Prague (03.05.15)
Prague was a fantastic return to marathon running for me and on the whole I was delighted with how the race went and the awareness we were able to raise. I was well supported on the trip and able to meet the family of Czech ME sufferer Klara Wilson the day before which again brought the challenge into perspective as the situation out there seems much as it is in the UK. We managed to get features on the Czech ME Association and Prague Marathon home pages which was fantastic exposure.
Start
After a slight confusion as to the way to the starting pens, the race starts to Bedrich Smetana's evocative 'Vltava' in the old town square and off we go over the cobbles, 11 mins behind the gun for the elite runners. I'm in the very back pen which means a slow 5km as I weave in and out of the slower runners but soon get into my stride and realise that a sub 4.15 race is definitely on. I'm without ipod for the first half of the race soaking in the music from 15+ bands and the great support from the crowd as well as taking on the spectacular Charles Bridge. I pass a portly chap in a white dressing gown upon a balcony who toasts a flute of champagne in the runner's direction to which myself and those around me chuckle. Things are going well as we head out of the main centre onto fairly uninspiring dual carriageway and tunnels. At 13km I reach the Powder Tower (where the king used to keep all the city's gunpowder), there's a nice handful of folks cheering me on! Again thanks to Klara for sorting that out, a nice boost!
Middle
I pass the 4.15 hr pacemaker and after a few more miles can spy the 4hr pacer, sub 4hr looks temporarily on until mile 21 and I see him slowly fading into the distance ahead of me, no bother, I came here to finish and under 4.15 is a very strong possibility barring injury or meltdown. For the 5 miles or so that I do stick with the 4hr guy my pace quickens and I'm actually running my quickest 10m section and feeling pretty good having taken on a couple of gels and with my tunes propelling me along. A chap in front of me trips over a raised bit of tramline, I help him up but he's a bloodied mess and he's not happy -warning for me there to keep my concentration. To the right of me two men come out of nowhere hurtling passed and I notice that one of them is blind and being tethered to his friend, that's impressive and they'll finish well ahead of me.
End
Mile 21 seems to take an eternity and I realise I'm struggling. This is now unchartered territory for me since 2001 and I'm starting to feel tight around the hips and calves. Just less than an hour to go, I'm telling myself, until I get to stop and grasp my medal and beer. We're heading out of town again and the surroundings are feeling a bit desolate as everyone around me starts to walk and stretch upon lamp posts -I haven't come here to walk and won't be able to live with myself if I do, so on I shuffle. I'm now hitting 10.5 min mile averages as I look down at my Garmin in disgust. The relay runners are powering past us all which feels pretty unsporting but we're hanging in there and Mile 24 gives everyone a small lift as we start to see more cheering faces along the route. Into the last mile and I can see the blue carpet up the hill to the finish. I haven't got a sprint finish in me so I'm jogging over the line not sure whether to punch the air or collapse! Job done and I'm on my way with the challenge. There's absolutely no doubt that its all down to the training, some lessons learned though about the race itself. I walk back to the hotel, shower and tuck into a steak and a good few beers.
Pics & Video
Not sure how long these will stay up but there's pics and a video of my run.
Gallery pics here
Weather
Around 15C and a good mix of sun and cloud with a cool headwind which thankfully matched much of my training.
Ratings
Start
After a slight confusion as to the way to the starting pens, the race starts to Bedrich Smetana's evocative 'Vltava' in the old town square and off we go over the cobbles, 11 mins behind the gun for the elite runners. I'm in the very back pen which means a slow 5km as I weave in and out of the slower runners but soon get into my stride and realise that a sub 4.15 race is definitely on. I'm without ipod for the first half of the race soaking in the music from 15+ bands and the great support from the crowd as well as taking on the spectacular Charles Bridge. I pass a portly chap in a white dressing gown upon a balcony who toasts a flute of champagne in the runner's direction to which myself and those around me chuckle. Things are going well as we head out of the main centre onto fairly uninspiring dual carriageway and tunnels. At 13km I reach the Powder Tower (where the king used to keep all the city's gunpowder), there's a nice handful of folks cheering me on! Again thanks to Klara for sorting that out, a nice boost!
Middle
I pass the 4.15 hr pacemaker and after a few more miles can spy the 4hr pacer, sub 4hr looks temporarily on until mile 21 and I see him slowly fading into the distance ahead of me, no bother, I came here to finish and under 4.15 is a very strong possibility barring injury or meltdown. For the 5 miles or so that I do stick with the 4hr guy my pace quickens and I'm actually running my quickest 10m section and feeling pretty good having taken on a couple of gels and with my tunes propelling me along. A chap in front of me trips over a raised bit of tramline, I help him up but he's a bloodied mess and he's not happy -warning for me there to keep my concentration. To the right of me two men come out of nowhere hurtling passed and I notice that one of them is blind and being tethered to his friend, that's impressive and they'll finish well ahead of me.
End
Mile 21 seems to take an eternity and I realise I'm struggling. This is now unchartered territory for me since 2001 and I'm starting to feel tight around the hips and calves. Just less than an hour to go, I'm telling myself, until I get to stop and grasp my medal and beer. We're heading out of town again and the surroundings are feeling a bit desolate as everyone around me starts to walk and stretch upon lamp posts -I haven't come here to walk and won't be able to live with myself if I do, so on I shuffle. I'm now hitting 10.5 min mile averages as I look down at my Garmin in disgust. The relay runners are powering past us all which feels pretty unsporting but we're hanging in there and Mile 24 gives everyone a small lift as we start to see more cheering faces along the route. Into the last mile and I can see the blue carpet up the hill to the finish. I haven't got a sprint finish in me so I'm jogging over the line not sure whether to punch the air or collapse! Job done and I'm on my way with the challenge. There's absolutely no doubt that its all down to the training, some lessons learned though about the race itself. I walk back to the hotel, shower and tuck into a steak and a good few beers.
Pics & Video
Not sure how long these will stay up but there's pics and a video of my run.
Gallery pics here
Weather
Around 15C and a good mix of sun and cloud with a cool headwind which thankfully matched much of my training.
Ratings
- Course: 8/10 - Old town bits, beautiful architecture, riverside course, some tunnels/industrial parts - race route
- Expo: 8/10 - Total carnage, out of town location, huge retail set-up, free bag, pasta party, very busy
- Support: 8/10 - Enthusiastic support in built up centre, support for me at Powder Tower (13km)
- Refreshments: 7/10 - Frequent stops, 1/3rd filled cups, limited range
- Goodie Bag: 5/10 - 2 big bottles of water, lots of leaflets
- Medal & Pics: 8/10 - Big chunky bronze! Pics sent promptly; 10E per pic, short vid of race highlights
- Time Completed: 4hrs 7 mins - My run info here
