EDINBURGH MARATHON 1999 & 2004

The End	Victor Ludorum!

Click on pictures to enlarge

Off	Massage	get Set	13 Mile Mark	Last 100 yards	nearly there	Did It!!
Home	Foot Bath	Foot Bath	Proud Dogs	OK!	Take II	Champagne

The Edinburgh Marathon seemed like a good idea when I registered to run it...the thought of running across the Forth Bridge with thousands of others seemed nice...I forgot about the other 25 miles...and the fact that I was 43 years old and had never run in my life.

As milestones, I ran the Kinghorn Black Rock 5 miles, the Scottish Gas 10K and the Glasgow Half Marathon, unfortunately I injured my achilles tendon in the Glasgow half..and had 4 weeks till the Edinburgh Marathon!

Having recovered from my achilles tendon problems, I couldn't really train..not that I was planning to break any records anyway..so 13 miles was my longest distance since starting running in January. I felt quite fit and ready to try the marathon, it certainly seemed a better option than giving up and trying next year.Turned up bright and early...no queues at the toilets..and even had a pleasant leg massage before wandering down to the front..could not see a marker with "old gits hoping to finish before dark".. so pushed in and found myself in the 3.5 hour group..with a load of folk who were all looking for 4.5 to 5 hour times!

5 MILES DOWN - 21 TO GO! 

 I was planning to do 10 minute miles at the start.. but ran all the way to the far side of the bridge in 8.5 minute miles and still felt pretty good! Had my picture taken by the "official" Standard Life photographer at the hotel (and a welcome few shouts of encouragement - thanks!) and felt pretty good about the run across the bridge..I even beat a wheelchair contestant!...hit Queensferry and found myself in the company of a Native American and two vikings complete with longboat..I had overtaken them on the hill at Rosyth but they proved that 4 legs are better than 2...and they had a sail!! 

Had been steadily overtaken by Standard Life runners in Rosyth..and the final friendly face pulled ahead in Dalmenny when we hit a downhill as my ankle was giving me a lot of pain on downhill sections and I had to slow down a bit. I was quite happy with my pace through Dalmenny and hit Crammond Brig 13 mile in exactly 2h 9m ... my time for the Glasgow Half Marathon. My wife was there to cheer me on and she said that I still looked pretty fresh.. I certainly felt ok.

As I headed down the hill to Crammond, my legs started to cramp up and when I got to the shore I slowed to a walk and ate a tracker bar to boost my energy..even though the raspberry energy gel was doing strange things to my guts!!!! Could not seem to get going again, my legs started to hurt and I got bad cramp and aches and pains..the whole road from Crammond to Granton looked like Napoleon's retreat from Moscow..folk limping and jogging alternately..luckily the toilets at Silverknowes were open..the laxative effects of Clif-Shot energy gel had really kicked in!! But the legs were still knackered and I wondered if I would ever get the final 10 miles over.

The whole section from Crammond to Newhaven was a walk and then a jog from lamp post to lamp post..the same group of 6 of us passing each other and then being passed again, apart from the exit from the tunnel leading to the five way crossing - I saw a crowd cheering folk on and managed to run up to them and 200 yards further before collapsing back into a painful limp.

At 20 miles, I realised that the end was in sight..I stopped at the old railway platform for 5 minutes of stretching and then found that my legs were back to normal..I flew up the track to shouts of "OI..is this a relay race then?" and "I'll have a shot of whatever you just took!". Slowing down, I made it to Haymarket-and the traffic was allowed back on the roads! 4h 30m and I had to run down the pavements of Princes St, dodging shoppers and gasping "no thanks,  I don't want a Big Issue right now"..My legs finally gave up on the downhill to  Holyrood and I had to hop on one leg for a few yards, to the amusement of some  tourists who thought I was hopping the full 26 miles...given my time,  probably  a fair assumption to make!

 At last, I could see Holyrood and the lights of Meadowbank..I got through the  palace.. and the swines sent me back up the road!! I had not realised that we  had to run up and back again, I felt like giving up in the huff, but ran on..in  the final stretch, returning runners shouted encouragement and I made it to the  gate, spurred on by friendly shouts..I saw the finish and some final burst of  adrenalin gave me a kick up the butt and I sprinted to the finish!! Where was  that energy in Granton when I needed it??

 So that was my first..and probably last marathon..5h 9m 30s ...the winner could  have run back to Dunfermline again in less time.. but at least I can claim a  personal best and someone in Japan is proudly showing his video of the hop-along marathon man!

THE FINISH LINE 

I did decide never again to run a marathon - but old age and stupidity forced me to try again in 2004 - a hot, windy day and very sore after - definitely the last time!

top