26 miles 385 yards in 3 hours 59 minutes and 19 seconds

So I did it, I achieved what I set out to do and finished my marathon in 3 hours 59 minutes and 19 seconds. Up until just after the 24 mile point I was doing well, running 9 minute miles and on course for to finish in about 3 hours 49, then the pain in my thighs outweighed my desire to continue running so I walked for a bit and then ran for a bit and then walked for a bit for about a mile and a half before running in the last half mile. I was worried that I was going to be over four hours and then I saw the finish and looked at my watch, I had a minute and a half to cover about 400 metres. I managed to find some energy from somewhere and put on a turn of speed and came in with 41 seconds to spare. I was dead afterwards, I felt emotional and punch-drunk.

In the week leading up to the marathon I had run three gentle 5km so that my legs would be warmed up for the big day and I think that was the right thing to do. I was convinced that I wouldn’t hit ‘the wall’ and in the end I’m not sure that I did, rather there came a point where the pain in my legs was unbearable and I had to walk. I am slightly disappointed about that but I can now say that I completed a marathon in under four hours. A damned fine achievement!

Last night I went for a gentle 5km recovery run and I’m going to try and get a sports massage in the next couple of days.

Well that’s it now, not that many people have read it but it’s a nice record of how I got from my first 10km of the year on the 2nd of Feb to running a marathon on the 8th of May. I think I’ll wait at least until next year before doing my next one…Paris perhaps?

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On Saturday I ran 10.3km in 49:35 which is ok considering the route I took involves crossing a number of roads and therefore slowed me down a bit. I decided not to have another long run before the Marathon so I may do 11km tonight and then 5km on alternate days until Sunday when it's M day. A lot of the advice seems to suggest that virtually no running should be done the week of the marathon, however I think that a few gentle 5km to keep the leg muscles warm is definitely the way forward, so I won't time anything but I'll feel better about Sunday if I do them.

April's running stats were as follows:

Training sessions: 18
Total Km run: 214.2
Abington Park Km: 17.5
Racecourse Km: 136.3
Willen Lake Km: 37.5
London Km: 9
Gym Km: 14
Calories burnt: 15907
Longest run 34.1 km

I'm quite pleased with April's performance, it was important that I reigned myself in a bit after pushing it a bit far in March.

Interestingly it turns out that my long run of 33km was actually 34km following the remeasurement of the course this means I actually ran 21 miles which is obviously even better as I would only have had another 4 and a bit to run a complete marathon!

I seriously can't wait for Sunday now!