Review: Edinburgh Marathon - 27 May 2012

This is a few weeks late after traveling for work last week....but I just HAD TO review my first marathon!

After a rocky return back to the working world and long hours the last few months, Edinburgh Marathon really snuck up on me. While I was able to get my 20 mile runs in, my overall mileage each week wasn't very consistent and nothing compared to what I was running before March. But it was my first marathon and all I wanted to do was finish. I wasn't as nervous as I could have been because I had no pressure to beat a time. A nice feeling after struggling to break 2 hours in the half.

Hubs and I flew to Edinburgh the day before the race and were greeted by beautiful sunshine when we arrived. We had a great pre-marathon day. We wandered around the city and then gave my legs a rest by watching 'The Avengers Assemble' in 3D. That evening we had an early dinner (spaghetti and meatballs for me!) before chilling in our room and an early night.

The Edinburgh Marathon started at a very civilized 10am (the half marathon started at 8am) so I was up and eating breakfast at 7am. It gave me enough time to relax a bit in the hotel room before getting geared up for the race. Our hotel was just off the Royal Mile which meant a very short walk to the start line at Regent Road.

So tell me....

I know, I've been a terrible tweeter and blogger these last few months. Work and general exhaustion have been getting in the way, but I'm going to try my best to make sure I stay connected with the amazing Twitter Running Crew.

So I'm back....and looking for advice!

All of a sudden, it's less than two weeks until I run my very first marathon in Edinburgh. I'm a little bit nervous as it will be the first time I've ever run more than 20 miles, but I'm excited to just soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the experience! 

I keep thinking, though--there must be little tricks of the trade or important things that just haven't crossed my mind. Random thoughts keep going through my head: what about fueling, hydration, how do carry all my gels, do I need to worry about chaffing, what to do if I need to pee (or worse) and there's no toilet, what if I get a blister, what if it rains....? Things that are bound to happen that will make be think...why didn't I think of that?!

So what I would like to know is......

What's the ONE thing you wish you knew before you ran your first marathon?

Yes, that's right....the ONE thing. Please share your running wisdom by commenting below or sending me a tweet @diminutiverunr. I'll summarize and share all the advice next week before I head to Edinburgh.

All advice welcome and nothing is trivial!

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Step away from the training plan!

Going back to work after a 6 month career break was a real shock. Not only because I'd gotten used to doing whatever I liked all the time. But also because the culture of my new company turned out to be so different to my old one. In ways that I'd never imagined.

Even though my hours haven't been too long yet and I won't start traveling until after Easter, the stress of the adjustment has really made these last four weeks a struggle. I was more tired than I expected and even though I had practiced getting up early for @6amClub, the reality was much more challenging.

But still, my running had been going pretty well and I felt ready for my next half. I had to skip Berlin (at least I can get a discount voucher for next year) but I was able to sneak into the Maxifuel Half at Dorney Lake last weekend instead. Work meant I didn't really dwell too much on it, and just went in feeling positive about running a sub-2.

Dorney Lake is a very flat course and the weather on the day was perfect. But it wasn't meant to be and for the first time ever I had fuelling issues. To my absolute surprise I felt like I was hitting the wall at MILE FOUR and actually wanted to pull out of the race. But I refused to give up and finished, at a time about 6 minutes slower than my PB.

After 7 half marathons I still haven't been able to break that sub-2 mark. But then I realized, in just over 6 months I've run 5 half marathons and 2 10Ks. I've gone from one training plan directly into the next, with no real time off. So after Dorney Lake I decided to take a break. A real break. Right in the middle of my training plan.

I HAVEN'T GONE RUNNING FOR A WEEK!

I could hear the collective shudder from the Twitter Running Family as I typed that, and it did feel like I was being very, very naughty. But in a way it felt liberating. Taking a break meant I had one less thing to worry about as I stressed about my job. I got a little extra sleep. And mentally it helped me to put half marathons aside (for now...I WILL run a sub-2 one day) and focus on two new challenges: my first marathon in Edinburgh and my first triathlon in London.

So while I never thought that I needed to take a step back from running, the break has done me good. My spirit and body feel refreshed. I feel a little less stressed about my job. And I'm ready to run again.

Hmmm....maybe I should take breaks from running more often. Maybe. :)


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