Run > Race

Without doubt the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I did the first half in under 4 1/2 hours and was feeling pretty good but from about mile 35 on I felt terrible - had some really bad blisters and chafing which made every step painful. My pace dropped so much that my body temperature also started dropping so much so that I was shivering and my teeth were chattering, never experienced that during a run before! At that point I had to put on my jacket, gloves and hat to try to keep warm but still felt cold.
My goal before the start had been to get a sub-12 hour time but when I got half-way in the time I did I started thinking I could definitely aim for a sub-11, if not even a sub-10. Then I basically watched the sub-10 chance disappear... then the sub-11.... and then had to resign to the fact that I wasn't going to make the sub-12 either. Eventually finished in 12hr 21m.
At the time I was (predictably) vowing never to try anything like this again but even now I realise that I had a very bad experience but one that I will have learned an awful lot from. I'll come back stronger for the Devil O' The Highlands race in August.