The Edinburgh Marathon

I decided to enter the Edinburgh Marathon last Christmas. I wanted a bit of a challenge and I had a few friends also doing it which would allow us to train together.

After finishing your last exam on a Saturday afternoon most students would be straight to Teviot for a few pints to warm up before a night out at The Cheese. However, most students hadn’t signed up for a marathon the next morning… So as I left the exam hall I headed off in the other direction for another sort of party. A pasta party. Me, Ali and a few other mates who were also running loaded up on carbs then got an early night!

After a good night’s sleep, I got up for a breakfast of porridge and honey, gathered my things then headed off to meet Ali. The weather was looking OK at this point - dry, and not a lot of wind or sun. Things were shaping up nicely. Then, just as we were dropping our bags off at the kit deposit a heavy rain struck. This wasn’t ideal but fortunately it was just a shower. Just as the nerves were kicking in we found our starting point where we only had to wait a short time before we were off.

For the first few miles it was pretty hectic as the roads were so crowded. This made it difficult to settle into a good rhythm. I saw one man take a heavy fall thanks to someone clipping his feet from behind. It looked pretty sore but I was just glad it wasn’t me. By about mile 3 everyone had become more spread out. It was good to be able to get into a rhythm and not have to worry about being tripped.

Ali and I were running together and were both feeling good. We were taking on plenty of fluids at the stations and had our energy gels to keep us going. At about 17.5 miles is a turning point where you begin to come back along the route in the other direction. It was then I noticed we had had a tail wind on the way out. This meant the last miles were going to be tougher than first expected. This new head wind was definitely making things more difficult and at mile 19/20 I felt I was beginning to struggle. My calf was feeling a bit like it was going to cramp and I was just hoping it would hold out for the remaining miles.

Ali and I were managing to battle through giving each other words of encouragement but unfortunately Ali began to cramp up and he had to drop off. Then it began to rain. So we were both now having to deal with a wind/rain combo which was not pleasant. I tried to power on by sticking with various groups as I knew I was still on for my target of 3 hours.

It had seemed like an age since I had last passed a mile marker and I was unsure if I had missed one or had just slowed down. Doubt was creeping into my mind as to whether I would achieve my goal. At this point I passed a group of friends who had come to support me which gave me a boost and then shortly after I passed Dechlan and his EUTri water crew who were all shouting words of support. This and the fact I knew their station was only a mile or so to the finish line gave me the energy to push on.

Turning the corner onto the finishing straight to see the clock at the end saying 2 hours 57 minutes was the best feeling ever. I knew I would just sneak under the 3 hour mark. There were a huge amount of people cheering as I approached the line which I finally crossed in a time of 2 hours 58 minutes and 27 seconds. Ali came over shortly after me in a time of 3 hours and 6 minutes.

The feeling of completing the marathon was awesome, even with the pain in the legs.  Next time, however, I think I may choose one where the weather is a bit more reliable.

Thanks for all the support on the day!

 by James Adamson