Edinburgh Marathon update

Day 2,380, 03:30 • Published in United Kingdom New Zealand • by Mr Knee


So some of you might be aware that on Sunday I ran the Edinburgh marathon and thought I would put up an article for those who sponsored me etc.

I completed the race in a provisional time of 5 hours, 19 minutes and *mumbles* seconds. Although this was a new personal best for me, I was slightly disappointed as the target was getting under five hours. I kinda got screwed in a couple of places.

One part was around mile 18 where you leave the coastal road and basically run alone a stony dirt track next to what appeared to be land used for farming (judging from the large chicken pens there) and also for a short section around mile 22. Long story short I run barefoot style and my running shoes have only 2mm of rubber under my feet. You tend to feel every stone you stand on which is something you get used to under normal circumstances (and you make a point of looking where you are placing your feet), but along the stony dirt track I basically had to walk as there was no way I would avoid landing on a stone every step. Once I got back to the main road again I was able to continue jogging along at a sufficient pace (by rough calculations) to still hit my target, although I had lost a lot of "marginal spare time" that I had gained from an early quicker pace.

And then around mile 22 I hit another patch of the sort of road my feet hates. Added to the battering from before I too had to walk this short patch. Unfortunately, once I got back to the good type of road again, I couldn't get my heels to lift properly again.

Still a bit stiff 48 hours later (as expected) but I only notice it if I sit down too long and then have to stand up again. My dodgy right knee gives me the occasional twinge of pain, but meh. At least I didn't blister my feet as I did at London last year:



And here is what the medal looks like:



In response to Zaphod's query, it only started to lightly rain as I was approaching the 26 mile sign marker. It did start to get a bit heavier after I crossed the line but I was able to get my kit bag in time to change into something more suitable for the downpour.

p.s. If anyone wants to sponsor me after the event then message me direct and I'll provide a link. I would post it up here, but Plato has a rule that the only charity you are allowed to link donations to is Plato's bank account. I set up a Just Giving page to collect money for the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institute) although I was never the most skilled in sales technique. Any late donations would be appreciated.