Slow performance at the Freddie Mercury Music Legends Marathon, Feb 2018

Race: Freddie Mercury Music Legends Marathon
Company: Saxons, Vikings & Normans Marathons
Date: 11/02/2018
Distance: Marathon
Format: Five loops on Gravesend Cyclopath cycle path
Goal time: 3hr 30m
Finish time: 3hr 52m

In preparation for the coming summer's two ultras (North Downs Way 50 in May / South Downs Way 100 in June) I ran a 'tune up' marathon in February 2018. I was aiming for a 3hr 30m finish time. It was supposed to be a fast marathon on a nice, easy flat course.

It was on a gloomy and blustery day in Gravesend. It was cold. It was on a looped course on a stoney bike path. The wind was pretty ferocious. The course was far too hilly. I should have started off slower than I did. In the end, I just wasn't strong enough to keep hitting 5 minute per kilometre pace.

This chart shows my average pace dropping off all the way to 30k - after which point it pretty much nose dives:

My main problems were:

• "Hitting the wall" at 30k. Basically, I didn't eat enough and lost all energy and wanted to quit.
• Left foot going numb with pain due to stones getting stuck in the soles of my shoes.
• Achey legs all over. Groin, calves, quads - all of them seemed to go at around the same time. I think I need to target my main leg muscles in the gym with strength work.
• Hands went numb. I have Raynaud's phenomenon, which makes racing difficult for me at the best of times. During this race, I was sweating all over my body, and despite wearing two pairs of heavy duty snow gloves, my hands still went numb. It was an intense pain in both hands for the whole race.
• The wind was blowing uphill. That was helpful on the uphills (excluding the fact that the uphills are... uphill), but on the downhills it made it feel like going uphill.

But in reality, I bloody love a good moan, so this race was great for that.

Onto the good things about the day:

• I lasted 30k at a really good (for me) pace. 5 minute kilometre pace for me feels really quick, and I held on to it for ages. A few years ago, that sort of pace would be unthinkable even for a 5k. It's nice to have years of training pay off - even if the race didn't go perfectly.
• I absolutely love races put on by SVN. Traviss the RD is a terrific guy and puts so much work into his hundreds of races per year. He has impeccable taste in cold-weather gowns, and impeccable taste in music legends:
• The race was Freddie Mercury themed. I am a huge Queen fan, so that was something to look forward to. In reality, the 'Freddie Mercury' theme extended as far as one guy dressed as Freddie/Flash Gordon, and the medal at the end which had Freddie's name on the strap. The weather was too cold to permit much more dressing up than this. Never mind, I put on some Queen on the car journey home.
• I finished seventh overall in the marathon! Results here. That's the closest to the front of any race I've ever been. (It's also the smallest marathon I've done, and the only one where everyone behind me seemed to be walking!)
• The race eventually finished and I could go home and warm up. That was really the best part of the day, in hindsight.

Videos:

Here's a video of the start:

Coming into the aid station after my second lap. I was still feeling good at this stage. That was about to change.