In a great week for running, where Eliud Kipchoge ran the first ever sub 2 hour marathon distance, and Brigid Kosgei smashed the women’s marathon record in Chicago, I am sorry to say that I have completely failed to make my own contribution. Last Wednesday saw the first Olympic Park Chase The Moon of the season, and having scored a PB on this course every time but one (four days after a half marathon) this year, I was quietly confident of another, especially with the cooler conditions. Well, of course you should know that any time I think I have anything in the bag, it jumps out the bag and runs away and this is exactly what happened here. It seemed that my legs had been replaced with two concrete blocks which got heavier and heavier on each lap and my finish time was 1:11:21. Although this wasn’t a bad time in itself, I was bitterly disappointed because there were no mitigating circumstances such as weather or half marathons. The only thing I can really blame was that my legs felt dodgy and I have to take responsibility for my legs, however much I hate them at times, as they are attached to me and I am tasked with maintaining their wellbeing.
Spot the difference
With that in mind I took my legs to an extremely chatty junior physio the next day and exchanged my long run for an excruciating two hours at the London Aquatics Centre Gym.
Later today I am setting sail for Portsmouth and the Great South Run. This will be my second time taking part in said endeavour. The first time was 2017, shortly before I started writing this blog and it can’t really have gone worst. I had just had surgery to remove a sewing needle from my foot, I had a stinking cold (Day Nurse seems to wear off after the first 5k) and to top it all there were high winds along the seafront to rival my recent trip to Peacehaven. My finish time was 2:18 – I can’t remember the seconds and quite frankly when it gets to that point you stop counting. Unless something goes horribly wrong (alright, things often go horribly wrong if you are me) I am pretty confident of beating that this weekend and my goal is to beat Kichoge’s marathon time of 1:59:40 which is going to be quite a challenge but certainly not impossible. My all-time unofficial 10 mile PB, btw, is 1:57:21 set during the infamous 2016 Brighton Half.
7:07 