My First Actual Marathon Race...May '21 - Peterborough

So, there I was in my premier inn on a Saturday night eating Mcdonalds and chips and waiting for my first proper race in Peterborough of all places…

To say I was nervous was an under statement, the trip had started off badly already, having booked the hotel for the wrong night and then finding at 2100 that I hadn’t packed my actual running shorts…

Luckily the Tesco’s womens section was open and I managed to secure a lovely pair of pink shorts to get me round this (what I thought was) a pretty flat course.

Up to that point I have to say I had pain almost everywhere in my legs and I really wasn’t feeling it, I had been building up to this with lots of fast runs and had spent the previous 10 days with almost no training at all due to calf and quad niggles.

The race itself was also mired by trying for the first time some new gels which made me sick half way around.

Thanks to my running buddy, John - The terminator - he literally pushed me over the finish line on 4hours and 1 minute later. Several of the team did stumble on this race.

So, some hints and tips for your first marathon - load up on carbs, that was about the only thing that got around - and NOT pasta - jacket potatoes and carb powder. On the day dont try new gels EVER, that was a nightmare. Wear your kit before you leave for the marathon to make sure you have everything you are going to race in - I was hoping those pink shorts were going to be lucky, they aren’t and its so frustrating to have forgotten such a vital piece of kit. Nerves on your first day out are good and bad and sleep deprivation definitely not good. Eat well and sleep well, take and wear things that are familiar. thats it - oh , and run like the wind!