Finish Time: 02:50:34 10k split: 00:38:49
Half marathon: 01:22:57 30k split: 01:58:42
3rd MV50 Age Group from 491, 55th
Overall from 8620
For the last few years I have built my fitness over the
winter ready for the spring assault on Kona qualification. The rub of this is
starting to hit some great run form but not being allowed to test fitness in a spring marathon for fear of the
recovery interrupting the necessary consistency required to hit top form for
the A iron race. With friends and family
entering the half in Edinburgh it was too good an opportunity to break the rule
and have some fun.
I slept well the night before the race, no pressure to place
well or qualify for something, just me against the clock. Unsurprisingly race
morning was wet and windy, expected seasonal Scottish weather. I had managed to
get myself in the lead start pen, just behind the elites, ready get to get
clear of the masses as early as possible and have a clean run. The gun sounded
and within the first mile the lead runners quickly strung out into small packs
of five or six. At the pointy end people knew what pace they wanted to hold and
it would typically be round numbers, sub 3, sub 2:50 etc.
By mile three I had settled into a bunch that seemed to feel
about right and when I enquired as to what time people were shooting for it was
2:50ish. Since I was sans Garmin I just resolved to hang in with these guys as
long as it felt manageable. The first three miles are rolling but nett downhill
until you reach the coast by Leith Docks, then we turned east and into a strong
headwind. For the next fifteen miles we would take it in turns to run on the
front and take the wind, some doing more of the heavy lifting than others. The
first few mile splits were around 615 and I was pleased to hit the 10k mark
inside forty minutes, on to half way and just inside 83 minutes. At about mile
14 the pace seemed to ease so I figured I needed to start to run my own race, I
moved to the front then pushed on to bridge up to the next group. It was hard
work solo but I managed to catch the self-appointed 2:45 group and was pleased
then to just sit in out of the wind.
We finally hit the turnaround at mile 18 and we were out of
the wind at last and heading for the finish line. My legs felt fine and the
pace was still consistent with the 2:50 target I had in my mind but every now and
then I felt an ominous twitch in my calf. I knew it was the early signs of
cramp but just focussed on my form and pushed it to the back of my mind. By
mile 22 both calves were starting to lock out but not terminally. I changed my
gait, ran tall and moved to heel striking in an effort to engage my quads and relieve
the work my calves were doing. Mile 23 and I was propped up against the wall stretching
my calves and trying to straighten my legs so I could run. I was cursing myself,
a real school boy error – I never race a triathlon without pre loading salt and
then taking salt every hour during the race, it’s been years since I cramped.
I then fought my way mile by mile to the finish line,
running like some sort of demented robot, legs in periodic spasm but me relentlessly
swinging them forwards desperately not wanting to tear any muscles but refusing
to hobble in. I had come this far and didn’t want the race to be snatched away
from me, time for some iron resolve.
I straightened my back in the finish chute and saw 2:50 on
the timer, I staggered across the line, grabbed my medal and two bottles of highland
spring water!
I was annoyed when I crossed the line as my legs were not
spent, just twisted with cramp as a result of my school boy error with the salt,
I was in the world of woulda/coulda/shoulda. The next day, with my results confirmed,
I am in a better place. My finish time was a PB and at the age of 50, to have come 55th out of 9000 odd
runners, was something to be proud of………for a triathlete.
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