I’ve learnt is always the case at these events, I quickly relieved myself behind some bushes and joined the start line right at the back. Freezing cold and wet, my ambition was to get round rather than run an amazing time. And if I didn’t get round, well I wasn’t going to give myself a hard time about it. It was biblical.
The MK marathon was very different to Brighton. It was around the ‘redways’ – a network of cycling and running paths that run through the parkland and forests that surround Milton Keynes, before finishing in the football stadium. This meant it was extremely wet and muddy. Many parts of the course were flooded, meaning you would have to run round the path on the mud. It reminded me of the Longsands Cross Country.
I started at a steady pace, trying to dodge the slower people who I had been at the back with. And I gradually increased my pace as I got to about eight miles. According to my watch, which I had purchased especially for this occasion, I ran the first half in just under 2:04 minutes, making a four hour marathon extremely unlikely. But I wasn’t disappointed. Under the conditions, I was delighted to have got that far.
The second half of the race obviously got more difficult as I got more tired and more wet. After Brighton, I was expecting to fall apart at any moment when I reached 18 miles. But it didn’t happen. At about 20, I found a pacer who I kept pace with for the next four miles. Still feeling strong, I quickened my pace and left him behind.
The marathon comes out of the parkland in the last mile and heads towards and then inside the stadium, finishing alongside the pitch. I finished as strong as I started. In 4:08 minutes. That was two nearly identical halves.
I was delighted, with no hint of disappointed this time. It didn’t matter that I didn’t do it under four hours. And it didn’t matter that it was slower than Brighton. I was delighted that I ran every step of the way at a consistent pace in the most trying conditions. I couldn’t imagine managing my race any better or finishing it any quicker.
Like last time, Stephen was there to meet me (a little late), load me up with McDonalds and take me home (including carrying me up to my front door).
In reflection
In hindsight, two marathons in two weeks was probably a bit over the top. And I’m not sure I would do it again. Recovery the second time was definitely more difficult and two weeks later, I’m still not feeling 100 percent.
But I’m glad I did it. I enjoyed Brighton most and with my mother and uncle doing it as well it will go down in family history as one of the best days ever. And with Milton Keynes, I am proud of running a good marathon in extremely difficult conditions that would have added minutes (approx. 9) to my time. I put the Brighton demons to bed. On top of all that, I raised nearly £1000 for my mum’s charity (thank you everyone).
And what next? Well amazingly, I got a place at the New York Marathon. This time I want to train slightly longer and break four hours. And once I have done that, I may well retire.
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