18 seconds: The Flora London Marathon 2008

3:15:18
That's almost a race report in itself. I wanted 3:15, and I'll be telling people my PB is now "3:15", but will that time be enough to get me on the elite start next year, for which a time of under 3:15:00 is needed (the organisers are always careful to include the ":00" on the end!)?

I'm delighted, but at the same time a little concerned. It's a huge PB, but is it what I wanted? Could I have mustered just a little extra effort and managed 18s quicker? Hindsight's so very easy after the event.

If you'd offered me that time the day before the marathon I'd have grabbed it straight away. My calf muscles had been a problem for the final days of the taper - the right calf had gone into spasm during a gentle run on Tuesday and although the Thursday massage hadn't revealed a problem, it tightened again during a gentle 3 miles that evening. The calf had been sore all day Friday and had been tingling on Saturday. I thought maybe it had settled down by Saturday evening, but as I climbed the stairs for bed, it again 'grabbed' - I was worried. On the morning of the marathon I was still very concerned about how tight my calf muscles were - they didn't feel right.

In the event, the calves weren't a problem, so maybe it was pre-marathon paranoia as my friends had claimed. I felt uncomfortable for the first 2 miles but my calves relaxed off and I didn't notice them again - until after the finish that is! I staggered through the finish, grabbed medal, refreshment and baggage, and as I lifted my foot over a kerb I got hit by the most almighty cramp. I've never experienced that before! I've had night cramps but I've never cramped after a race, or during for that matter. Ouch! Was it the suspected damage, or was it simple dehydration? I felt a little like the hypochondriac who had "I told you I was ill" on his tomb-stone. My calves feel dodgy today, but hopefully I haven't done too much damage.

Back to the race, the story is best illustrated by looking at my splits and how my intermediate times compared to the 3:15 steady pace schedule:

Lap	Split	HR	Schedule	Actual	Difference
1	07:48	130bpm	07:27	07:48	-21s
2	07:23	137bpm	14:53	15:12	-19s
3	06:52	140bpm	22:20	22:05	15s
4	07:14	142bpm	29:46	29:19	27s
5	07:04	145bpm	37:13	36:24	49s
6	07:36	144bpm	44:39	44:00	39s
7	07:30	144bpm	52:06	51:30	36s
8	07:12	144bpm	59:32	58:42	50s
9	07:28	144bpm	01:06:59	01:06:11	48s
10	07:21	142bpm	01:14:26	01:13:33	53s
11	07:10	144bpm	01:21:52	01:20:43	69s
12	07:28	144bpm	01:29:19	01:28:12	67s
13	07:22	145bpm	01:36:45	01:35:34	71s
14	07:14	142bpm	01:44:12	01:42:50	82s
15	07:14	142bpm	01:51:38	01:50:04	94s
16	07:25	143bpm	01:59:05	01:57:30	95s
17	07:18	145bpm	02:06:31	02:04:48	103s
18	07:19	146bpm	02:13:58	02:12:07	111s
19	07:39	146bpm	02:21:24	02:19:46	98s
20	07:37	143bpm	02:28:51	02:27:25	86s
21	07:42	142bpm	02:36:18	02:35:07	71s
22	07:35	143bpm	02:43:44	02:42:42	62s
23	07:46	143bpm	02:51:11	02:50:29	42s
24	07:26	144bpm	02:58:37	02:57:55	42s
25	08:02	145bpm	03:06:04	03:05:58	6s
26	07:42	147bpm	03:13:30	03:13:40	-10s
26.2	01:38	149bpm	03:15:00	03:15:18	-18s

I wasn't able to get up to pace immediately, being quite far back from the green start line. It also didn't help that the Maasai Warriors were attracting quite a number of hangers-on and were blocking the road somewhat. Once I got past them, and presumably a host of other celebs positioned ahead of us on the start line, I started to run at nearer my natural pace. I have every respect for the Maasai Warriors, but it does bug me how they position the celebrities on the start line and then put a selection of the country's fastest runners behind them. Just how does Amanda Holden's mum get on the green start for her first marathon when the rest of us have to qualify for the privilege?

Back to the race.

As you can see, after a couple of miles I was back on track and making up time. I was soon into my running and happy that I was able to run the required pace with my heart rate nicely under control. In fact I felt really good!

I could hear regular shouts of "Go Suzy", but as I hadn't got my name on my crop top I realised it was another runner with whom I'd kept pace for a few miles. I realised it was the Cornwall AC runner ahead and I introduced myself, establishing that we were both targetting 3:15. Suzy was great. We ran together for 10 miles or more, sharing water and pacing each other. Suzy seemed very strong, and I felt strong too. I was grinning as a realised that I was on for a big PB at the very least.

We pressed on and built up a nice cushion against our schedule. Soon we had made up the delay in crossing the start line and the course clock was now showing that we were ahead of schedule. In reality we were some 90s ahead of schedule.

At 17 miles I still felt good, but as Suzy pushed up the slight hill at Mudchute I couldn't quite keep up with her and the elastic that had kept us together for 10 miles broke. I still felt strong, but clearly Suzy was on great form. That was the last I saw of her. Post race analysis revealed that she accelerated at that point and was able to run the last half of the race faster than the first - a negative split - so difficult to do in a marathon. She finished in 3:12 - great performance!

The weather had been kind to us this year. Temperatures were cool - perfect in fact. We started in sunshine and finished in sunshine but had some quite heavy rain mid-race. Some people were bothered by the rain, but I found it OK - it didn't get me cold. If anything it might have helped me push my pace. After Suzy had dropped me, the rain stopped. I actually wonder if I could have kept the pace up if the rain had persisted. I like rain!

I just had to hold it together. I was still on pace but by 20 miles I was starting to lose time by a few seconds per mile. By 23 miles I was still what appeared at the time to be a minute ahead, and still optimistic, but it was getting harder to maintain pace. The presence of friend Graham on the sidelines - my only spectator sighting - had helped, but I now had to dig deep. I could see the time ticking away, but at 25 miles I was still just ahead. Surely I could keep it going with a last big push?

I was amazed to see people walking on Birdcage Walk within 800m of the finish. Surely they could keep going? Runners were shouting at them to keep running. There's no way I would ever stop, but I guess if they were targetting 3:15 and they realised they'd missed it then the mind just switches off? I was still hopeful, but as I turned into the Mall and sprinted for the finish I realised I'd lost the battle with the clock. Even sprinting the fastest I could muster, I barely managed to get back onto scheduled pace - I still lost a few seconds in the last 385 yards. At least that makes me feel good that I'd given it everything I had.

I crossed the line in 3:15:18, to be presented with a medal by the woman I'd met 2 days earlier on a customer visit to the Forestry Commission in Hampshire. Well they say it's a small world!

I'm really pleased with that performance, but I hope that 18 seconds doesn't come back to haunt me!