So having dabbled with a few half marathons last year and the year before, training went a bit off so had almost given up on marathon dreams. Naseby 16.45 came up and did that mid Feb in a not too shabby time. So entered this one as the acid test for whether to go for a gfa marathon time.
It’s fairly hilly 204m elevation (seemed like more !) with the killer being the last two miles up hill. Decided I would go out conservatively, aiming for an overall 2.30 time which is 7.30 p/m and comfortably inside gfa pace.
Highest point of the course was 10miles and by then had managed to only be about 1 min 15 off pace. Next 7 miles were broadly downhill and clawed back a bit of the lost time. By then though, the lack of distance training started to tell, and there wasn’t much in the tank. The person in front I had been pacing off started to pull away and one or two started to pass me, particularly in the last couple of miles which were hilly and my pace dropped to 8.19 and 8.24 for the last two.
Crossed the line 2.33.57
Overall very pleased with that. MK marathon in early May looks on. Will lose another couple of pounds, do a few longer runs and hopefully the flat course will help sneak me under 3.20.
Oh, and first ever AG win (out of 11 ) but thought with it being a small race (250 ish) that the ag bands would be 50-59 so didn’t bother to check before leaving without prize!