here we go...again! it's race report time!!
It was such a tough race. really hot day (25c), no shade along the route. it was the complete opposite of connemara and as a matter of fact my body (and mind) reacted completely differently!
we started at 8.50am. 4000 people at the start line, 1000 pulled out during the marathon.
I wanted to start behind the 4h pacers but I got to the start line a bit late and I couldn't reach them. I decided then to run on my own and try to keep them in sight and so I did for quite a while. I kept an even pace after the 25th k but everything went wrong after that. but let's proceed in order...
at the 6k marker I saw a friend of mine and he stayed with me until the 25th. It was nice to have company. we passed 10k in 57:36, maybe I was going a bit too fast, so I started to slow down. I was through the first half in 2:02, bang on time for a 4:10 marathon :)
I had planned to take 2 gels during the race. I had tried them during my 22 miler and I had no reaction to them. I took the first gel at 20k and I had planned to take the second one at 30k. But this time (despite having taken immodium as usual before the race) my stomach did not agree with it. I started to feel really unconfortable and there was no signs of partaloos. I started to get worried and I decided to take more immodium (even though I was scared of overdoing it a bit). 25k marker, 28k marker and the pain was really unbearable. I started to walk and the only thing I could think of was to get to the next drink station (30k) and then if the pain was still there, get on one of those horrible little buses with all the people who pulled out and get to the finish line that way. I was down down down......But once I got to the drink station the pain wasn't there anymore. So I carried on only to find out that there was something else wrong. One of my toe nails started to hurt and once more I resorted to walking. then I stopped. took my shoe off. took the sock off and I was ready to remove the nail if I had to. but everything was fine, the nail was in place...only a bit sore. I put the sock back on and the shoe back on and I started to run again. It was then that I saw the 4:15 pacers overtake me and I thought nooooooooooooooooooo!!! I caught up with them and I was hoping to stay behind them until the finish line. But at the drink station around the 35k marker my legs started to ache. I hadn't taken the second gel, of course, and I could feel it big time! I slowed down to drink and eat and I lost the pacers.
it was getting really hot. the excellent drink stations were at every 5k and after 2k we were given sponges (I loved them). at the beginning I could drink at the drink stations and get fine to the next one. after the 35k marker the drinks stations seems really far apart and got really thirsty and desperately in need of water!
I walked and run between 35k and 39k. I kept looking at my watch and I knew that I could walk all the way till the end and still beat my pb of 4:36:30, but I wanted to get a sub-4:20 and after the 39k marker I run, very slowly, but I run. Last drink station and we were in Padova. The city centre though was empty. People went to eat leaving us with no support. I could have done with some. I plodded until the last 400m. when you get into the square (prato della valle) then lots of people cheer you on. I looked around to see where my family was and I finally saw my bro taking pictures of me. I looked at the big watch: 4:20 and I knew I had done it!!! YAY! real time 4:19:29!!!!
I was a bit disappointed by the way the race went but was well chuffed with the fact that depsite all that I still managed to take 17 minutes off my pb. I know that I can get a sub-4. I just need some time. Maybe next year, but I'll get there.
After the mara it was just amazing: my family, my friends, pasta party, concerts, pictures. It was just madness!!
Now I want to get ready for NEWRY MARATHON on May 26th. I miss racing in the irish weather :-)
done!!
it was bloody hard and I don't think I'll do it again!! well...I mean...I won't do padova again :-)
but it was great to see my family at the finish line and to meet so many people from the various italian running forums and to meet all my italian blog's friends. I had such a ball....before and after the marathon that is!!
anyway...I don't remember much from the race, so I'll write a complete report when my memory recovers. What I want to say now is that my real time is:
17' sharp less than my (old) PB!!!!!!
I am a bit disappointed though. Not by my time, but by how tough the race was for me!!
when I posted my marathon predictions this morning I felt quite positive....shooting for the stars!! I have fallen down since then. I am not sure what it is. Is it work? I am madly busy...end of term and all that. sure. but I should also be quite happy as all my work with my students has finally been rewarded. is it that I have missed my run today and I have been eating more than normal and I feel a bit heavy?
dunno!
I came back home from work at 9pm today and I was starving. then I sat on the sofa and stared at the void in front of me. I got to think about stuff. about things that just touch us imperceptibly. things that should leave no sign on us 'cause insignificant...only to find out that they made an impression that cannot be shaken off.
I feel without energy, lethargic....not sure how I will run a marathon on sunday!
I have been a bit quite on here, but work commitments are taking its toll on me and I cannot feel the excitement for the marathon yet! and that's very unusual!
I'll be busy with work until tomorrow afternoon, then it will be dinner with my irish fetchie friends :-) and on saturday morning I am off to Padova. I'll be meeting lots of new peeps, from the italian running forum and from my contacts through my italian blog! I should be very excited but I am just concentrating too much on the million things to do before that day ....bohoo! but I am sure that tomorrow evening I'll be buzzing with excitement!!! (poor fetchies!)
now...let me do a something that I saw on RW, that is, to set my three goals for the marathon:
dream goal: the time you think you could achieve if the running gods are smiling down on you on race day 3h59'59'' (yeah...right!)
main goal: your core target 4h06'
that'll do: 4h15'
I know, I am being a bit optimistic with my prediction, but I believe that we always need to 'shoot for the stars!!!'...wouldn't you agree??
strange week this week. very busy preparing a paper for a conference which, then, went quite well but slept only 4hs in 2 days. interesting and exciting gathering of people. new friendships but also new wounds to try and heal. I did NOT feel like running yesterday. I felt quite distracted and unable to focus on the marathon ahead even though it's only a week away.
Anyway, I went for my run: last LSR before padova marathon!! 15k (9.32 miles) in 1h24'40'' with an average pace of 9.04
I was faster that I should have been but this week I only managed 2 runs with a total of 22k (more or less 13 miles). my legs felt light and willing to go and I thought to folllow them. I really felt good and I hope it's a good sign for sunday!
