Better second time around!

It's taken a while, but finally I've gotten around to posting my report on the Chester Marathon. In a word - success!! Nice even pacing, no rush of blood to the head in the first half, the legs and knees behaved themselves and all resulted in a 14 minute PB! After London in April, I decided to continue with the long runs and continue with training 4/5 days per week. As the Summer wore on those 20 mile runs became slightly easier and faster. Most times the first 10 miles were a struggle then the second 10 became quicker and easier. On a nice crisp autumn morning in Chester, I managed to put all this training in to practice. Relaxed out the first 10K, popped a dextrosol tablet and had a swig or two of water (a no gel policy this time due to stomach cramping). Started running with a couple who were happy to trot along at 8:30/mile pace. Through halfway at just under 1hr 50m, popped another dextrosol and a few more swigs of water. I carried a bottle of high-5 electrolyte drink which I swigged occasionally to replace the salts. The Cheshire / North Wales countryside was very scenic and the support through the villages en-route made for a what seemed more of a training run when compared to the high intensity of London.(Having your name printed on your number was great as the supporters mentoned your name when they shouted encouragement - although running near a young attractive blonde female runner for around 8 miles meant I was overlooked by the majority of the males in the crowd!) I knew I would need to supplement my dextrosol tablets with some of the isotonic drinks but I limited it to 3 or 4 mouthfuls every 5/6 miles. The second half of the race headed back towards Chester and was probably more hilly than the first half. However, with a relatively easy first half under my belt and the psychological boost that comes from passing over 200 runners who have had their wheels come off meant I actually sped up in parts. The drag from 23 to 25 miles was a slow uphill climb, but as Chester came into sight it didn't appear to matter and I was just happy to be moving freely with just a couple of miles to go. The last mile past the riverside and into the race course was great. I had that last 200 yards on the race course almost to myself and the noise of the crowd inspired me to perform a couple of "mo-bots" in the last few yards. The organisation of the race and location made for a great day and I will try my best to be fit for next year.