Edinburgh Marathon 11/6/06
....it was all just a bad dreamOn the big day I went down to the prom and tried to photograph as many of the PRCers as I could see. This is more difficult than you might think with so many taking part. Bert was past so quickly (as part of a relay team) that I didn't have my camera out. I stood at the end of the prom with Jim Heneghan (who did a good job of spotting Porties) to get a second chance on the return if I missed anyone on the way past first time. If I missed you I am sorry. One thing though, it was lovely weather for standing around taking snaps! Here is everyones' stories.....
pbKaren Munro After doing the full marathon the last two year's I have always been a bit snotty about the relay. However having not done the training I was persuaded by Sandra to get together a relay team. After the nightmare half I hoped things would be better. Warning signs the couple of days before. Headlines of 'Council having to lend thousands to marathon organisers'. 'No water for relay runners'. (Thanks to Scottish Water who remedied this.)
Sandra and Keith (Sandra's Hubby and 2nd leg of relay) Picked me up in the morning and came to cheer me off. I had opted for 1st leg as it finished 2 mins from my house. Unfortunately the usual start of not enough toilets. We set off to use station toilets but it was 20p and we had no money. Luckily Dr. Eunson came along and gave us a £1, enough for 5 toilets!!
It was now getting very hot as we made our way to the start. A little confusion at the start as some relay runners joined the full marathon but generally well organised. The last of the
marathon runners set off as the announcer mentioned that the front guys were already at the 2 mile mark. A bit mean I felt. As soon as they were off so were we. The support along Princes Street was great and as we turned into Lothian road it continued. Janis described Lothian road as a small incline. I had disagreed (I hate hills) but it actually wasn't too bad. Feeling the heat it was nice to turn into Melville Drive and the shelter of the trees. Still lots of support. Unheard of in Edinburgh! A bit twisting and into the Cowgate. I normally associate this with the 10k and it is not nice, but running in the opposite direction was great. Slight downhill all the way. People above on the bridges making lots of noise. Into the park and the first water station. I was still worried as a relay runner I would be refused. But no problems. Loads of water. Out of the park and past Meadowbank and down to Leith Links. Very hot now even for me and I like running in the heat. Next bit was a bit cobbly but not far now. Into Newhaven road where relay runners were sent one way and marathon runners the other. Alan with his camera, big smile. Where were my boys? playing football and not interested in the runners at all. Heard my name being called and there was Keith. High fives and off he went. Home for shower and cuppa tea. On to the bike and off to support the rest of the team. I really enjoyed the experience. I thought it was well orgainised (in the end) and would recommend the relay especially to encourage others into running. Well done to all but especially to those doing the full Marathon.
Alan Aitchison Once again I have made it to the starting line and once again I am recovering from shingles, so there we go that’s my excuses out of the way. I’m not sure what excuses some of the others will use but I heard someone say that maybe they had spent too much time on the sunbed!!!
As far as the shingles is concerned I am now getting acupuncture to try and solve the problem. It isn’t sore getting all the needles stuck in me although sometimes I do feel a bit of a prick!!
The race I decided I was going to try and run between 3:40 and 3:45 (or preferably less) which meant I wouldn’t be running with anyone from the club. I had my IPod and my race plan
so I was ready to go – did I say how hot it was?
I felt the first five miles passed me by and I was happy how I was running and with my pace. 10 miles I am two minutes ahead of schedule without feeling I am pushing it but I know the worst bit is still to come so I’m not getting carried away. I drink all the water at every station however it would have been better if the bottles had sports caps!!
Down to Cramond and there is no more shade to run in and I am glad of my hat. 15 miles and I am still on course for my time, then my IPod packs in but I won’t let it get to me.
I am finding it tough at Ocean Terminal so I take a gel and push on. 18-20 I am now feeling it and the smell at Seafield is terrible, or is it me because I know Graham will be at 20 miles and I don’t want to keep him waiting. I am two minutes late getting there and really starting to struggle. There is no way I will stop but I have lost my pace.
Halfway along the prom (which seems much longer than usual) I get a bit of a lift from Willie and Paul and the extra water is fantastic. I am wobbling and the heat is really getting to me.
