Run > Race

The Shakespeare Marathon and probably my worst race for quite some time (difficult to work it out right now). Pos: 308/704

So, it was very comforting to run 3-56 (faster than Miami earlier this year), but I'm a tad disappointed because training had gone well and I should have had a good chance of ducking inside 3-50 today.

Things just didn't work out well really and despite going through half way in 1:56:13 and then getting through 17m in 2:29:56, I hit some quite significant issues from about 16.5m onwards which really ruined the last 9 miles.

I'm not at all sure why, but I ended with an absolute killer right-side stitch at 16.66 miles (666 - ooooer) and it never really went away until I'd finished.

Unlike Miami and my last few marathons, I lost control of this one today and was very lucky that I'd made good headway from 6m to 16m so that the degree of slow-down over the last few miles didn't tip me the wrong side of 4 hours.

Didn't enjoy the course one bit. It was one of those that only had one hill (which we ran twice), but it lost of long drags that went on for bloody ages (e.g. it felt as though from 20 to 25 miles we were running up and up and up (either that or I'd hit the wall and the body was not having anymore).

Pleased to get round under 4 again, but not happy with that helpless feeling of totally being out of control in the last few miles.

I've also realised that my lack of speed training for my last two marathons explains why I am running in the late 3-50's versus the late 3-40's back in 2014 when I was putting in tough speed sessions.

More hard training needed - but I'm going to have a rest first.

Split Summary
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1) 1m - 9:07(9:07/m) 147/153bpm 105cal
2) 1m - 9:11(9:11/m) 156/166bpm 112cal
3) 1m - 9:02(9:02/m) 160/165bpm 112cal
4) 1m - 8:56(8:56/m) 163/168bpm 113cal
5) 1m - 8:47(8:47/m) 166/175bpm 113cal
6) 1m - 8:49(8:49/m) 164/168bpm 112cal
7) 1m - 8:49(8:49/m) 166/170bpm 113cal
8) 1m - 9:01(9:01/m) 169/172bpm 118cal
9) 1m - 8:28(8:28/m) 163/165bpm 103cal
10) 1m - 8:36(8:36/m) 165/169bpm 106cal
11) 1m - 8:42(8:42/m) 165/168bpm 108cal
12) 1m - 8:44(8:44/m) 167/169bpm 110cal
13) 1m - 8:42(8:42/m) 167/171bpm 110cal
14) 1m - 8:34(8:34/m) 169/172bpm 111cal
15) 1m - 8:43(8:43/m) 171/177bpm 115cal
16) 1m - 8:45(8:45/m) 170/178bpm 114cal
17) 1m - 8:59(8:59/m) 171/175bpm 117cal
18) 1m - 9:02(9:02/m) 173/177bpm 121cal
19) 1m - 9:21(9:21/m) 174/177bpm 126cal
20) 1m - 9:06(9:06/m) 172/176bpm 119cal
21) 1m - 9:21(9:21/m) 172/174bpm 122cal
22) 1m - 9:18(9:18/m) 173/175bpm 124cal
23) 1m - 9:24(9:24/m) 172/175bpm 123cal
24) 1m - 9:29(9:29/m) 173/175bpm 125cal
25) 1m - 9:36(9:36/m) 174/176bpm 128cal
26) 1m - 9:33(9:33/m) 176/178bpm 131cal
27) 0.27m - 2:15(8:24/m) 181/183bpm 32cal