Malta Marathon
1:04pm, 28th Feb 2018 | 5 Comments
Blog by minardi
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Fabulous weekend but a shit performance by yours truly!
After a stressful morning checking out of the lodge and trying to get most of our work done before leaving for the airport (why do we always get so busy when we have relaxation plans?), we left late for Stansted but managed to arrive in enough time to grab a glass of bubbles before boarding the plane
Got to the hotel just before 10 pm and what a fab hotel it was (espec for the bargainous price paid). I can thoroughly recommend the Victoria Hotel in Sliema.
Joining us on the weekend was my brother and some of his running club (old school mates, wives, and ex-copper) so all in all there were 10 of us. Not all doing the marathon (4 of us), and the rest doing the half with the exception of Mr T and one of the guys who had been suffering from manflu for a few weeks so we persuaded him not to participate.
We had a wonderful weekend. Registration was a bit of a mare with the queue heading out of the hotel door (not our hotel) and a few times around the reception area inside. That was on the Friday and the weather was atrocious - emergency ponchos were purchased!
However the Saturday was quite a nice day and race day itself was far too hot once it decided that a few spits of rain was enough and the clouds blew away.
Race Day started at stupid o'clock - the buses to take us to the start at Mdina Gate were leaving at 6 am. I set the alarm for 4.17 The lucky barstewards doing the half didn't have to get their buses until 7.45.
So the 4 of us met in the lobby at 5.50 and wandered down the hill to the buses. Straight on a bus and at the start by 6.15!!! WTAF - I could have had an extra hour in bed - the start wasn't until 7.30!
Finally the countdown began for the start and our speedy runner Mark made his way to the front. Graham, Stevce and I hung around at the back after meeting and greeting Mr K (another fetchie to tick off the list).
Steve hadn't done a lot of training (1 x 9½ mile run!) and thought he would do it in about 6 hours - the cut off was 5½ hours Graham was hoping to break 5 hours and I was hoping to finish. I wasn't sure how my hip flexor/groin thing was going to bear up so was planning to play it by ear.
G and I ran together for the first 10 miles then he left me. I was finding it really hard - far harder than it should have been and I was happy to see him go and leave me to wallow in my misery. I had been told that most of the marathon was downhill - they lied! There was a lot more uphill than I expected and you know what I'm like with hills! A lot of walking happened.
I could see Graham lying on the ground at the halfway mark!! but it turned out he was showboating a photo for FB!! We ran together again for a bit and then off he went!
As we were getting closer to the finish (about 34km in, I think), I could see G again and this time he was stretching his legs at the side of the road. He joined me (I wasn't going to stop for anything, I knew I would never get going again) and off we plodded - walking the hills (mainly flyovers and one bastard uphill about 1km long that just lasted forever). Apparently I ran too fast downhill for Graham so I left him when there was about 5-6 km to go.
The last 5km were even more pitiful than the previous mileage but I was cutting through a lot of the half marathoners (they had a limit of 3½ hours so should have been moving a bit faster). I think a lot were charity competitors and intending to mainly walk. Still, it made me feel better that I could still manage a bit of a joggette to get past them.
There were a lot of bands along the route but towards the end most of them were just sitting there not attempting to play! I could see a Powerade marquee ahead but when I got there, there was no sign of Powerade just a band using the shade. When I asked about the drink, they said it was all gone and it was my own fault for being so slow!!!!! That was a real motivational boost.
The last 3km was the longest ever. Finally I was on the straight instead of the long curve that led to the finish. Just before the finishing funnel leading to the gantry, there was Mr T. I cba to even run to him so we walked together until I got to the funnel and then I broke into a shuffle. I was still in amongst halfmarathoners but I was the one who got the cheer from the crowd - the green number meant more than theirs!
I really thought this race was going to be a personal worse but surprisingly enough it wasn't - nearly but not quite!
I came in at just over 5.07 (over half an hour slower than my peebee :-o), Graham came in at 5.14 and bluddy hell, who would have believed it, Steve came in before the 5½ hour cut off!!!!! Well done that man!
To sum it up, I absolutely loved Malta (my second visit) but hated the marathon. Would go back to the country but not to the race!
