London Marathon Race Report

Taper Week

In the final taper week I really did very little as I tried to get every bit of freshness back into the legs. I carb-depleted Monday to Thursday morning but despite this my runs were starting to feel quite easy so I took this to be a really positive sign as normally I feel pretty dreadful with no carbs in the system.

Then Thursday to Sat I was getting about 80% of my calories from carbs. It's actually quite hard to get a much higher percentage than that but needless to say I arrived on the start-line feeling very well fueled.

Before the Race

I had traveled down on Saturday and traipsed across London to pick up my number and did feel pretty tired having not slept a great deal in the days leading up to the race but then that has become par for the course before a big race so I didn't let it concern me too much. Luckily on the Saturday I managed to get six hours uninterrupted sleep but awoke at 4:10am knowing there was no way I would be going back to sleep as the race day adrenaline kicked in. I stayed at the Oxford & Cambridge Club on Pall Mall and had a south facing room so I could actually see the finish line through the trees to the side of Marlborough House from my room as well as Buckingham Palace away to my right. In a little over 6 hours I hoped to be finishing strongly down that very stretch of red asphalt.

I got to the Champs start nice and early and had a nice catch up with a few folk I know who were all sandbagging about how terrible their build ups had gone. I was also being fairly cautious given the wobbles in the build up and when asked by someone what my target was my answer was that I didn't really have one! I though that I was in sub 2:25 shape and with a bit of luck and if I raced well I may squeeze a PB but it was far from a foregone conclusion given the doubts I'd had in previous weeks and the fact that my PB had been achieved in perfect conditions when my confidence was super sky high. I genuinely set off with the approach of just seeing how I felt and to race as well as I could on the day. What that meant was just constantly appraising how I felt; did it feel too easy? did it feel too tough? Can I Push on? Should I hold back? I would know within three or so miles whether I was in the mix for PB.

Marathon morning is so so exciting. London really is special and despite the UK runners not really getting nay coverage from the BBC (this year was a slight exception given Paula's inclusion in the Champs race) it just feels like such a big and special event. It is a shame that club athletes don't get the exposure that the charity and fun running element does but that's probably a blog for somewhere else! I went for a little warm up and to be jogging alongside Paula, Kipsang, Kipchoge, Mutai, et al is really quite surreal. But for me seeing top club runners like John Gilbert, Ian Kimpton preparing for their races is a bit more 'real'  as they are the guys that inspire me to push on and to try and improve.

The Race

0-5k (16:32)

The hooter went and I was quickly being swallowed up by guys that were keen to get up to race speed as quickly as possible. I have learned over the previous marathons that I've done that there is no rush and especially given the downhill start one will quickly be on pace.  It wasn't long before I started going passed folks that had started rather exuberantly. I nearly took a tumble in the very first mile when I got clipped from behind and then from the front. Luckily I just about managed to keep upright. After a couple of miles I found myself in a nice little group including Peter Tucker, Alun Vaughan and Will Mackay. It is with these guys that I spent the next 11 miles. The first 5k was passed in 16:32 so fairly quick but not unexpected given it is all downhill, especially that third mile.

5k-10k (16:45, 33:17)
The next section working toward Greenwich was about gauging effort and making sure I was running comfortably. I certainly felt OK so it was a case of just sitting in the group. Not that this was particularly conscious decision but it took the mind off trying to keep my own pace. Will asked me what I was looking for. I said I didn't know but probably somewhere around 71 to half way. He seemed cool with that so on we go.

10k-15k (16:49, 50:06)
Getting to 10k in and feeling really easy was nice as it meant I was ahead of PB pace. It was then up to 15k that the rhythm was really established. I was loving it, I could feel that I was on for a strong run so I kept plugging way.

15k - 20k (16:55, 67:01)
Then it was onto Bermondsey where I would see my support crew for the first time. Of course I took this opportunity to go to the front of the group to show the how strongly I was running and really felt like I could push on from here but decided to be patient. The group seemed to be coping well with everything as we worked towards Tower Bridge and half way. As I reached the Bridge I was keen to make sure I didn't push really hard as there is a slight incline and I am convinced a lot of races have been messed up by pushing too hard over there where the support is immense.

20k - 25k (16:47, 1:23:48)
As I turned off the bridge I noticed that the group had dropped off a bit and I didn't know whether this was because I had sped up or they were starting to feel the pace. Gauging my effort level I assumed it was the latter so waited to see what would happen over the next quarter of a mile. I was going away from them slowly but surely so from here on in I knew my race would be to see how many folks I could pick off in front of me. I went through half way in 70:43 a mere 88 seconds slower than my half PB (I really ought to do something about my shorter distance times!). I could see my club-mate Simon Deakin about 250 metres up the road and he did appear to be slowing a bit but I was in no rush to catch him as there was still tonnes of the race to go, I still had to maintain my effort for as long as I could.

