I really didn’t think I’d be writing this! After a difficult winter I managed to get myself into a reasonable enough state to be able to attempt the MK marathon, even if it meant walking the distance.
This year the race been intended to run on the official course as usual, but had to be delayed until June due to Covid lockdown restrictions. It made no difference to me, I’d always planned to run this as a virtual event in my own way. I’ll only really consider running a ‘regular’ event once I’ve had my vaccinations.
I’ve written about my training for this which has been a bit of a struggle. After a good month in December I had a bit of a lull until March (it was a very long winter). I’d managed some longer runs recently so I felt as prepared as I could when May came along. Being a virtual run I could choose any date in May, but I’d already planned to run this on the original May 1st date (albeit the Sunday before, leaving bank holiday Monday to recover).
I ran a familiar route, following the canal up to Caldecott lake in Milton Keynes, a few laps of the lake before coming back home the way I came. I’d done something similar for training a couple of weeks ago so it felt comfortable, it’s very flat and predictable.
On the day I was blessed with some ok weather, overcast but not too warm or cold. I ran with a new race belt with a couple of flasks and a third bottle which I carried (I would have worn my camelback but my race vest doesn’t fit any more). The first half of the run was uneventful and I was surprised at how easy the run felt when I reached the lake 11 miles in. After that I ran about three laps of the lake (about 3 miles each lap), taking odd detours to give people space along the way. I normally feel bored running laps but this time it was nice to be away from the house and doing something different. By the time I finished my third lap the weather was getting quite warm and I was starting to feel quite tired, but I hadn’t needed to walk too much which was a bonus.
I was starting to feel pretty shattered on the run back down the canal towards home though, with my water supply starting to get low as well. There was quite a bit of walking over the last 7 miles or so but I didn’t mind, I was happy enough just being able to cover the distance. By the time I’d finally got home I was completely exhausted and feeling quite light headed (a bit worrying but I put it down to over exerting myself). I had mixed feelings about the run too, neither pleased nor satisfied. It was always going to be a massive challenge given I’m still close to 15 stone and my fitness levels are nowhere near where they used to be. After getting cleaned up and having something to eat I felt a lot better, although I’d need a few days to recover.
I logged my time using the event website and after a few weeks received my race pack with medal, T-shirt and other goodies. This was my 8th (I think) MK marathon and I’m glad I was able to actually do it. I hope I’ll be back on form for the next one.