End of the Prom then the loop to Joppa and I have to smile for Peter although I think I managed to smile for all the people who gave me support. I’m told Sally isn’t far in front and is catchable, I realise she must be having an off day and I can see her in front of me but I’m not getting any closer. Graham is there again and I’m really struggling. I can’t even answer when he asks if I need a drink.
Heading into Mountcastle a few people tell me how good I am looking but they can’t kid me – I know they are lying. Willowbrae road and someone has collapsed and I don’t think I’ve got the energy to step over him.
I’m in the Park now and they have moved the finish line or that’s what it feels like. I manage to smile at all the ‘well dones’ and keep my thoughts to myself as the relay runners sprint past!
I finished 3:55:38 and I’m quite happy considering the conditions. I secretly hope everyone’s times are slower than expected. I felt awful at the end and thought it was overcrowded and I just wanted to get to an open space and collapse.
I’m writing this after being at the Doctors – I now have an infected elbow – ya beauty, another excuse.
John F Pickard You can put the miles in, eat all the right food, drink what you're supposed to drink, but you can't control the weather. The last time I ran in heat like that I ended up with sunstroke, so I called it a day just after 7miles. I took water at the first water station and wasn't much use so just before 7miles I thought will I be able to get through another 19 miles as I was beginning to feel tired; so just after 7 I called it a day. Walking back to the park was the hardest part, seeing all the runners go by, but I think I made the right choice.p.s Well done to Michelle for finishing third... brilliant run. See you all at the 4 miler.
Ben Carter I've obviously had Marathon guides and top tips coming out of my ears as I've felt inspired to produce the two "7-Steps" guides below.
7 Steps to running a Marathon PB
1. Run a Marathon when you are not properly fit and are carrying an injury or cold.
2. Post a disappointing time as your PB (in my case 4hrs 5m 25s in 2003)
3. Join Portobello Running Club
4. Spend your Wednesday evenings chasing fitter athletes round golf courses, up hills and between lampposts on the Promenade.
5. Follow a Marathon training schedule for five months.
6. Downplay your prospects by telling fellow club runners at the start line that you're going to run a howler.
7. Keep a smile on your face for 26 miles and don't let the thought of heat stroke or stopping enter your head.
Hey Presto - 36 minutes off my PB - 3hrs 29m 36s (a mighty 24 seconds under my target)
7 Steps to an ideal Marathon recovery
1. Find a mate who has some good grub on them (e.g. Ricky with oranges and jelly babies)
2. Find another mate with good grub and drinks on them.
3. Eat 4 rolls and sausage, ideally prepared by someone else who feels sorry for you
4. Have a nice hot bath with Radox muscle bath (forget that ice bath nonsense)
5. Have a bottle of champagne in back garden in 25C heat.
6. Have a curry, samosas and nan bread for tea.
7. Fall asleep at 8.30 in bed watching the football.
See you on Wednesday,
Ben
Shelagh McLeish Having fretted about the weather all week, I was cheered up on Saturday by my new-found celebrity status, with my photo appearing in the offical programme. Yes, I always liked to think of myself as an experienced club runner and now I know I am! I plan to use that phrase on Wednesday nights to come!
The heat wasn't as bad as it could have been but I still found it hot. I thought the organisers did really well and there should have been no complaints about lack of water. Personally, I never want to see another pouch of Lucozade ever again. I don't know where they got their helpers from but the guy who handed me water at the Gas HQ was wearing a shirt and tie! Having run the marathon last year and the half-marathon in March I was now running along the Lower Granton Road bit (and back) for the 3rd time in 12 months - and I will never run along there again. Personally, I wish they would change the route. The final section from Brighton Place to the 25 mile mark is a nightmare and could do with being re-routed. The incline comes at the wrong time in a marathon, despite the numerous hosepipes being sprayed around. Thank goodness there's no hosepipe ban here. I hope they keep the event going though and manage to find a backer for next year. It's ridiculous really that the capital city cannot support the biggest UK marathon outside London. Surely one of the big financial groups could put their name to it.