25k-30k (16:48, 1:40:36)
It was in this section of the race that I was becoming aware that things were starting to get a bit harder. My legs were tiring quite a bit and it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain pace, that said the legs were far from 'done'. It is also in this section of the race that I started to have the doubts synonymous with marathon running of 'can I do this?', 'this feels a bit too hard', 'have I blown it?' But those doubts are more often than not short lived and before I now it I feel strong again, lifted by the crowd and flying along as I pick off another couple of runners. I kept telling myself to keep relaxed, keep it controlled and I tried to reflect on the two previous Londons I've done and how I felt at a similar point in the race. I knew I felt much better and how I was feeling was about right for the distance into the race. I gradually started reeling more people in and caught Simon around 28k. It was Simon's first marathon and I tried to give him some words of encouragement as I passed but I couldn't help but feel he was in for a tough last 14k. He ended up finishing just under 2:28 which is more than respectable but an athlete of his calibre will surely be back to have another go to get his effort more in line with his times for other distances. Next up I could see Dean Lacy, another runner who I hugely respect and I went passed him as we passed the 30k timing mats.

30k-35k (16:48, 1:57:24)
Looking back at these splits now I cant quite believe how consistent they are, it's as if I was a metronome! With the next 5k came some more overtaking and I was running really strongly still. Brian, an old club-mate took the clip below at about 21 miles and whilst I look to be running really well I think I was really starting to concentrate quite hard as I didn't really have the ability to acknowledge him!

This part of the course was quite interesting as its the first time I can honestly say that I remember it! The last two times it's been a complete haze! I had to take that as a positive no matter how hard I was  finding things.

35k-40k (17:10, 2:14:34)
From here I cracked on towards the Tower and the City. It doesn't matter how many marathons you've done if you're not hurting by now you haven't tried hard enough! Luckily I was hurting quite a lot so it meant I was running hard as I started to empty the tank. I got on level terms with Neil Renault from Edinburgh but it is here that I really started to struggle as we went through Blackfriars Underpass. Neil said to me as he came back along side looking up towards other runners in the distance up the Embankment 'we can catch them'. I thought to myself 'er no, no I cant!' but I wished him well as he really picked up the pace and got his skates on. I couldn't quite believe the pace a which he'd taken off. I didn't think I was slowing that much but with the 5k split to 40k at 17:10 I had a little but not a huge amount he really must have saved something for that last stretch.

40k-42.195k (7:38, 2:22:12)
It is nice being able to run the last few k being pretty certain that a PB is in the bag barring disaster. Having said that it doesn't make the final bit any easier and there is still a lot of digging deep to do. I knew I would have had to blow up spectacularly not to get a PB and so onto Birdcage Walk where I see my parents lungs bursting and with tears of pride in their eyes as they cheer me to put in one final big effort towards the Palace. I know a chance of a sub 2:22 clocking has gone but I finish spent with a new PB by 36 seconds of 2:22:12 and in 29th place overall and 11th Brit.

My initial reaction is one of pure elation. I ran the race really smartly and the best I could on the day. I would have snapped someones hands off if they'd offered me that result three weeks ago. As the day's go by though, you ask yourself could you have squeezed a bit more off? Possibly but you also quickly forget how much it was hurting at the time too! My splits suggest that I ran pretty well and the engine really was never in any doubt.

As I turn round to quickly take in the view of Buckingham Palace I see my club-mate Joe Townsend crossing the line in a fantastic 2:23. Considering it was his debut and he has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy and he had a far from ideal build up I cant help but feel that this may be the only time I beat him at the marathon! But it's a scalp I'll be proud of, as he's not bad at this running thing... Joe is raising money for Epilepsy Action and you can sponsor him here if you're feeling at all charitable.

On reflection of the whole campaign a bit of pride is starting to come through. I worked and trained really hard, had quite a few ups and downs but still managed to PB. In fact it's my 5th marathon PB on the trot and as I get ever closer to my 'potential' at this distance that gets harder and harder to achieve. But I still have things I want to achieve and will continue to strive to get better.

London Marathon Official Splits
Garmin Connect - 2015 London Marathon

It wouldn't be right to not mention my wonderful wife Hania who's support is incredible. It cant be easy being the spouse of an endurance athlete especially given she doesn't really like running that much at all! Hania puts up with me being a proper grumpy sod a lot of the time due to tiredness from all the training, she also washes most of my dirty running kit and tries to pick me up when things aren't going to plan. Basically she's pretty ace.

What next?

I've said it before but I really do want to have a decent block where I just focus on getting quicker over shorter distances. The theory being so when I start my next marathon build up which will probably be Berlin in September I can hit my marathon pace in training much easier without it feeling like it's flat out!