Category: Post-Marathon Reflections

This marathon was 8 years in the making. This was the first marathon I signed up to in 2017 (to cap finishing Med School) but I never got to go due to passport/visa delays. I ended up running 26.2 miles solo in Long Beach. I raised money for Anthony Nolan.

This weekend, I managed to get myself to Edinburgh and actually run the damn thing.

Headlines were 1) Edinburgh is one gorgeous city and race showcased that. 2) Race 1 was the first 18 miles and Race 2 was the brutal last 8 miles. 3) Applied lessons I learned from Tokyo. 4) There were showers at the Finish Line. 5) I thoroughly enjoyed this marathon.

Edinburgh is one gorgeous city and the race showcased that.

I was in Edinburgh for a total of 29 hours. Flew in, checked in, ate dinner, woke up, ran, flew out. I wish I had longer time there. The course zigzagged around the big landmarks which were of respectable sizes and presence. We ran through the University, the Royal Mile, saw Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish Parliament. It even looped around Arthur’s Seat. This was also all downhill (5 miles of downhill) towards the coast. Unfortunately, I did not capture any of this as I consciously chose to leave my phone in my bag.

Race 1 was the first 18 miles and Race 2 was the brutal last 8 miles.

There were 2 very distinct races during this marathon. The first being from the start line in Edinburgh all the way going east along the coast until 18 miles. There was the 5 mile downhill then along the coast, the strong wind practically pushed me all the way to 18 miles. Of note, the weather report predicted a windy day with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. And it was exactly just that.

Nothing ever beats coastal running. It is how I run in Southsea and it was also how I ran in Long Beach. However, if the wind is pushing you one way (‘May the wind be forever at your back’), this only means that you are going to face it head on at the switchback.

The switchback was at Gosford House. The last 8 miles of any marathon is already the crappiest part of the run but the wind decided to spice it up a bit more. Before turning back on to the road, the heavens opened up and let down one big bucket of rain (just for kicks). Then all the way to the finish was a battle against the 40 mph gusts of wind. You couldn’t fall forward even if you tried to. To the right of us, the water was incredibly choppy.

Starting off from Edinburgh, it was about 12 C and the sun was already out and up above at 10 am. By the time we got to the coast, I felt I was overdressed for the occasion – wearing a long-sleeve top. But at the coast, we then experienced all 4 seasons – which included HALE! Someone up there just started chucking ice cubes at us! Then periodically, a loaded cloud would start heading towards us, blown by the 40 mph winds, perfectly crossing our path and unleashing a bucket more. I actually enjoyed these random downpours as it cooled me down and kept me going. This was so unlike Tokyo where it was 20 C the WHOLE race. This also wasn’t like last year’s Edinburgh Marathon, where it poured the WHOLE race. There was a good balance in the weather – apart from the wind. My last 8 miles were consistently over 12 min/mile.

Applied lessons I learned from Tokyo.

First, I got to the Start area very early, right when it opened. I was at the Pink Pen. This allowed me to take my time, queued up for the loo then queued up again straight after. Then stood there with a foil blanket calmly (not panicking) until it was our time to go.

For this race, I cut back a whole lot. At Tokyo and some races I’ve before, I carried with me so many things that in the end, were weighing me down and distracting me.

So I didn’t wear my belt bag and didn’t bring water. I stuffed my trail shorts with gels and brought just those and relied on all the aid stations. I also didn’t bring my phone (left it in my bag at drop off), hence no race photos. I also didn’t bring any headphones as I found that I get more distracted fiddling with these especially when they lose connection. Doing all of this was actually quite liberating and allowed me to focus on me and my run.

Also, one really important lesson from Tokyo was studying the course to eliminate surprises. I did just that. Days before, I just kept reviewing the course map and watched videos from people who have run it before. I studied the elevations, and I googled the landmarks in Edinburgh. I spent zero time worrying about where the switchback was as I knew it would be at Gosford House around 18 miles. I knew that an aid station was coming and where caffeine gels were.

There were showers at the Finish Line.

Although the last few miles were a struggle as expected and I kept looking at my watch calculating if I could get 4:40. I was on track at Gosford House at 3:12 around 18 miles and had I kept going at 10 min/mile, I would have done it. But the wind had other plans for me, I immediately started running 12 min/mile turning out of Gosford House. There was more rain as well. My Garmin and the mile markers were also out of sync. I would complete a mile but the mile markers would be 0.3 miles ahead.

During the last mile and a half, the crowd thickened on both sides of the road. The path narrowed as they kept yelling and encouraging all the runners that we are not far. You can see Finishers with their medals supporting all of us who have not tasted glory just yet.

As with many marathons, the Finish Line is never as close as you think. There was a quick left turn and another left, all lined with supporters, and the last .2 mile was laid out in white all the way to the Finish Line. I actually sprinted and my Garmin says I ran that bit at 7:16 min/mile! Where the hell did that come from?!

I didn’t spend much time at the Finisher’s Village as I had a plane to catch. So I grabbed my bag and headed towards the showers. Yes, the SHOWERS! The Finish was at a field of a primary school and they had a gym with several changing rooms with showers. And HOT water! It felt sooo good. This shower also revealed that I had zero chaffing (I spread deodorant all over my chafe-prone areas). It was so nice to be fresh again before the flight back.

I thoroughly enjoyed this marathon.

At the Start Line, I stood next to a girl who had written on her hard “Keep Digging Deep.” And when we all got to the coast, everyone kept yelling “Dig Deep!” And dig deep I did.

This is now my 10th marathon and I have come full circle from when I first signed up and trained for one. I keep thinking about why I love doing this and I feel pure joy in the challenge. It is not just the run itself but also the months of preparation (which I could never get right due to home/work commitments), the thoughts/reflections throughout the run, the solitude despite being surrounded by masses, the last push to the finish, and of course, a nice heavy medal to solidify the intangible challenge I have just gone through.

So despite the weather and not running for 2 weeks due to a shin splint, I actually really enjoyed this race. It was a gorgeous tour of the city and you can’t really beat coastal running (and the elements that come with it). It wasn’t as flat as promised but the crowd that lined the route were amazing throughout! There were several people playing the bagpipes!

I finished at 5:04:30. And I am actually very happy with how the run went, all things considered. I was close to breaking my 5 hour streak (back to back to back). Next time Mon.

I have also promised myself not to sign up to any marathons until I pass my Physics exam in September. Now, we’re off to Slovenia for a nice family holiday at Lake Bohinj.