Malta Marathon

Last Sunday I took part in my first official full marathon. Although I have done 5 Ironmans (which finish with a marathon), this was my first attempt at the distance on its own so I was very excited. The 18 weeks of running focus to build to this first experience were very hard but a very important learning curve.

I started the race at a good relaxed tempo. I tried to keep with the second / third group from the beginning but I was aware of not over doing it. The target was to keep a 6.32 pace (per mile) but I was a bit off from the beginning averaging 6.10 / 6.15 (per mile). At the time I thought that I was over doing it but since I was feeling fresh I thought that it must be just a very good day - YES SURE!! After around 5km, Jimmy Sacco, a very experience marathon runner over took me and I had to make the decision of whether to stick to my pace or go with him. I decided to follow.

I passed the half way mark (21.1km) in 1hr 22mins, way too fast and the problems started. Legs started feeling heavy and although now I had slowed down to a 6.30 pace I was still confident to achieve my target time of 2hrs 50mins. The real issues started at 18Miles. I felt a cramp in my right calf so I had to stop and stretch for a few seconds, and then I had another cramp on the left calf. Tiredness started to set in, and the run through Attard overtaking the walkers doing the Walkathlon was looking quite a struggle.

Keith was stopping every kilometer trying to give me some moral help, but I was really looking tired. Still I kept running, and did my best to slow down the least possible. At this stage I am not sure what pace I was keeping, and although I was wearing my Garmin, my pride didn't permit me yet to look at the actual splits which I have ignored completely at that stage of the marathon. By Msida with 5km to go I realised, and thanks to Keith's quick calculations, that I was still on target to go under 3hrs. Yes fair enough that wasn't my original target but in the situationt that was what was motivating me to keep running rather than joining the walkers doing the Walkathlon.

3km to go and I felt that maybe maybe a 2hrs 55mins was on the cards but my legs were rock solid and cramps were hitting every minute. With 200m to go I tried sprinting and my hamstring just gave up, BIG CRAMP. Quick stretch and I jogged / ran / kind of sprinted to the line. 2hrs 56mins my final time. Pleased, but I'll be back faster next year!

Big thank-you to Johanna for sorting out my nutrition which made a big difference in my training and racing, to Keith for his support and my parents.

Next Race possibly abroad

Dermot