And boy, don't talk to me about DOMS - I cannot remember the last time I have suffered so much.
After a stressful morning checking out of the lodge and trying to get most of our work done before leaving for the airport (why do we always get so busy when we have relaxation plans?), we left late for Stansted but managed to arrive in enough time to grab a glass of bubbles before boarding the plane
Got to the hotel just before 10 pm and what a fab hotel it was (espec for the bargainous price paid). I can thoroughly recommend the Victoria Hotel in Sliema.
Joining us on the weekend was my brother and some of his running club (old school mates, wives, and ex-copper) so all in all there were 10 of us. Not all doing the marathon (4 of us), and the rest doing the half with the exception of Mr T and one of the guys who had been suffering from manflu for a few weeks so we persuaded him not to participate.
We had a wonderful weekend. Registration was a bit of a mare with the queue heading out of the hotel door (not our hotel) and a few times around the reception area inside. That was on the Friday and the weather was atrocious - emergency ponchos were purchased!
However the Saturday was quite a nice day and race day itself was far too hot once it decided that a few spits of rain was enough and the clouds blew away.
Race Day started at stupid o'clock - the buses to take us to the start at Mdina Gate were leaving at 6 am. I set the alarm for 4.17
The lucky barstewards doing the half didn't have to get their buses until 7.45. So the 4 of us met in the lobby at 5.50 and wandered down the hill to the buses. Straight on a bus and at the start by 6.15!!! WTAF - I could have had an extra hour in bed - the start wasn't until 7.30!
Finally the countdown began for the start and our speedy runner Mark made his way to the front. Graham, Stevce and I hung around at the back after meeting and greeting Mr K (another fetchie to tick off the list).
Steve hadn't done a lot of training (1 x 9½ mile run!) and thought he would do it in about 6 hours - the cut off was 5½ hours
Graham was hoping to break 5 hours and I was hoping to finish. I wasn't sure how my hip flexor/groin thing was going to bear up so was planning to play it by ear. G and I ran together for the first 10 miles then he left me. I was finding it really hard - far harder than it should have been and I was happy to see him go and leave me to wallow in my misery. I had been told that most of the marathon was downhill - they lied! There was a lot more uphill than I expected and you know what I'm like with hills! A lot of walking happened.
I could see Graham lying on the ground at the halfway mark!! but it turned out he was showboating a photo for FB!! We ran together again for a bit and then off he went!
As we were getting closer to the finish (about 34km in, I think), I could see G again and this time he was stretching his legs at the side of the road. He joined me (I wasn't going to stop for anything, I knew I would never get going again) and off we plodded - walking the hills (mainly flyovers and one bastard uphill about 1km long that just lasted forever). Apparently I ran too fast downhill for Graham so I left him when there was about 5-6 km to go.
The last 5km were even more pitiful than the previous mileage but I was cutting through a lot of the half marathoners (they had a limit of 3½ hours so should have been moving a bit faster). I think a lot were charity competitors and intending to mainly walk. Still, it made me feel better that I could still manage a bit of a joggette to get past them.
There were a lot of bands along the route but towards the end most of them were just sitting there not attempting to play! I could see a Powerade marquee ahead but when I got there, there was no sign of Powerade just a band using the shade. When I asked about the drink, they said it was all gone and it was my own fault for being so slow!!!!! That was a real motivational boost.
The last 3km was the longest ever. Finally I was on the straight instead of the long curve that led to the finish. Just before the finishing funnel leading to the gantry, there was Mr T. I cba to even run to him so we walked together until I got to the funnel and then I broke into a shuffle. I was still in amongst halfmarathoners but I was the one who got the cheer from the crowd - the green number meant more than theirs!
I really thought this race was going to be a personal worse but surprisingly enough it wasn't - nearly but not quite!
I came in at just over 5.07 (over half an hour slower than my peebee :-o), Graham came in at 5.14 and bluddy hell, who would have believed it, Steve came in before the 5½ hour cut off!!!!! Well done that man!
To sum it up, I absolutely loved Malta (my second visit) but hated the marathon. Would go back to the country but not to the race!
And boy, don't talk to me about DOMS - I cannot remember the last time I have suffered so much.
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