Blast From The Past- Marato del Mediterrani 2005

Rummaging through my cupboard for a photograph to form the subject of this post. I found my 2005 training diary and, out of interest, had a flick through it for a snapshot of what life was like then. I was in the final year of the Law degree at Glasgow University, working in Morrisons part time and learning to drive. I also ran my first and, to date, only marathon in March, the Marato del Mediterrani to the south of Barcelona in Spain. It gave me an idea for a blog article.

I remember deciding to do a marathon as a motivation to get fitter. I only really started preparing in January and managed to run for 2 hours on 3 occasions which, in my haphazard training world, I considered to be alright. I actually knocked over 3 minutes off my then half marathon personal best the week before at the Balloch to Clydebank race, clocking 1:19:52. I then spent most of the remainder of the week loaded with the cold. Against my better judgement, I flew out to Barcelona with the rest of the participating Glasgow Uni Hares and Hounds hoping some sunshine would perk me up.

Here, word for word, is my training diary entry for the race on Sunday 20 March 2005.

"best to break this into chunks of 10km each. Overcome with trepidation, baking in the Catalunya sunshine, with two clicks of my stopwatch and timing chip, I began my long journey.

0-10km: extremely congested start at least stopped me belting away. Consequently doing 3:15 pace for a spell, 5km in 22:40. Sweating profusely, every drop of water was a prisoner. 10km passed in 44:30.

10-20km: hopes of a sub-3 hour marathon still lingered as we came back to the Olympic rowing pond at Castelledefels. 16km came and went in 1:10 (3:02 pace) before it dawned I had up to 2 hours of running left so deliberately held back as we came to the coastal town of Gava.

20-30km: through halfway in 1:33, thoughts now merely of holding myself together. Still drinking fluid whenever possible and now picking people off. Enjoyed some relief with a coastal breeze then turned around into the glare of the sun again.

30-40km: now entering unknown territory going further than any of my training runs. Completed 32km (20 miles) in 2:21, a mere 10km remaining. Every kilometre seemed to come by less frequently, heartbreaking when your legs become heavier. Now on autopilot.

40km- finish: 2km left, I could barely go another 2m. Back around the rowing pond again pining for the finish. It finally came with my debut marathon concluding in 3:08:06 (133rd out of 1413 finishers). Could not stand up unsupported afterwards."

This was the one and only time I've taken a massage after a race. It made me mobile enough to hobble to the station for the train back to Barcelona. I enjoyed my debut marathon so much, to date, I have still to run another one.