There seemed to be more supporters this year which was good. Many thanks to all the PRC members (especially John F), family, friends, Adrian and his daughters and many more. I've never heard my name shouted so many times before. Janet deserves a special mention. She ran in with me from Jock's Lodge, shouting lots of encouragement and splashing me with water, wearing her summer clothes, sandals and shades and arrived inside the medal area dripping with sweat to give me a big hug. I was a tad disappointed not to beat 3.30 since I'm retiring from marathon running but 3.32.04 was ok in the circumstances. That's 10 now and that's enough for me. I'm going to concentrate on halves and 10ks.
Tom Watson
MAD DOGS AND PORTY RUNNERS GO OUT IN THE MIDDAY SUN! read on………………..Headline in Monday’s Scotsman; “thousands pull out of capital’s big race as the temperature soars to 25C” 2,500 runners pulled out of marathon due to expected high temperatures
Did that put any of us Porty runners off? Not a bit of it, in fact one was that daft, he even came in as a last minute sub ( Rab Henderson ) with virtually no marathon training under his belt. Not only did all the Porty runners turn up for the race, but some even had the cheek to get pbs!! Hot? Even the Kenyan women fav for race pulled out at 22 miles due to heat exhaustion!
How was it for me? You really want to know??
Parked at Abercorn tennis club at 7.15 and walked with George towards the park, got about half a mile and realised that my running belt with gels was in George’s car.
Excuse number 1 - had to run back to car for belt ( let me explain, a joke I have with Alan Aitch about having ready made excuses in case we don’t achieve amazing times, similar to England footie team at world cup eg the Rooney broken bone )
Walked through park via finish for pooh number 1 at toilets ( minimum requirement pre-race is 3 poohs isn’t it? ) Didn’t do required amount of pre-race pooh, so continued to race start at the mound, some serious pooh queues there! So decided to give it a miss and chatted to Alan Aitch instead, at this point we were discussing excuses, ie. heat, tummy cramps, the postwar conflict in Iraq etc etc etc …..
Excuse number 2 - hadn’t done required number/amount of prerace pooh
Met Ricky and Michelle at start point with idea in mind to run with them all the way, assuming of course we were all going to finish at roughly the same time. Michelle was worried that we would run too fast for her, and she would hold us back, that’s a laugh!!!! 8.55 am, at this point I was full to the brim with Lucozade sport, desperate for toilet, but decided I could hold on.
Plan was to run at just over 7 min/miles and finish in 3.08..ish. So got going and ran steady at appropriate pace until hollyrood park, desperate for pee, do a quick detour into trees for instant relief.
Feeble excuse number 3 - pit stop for pee cost me a minute ( big deal ).
Anyway, got going again and caught up with Ricky and Michelle, kinda lost them down through Leith, and Michelle came along side me at 9 miles, me thinks, good, Michelle will keep me company for a while, wrong! Michelle cruises past me ( at this point I was maintaining a nice steady 7mins, 10 sec pace ), never saw her again.
Half way in 1.33, perfect, leaves me 1.35 for second half, if only I knew……
Along Silverknowes prom, approx 14 miles, got the pooh cramps really bad, no choice but to head for outdoor public toilets up in the woods, so time for a “pooh alfresco”. Had to get my battle kit off, ie. mp3 player and running belt, bloody headphone wires all tangled up in running belt, trying to get it over with as quick as poss so I could rejoin the fun of the race. Into trees through hordes of nettles, legs stung to bits, who cares, let’s get this pooh done asap. Decided not to be too graphic at this point, suffice to say it was not pleasant. Back on with battle kit, how many minutes did I lose there?
Serious excuse number 4 - lost loads of time at 2nd pit stop.
Joking apart, my main concern was the loss in salts etc, so had to slowly get back into race. Karen appears on her bike to cheer me on ( funny, no “your looking good” this time, cos I looked anything but ).
A struggle all the way through to Ocean terminal, tried in vain to put on smiles at this point, getting slower. Couldn’t feel my legs now, one foot in front of the other. 20 miles in god knows what time, didn’t care, just wanted to die!!!, Then Graham appears, “come on Tom, only 6 miles to go” , now, normally words of encouragement like that, especially from Graham, would inject some pace in me, but the thought of another 6 miles, stuff it!!!
