Well there we have it, another event to chalk off and confine to the memory banks of time! Although somehow I doubt I will be delving back to recount the highlights of a successful run. Am I happy? Hmmmm … Do I wish I could have prepared better? … Definitely … Will I ever change? I hope so! You see I’m not a runner, never have and never will be which suggests I should try even harder to cover all the basic eventualities of a marathon. For all my short falls in the training department I committed some school boy’esque type errors which; had I prepared a little better would have made the following days of recovery just that little bit more comfortable.
Footmedics Self Adhesive Gel Padding
Blisters and chaffing, always high on any distance runners agenda. A small adhesive gel padding, a swoosh of lube in the right place and your ready to rock – except I didn’t and let me tell you I’m hurting. A trainer lining or blister prevention socks as a forethought as opposed to after, but alas no – enough to bring a six foot plus northern heavyweight to the brink of tears.
Hydration and nutrition, sacrilege I know but planning for the big event is essential. Those last few miles of running on empty were torture, every step felt like a heroic feat of human endurance. Even the simplest of tasks was hard to undertake as fatigue kicked in, I miscalculated my split times for a finish at six miles per hour! Embarrassing in hindsight, but easy to do under the circumstances.
I’m sure with a little more planning, one or two tweaks to my training schedule, and next time will be an all the more pleasurable experience. For now however, I’m gonna sit back, relax with my TENS machine on full recovery mode and reflect on what was for me at least a very, very, very emotional Sunday in Edinburgh.