Along the prom at Porty in a trance, weird, I think I saw Willie and Scott Jarvie, Gillian?? 22 miles, pulled up with cramp in calf muscle. Thankfully Peter B was at hand and fetched me some cold water from his kit.
Excuse number 5 - lost time due to cramp stop.
Ok, let’s just finish, sod the time, somehow did pick up in the last few miles, overtook a few runners and the relief when I got to the gates at the park, but remembered still 800 metres to go, got to keep going…. crossed the line in just over 3.28, totally drained, both mentally and physically.
Looking back now, for me it was a bad result, but I have had a great year so far with pb.s in 4 distances, so can't complain. My training was spot on, and will adopt same tactics next marathon, assuming it aint hot!!!!!
Chuffed to bits for Michelle and Ben Carter, amazing that only one Porty runner didn’t finish ( John, you seem to be the only sane one amongst us )
Tom offers passing runners a piggy-back ride
Sally Scott It was terrible, I certainly wasn't feeling strong when you took the photo. I was fine until half way and well on target for 3.30. Then I started to get stomach cramps and had to walk parts of the route. The support was great though and kept me going in the final few miles. I was pleased with my time considering how bad I felt and a special thanks to Graham Henry for his support at the end. Also apologies for throwing up at the end right beside him.
Paul Eunson It helps having read others reports to know what the trend is going to be - but I think that I have used up all my excuses in previous years for not fulfilling my potential in a marathon. Stop guffawing, McLeish - Gordon once thought I should be a sub-36 10k man. It would have taken courage and common sense to drop out, and I admire those who did. I worried throughout the race at getting dehydrated and hyperthermic. I could not drink any more fluid than I did - my stomach was bloated. Yet I still stopped sweating and lost 5 kg in weight.
My house is before the railway bridge in Portobello and I knew my wife and boys would be there with the hose and as having a Dad who is a runner and does marathons gives my boys street cred with the neds, how could I not finish?
I share Shelagh's thoughts about the route - how I loathe the stretch through Granton and the docks? But if I did a marathon elsewhere, I would miss the tremendous support from club member and friends.
As usual, I was through the first half far too quickly - even fitted in a 6.29 mile somewhere which is just stupid. The first half of the route is probably better than last year and the drinks stations were just about right. By Newhaven, I had started talking out loud, cursing the whole event. By the Cat and Dog home, I knew I had blown it, was getting confused, and slowed down. People said I was looking good - must have been the Harmony Hair Spray. At the infuriating out and back section at Joppa, I saw Shelagh catching me up and spent the rest of the race waiting for the distinctive foot steps and the pithy comment. But it was only Tom that passed me. I wondered why, until I read his report, and then wished I had not. My daughter and her church friends scared the man next to me with their shrieks of encouragement. At Willowbrae, a runner started weaving across the road, talking nonsense, so I steered him to the stewards for resuscitation. I must remember to send him my bill. And so to a 3.28 finish, with which I am well pleased.
After a massage, I cycled back home, where my wife was still standing with the hose. A man came up to her and said she was an angel. So was the wee girl who gave me a full bottle of juice at the 23 mile marker. There were quite a few others.
Never again - maybe.
Michelle Tham Had a great run and just wanted to say a big thank you to all the Porty folk who were there to cheer along the way & take photos. Ricky & Tom, thanks for helping me to set my pace. Ricky, you crack a good yarn! Graham, it was great to see you at the Prom. Thanks for the water - I was parched. Scott, thanks for your encouragement too. Janet, the orange and drink you gave me when I entered the park was super - didn't recognise you at first in 'real' clothes! Cannot end this without thanking my race manager and coach, aka Shelagh McLeish & John Forker (old joke!). Hope my husband is not going to be working in Dublin over the next few Wednesdays so he can look after the cherubs and I can come to the club again very soon!
Photos Peter Buchanan, Sandi Bomphray, Gillian Hewitt
Results here
