Yorkshire Marathon Recap – 15th Oct 2023

In Which I Get A Decade Of Yorkshire Running Checked Off

Saturday 14th October – Travel Day

Set off up to the local train station around 8am, I’d been as prepared as I always am and did my packing for the trip the night before. What with living in Edinburgh, I have to make my way to York for the marathon (because that’s where it takes place). Got the train into Edinburgh city centre then had a bit of time to spare before the York train so waited around. Not the *most* exciting way to start a blog, but it’s real and that’s what counts.

0915 – Got on the train.

I didn’t get a coffee in the station because I’d had one when I was getting ready and figured I’d get one on the train. Unfortunately the train staff had other ideas because they didn’t start selling anything until we’d gone through Newcastle so had to wait like an hour. See? NOW it’s getting exciting! Got a coffee finally. Then got to York just before noon and went to drop bags off at the apartment I’d booked.

The rest of the day was spent doing touristy stuff around York, the Museum had a ghost display around the gardens which were loads of figures and characters made from mesh wire to look like ghosts. Then because it was the day before a marathon I got my carbs on and had a massive burger with chips. Following that it was a nice relaxed evening and more carbs then to bed!

Sunday 15th October – Marathon Day!

I slept a bit rubbish, a combination of pre-marathon nerves and a slightly smaller bed than I’m used to. Got out of bed around 6am and made a coffee, then had a microwave meal of spaghetti bolognaise (seems to work for me for marathon morning carbs!) and got dressed, then after double and triple checking I had everything I needed I set off for the bus.

I got to the transfer bus around 0730 (saw a fox!) and updated my facebook page to say I’d got on the bus. The transfer goes from York train station to York University where the marathon starts and finishes and takes about 15/20 minutes. The race wasn’t sue to start until 0930 but, as previously mentioned, I’m one of the 37 runners who have taken part in EVERY Yorkshire Marathon since it first started in 2013, and we were all getting VIP treatment.

Usually before a race I’m queuing up at the portaloo and hanging around trying to keep warm waiting for the start. Not this time! This time I was sitting at a table drinking free coffee and eyeing up the free pastries. The VIP bit was in the Central Hall of York Uni and was great, no queues for the toilets or anything. Plus it meant I got to chat with some of the other ever-presents and we all got a group photo taken, then escorted to the start line. How the other half live!

Go time. My training this year has been, what can be politely described as, a bit shit. As such I figured I could get around the route in maybe 4.45, maybe closer to 5hrs. I wouldn’t be annoyed at going over 5hrs though, because I know that I’ve not put the effort in as much as previous years. But as the goal today was just to get round and get my 10th Yorkshire Marathon medal, I was gonna try enjoy the day (as much as you can enjoy running 26.2 miles…)

Start to Miles Two – I saw the 4hr 30min pacer in front of me so decided to stick with them as long as I could, which wasn’t very long because I got stuck in the crowd and couldn’t really get going for the first 10 minutes or so. Ah well, I’d just try stay ahead of the 4hr 45min pacer instead and see what happens. The first few miles are full or smiles and cheers and all the happiness of the race being under way. It goes right in front of York Minster around two miles in and the bells were ringing away.

Miles Two to Seven – After the huge York Minster we ran in pretty much a straight line for the next five miles, there’s a bit of a hill to where the relay people have their first change over (think they do like 6 and a half miles each?) and I was feeling all good. I’d reached the 10k point in about an hour and two minutes so was looking OK to get under five hours.

Miles Seven to 13 – After getting to 10k I told myself that I was going to run for two miles then have a bit of a walk (and a couple jelly babies) and carry on in that way for as long as I could manage. No WAY did I plan on running the whole thing, I know my limits. This part of the route is the scenic bit, it winds it’s way through a bit of the country roads and there’s a long(ish) bit that’s lined with trees on both sides. Then before you know it you’re at the 13 mile point, and then halfway! (2hr 18mins).

Miles 13 to 20 – The tough bit. There’s a short out and back from mile 13 to mile 15 but it’s always really well supported so it’s not so bad. I was starting to feel the effort but was still sticking to run a couple miles and walk a couple minutes. 15 to 17 is a bit tough, the support dies away for this section and it’s a steady uphill all the way. Plus if you’ve done the race previously (I have!) then you know there’s another tough bit to come. From mile 17 it goes down hill and you can see thousands of other runners coming the other way, as this is the looooong out and back bit. There’s amazing support on this section and someone on a microphone shouting and cheering you all on. The turn around is around mile 18 and then you run all the way back up (this time being one of the ones on the other side, obvs) and it’s a bit of a slog. Luckily, the 4hr 45min pacer group caught up with me and they had music going so I decided to try and stick with them to take my mind off the uphill-ness of it all. Finally FINALLY you get to mile 20, and the last 10k of the run.

Miles 20 to 26 – I stuck with the pacer group longer than I thought I’d manage (they don’t walk) and so I didn’t have my next bit of walking until around mile 22. I’d reached 30k in approx. 3hr 20mins so was feeling confident in getting back in under 5hrs. The last few miles for me are always a mixture of feeling so good that I’ve come so far, feeling so happy that I’m ticking off the last few miles, and feeling like I want to sit down and find someone to carry me to the end. I wasn’t running two miles at a time anymore, but I was keeping going by counting my steps and I was running 100 steps then walking 100 steps. Honestly, if you’re every struggling in a run, try it.

Miles 26 to 26.2 – Why the chuff is there a massive hill? Why did I forget it was here? Ah well, doesn’t go on for long, and having reached the top it’s a nice steady downhill sprint (HA!) to the finish line. Official time was 4hr 51mins 58sec. VERY chuffed with THAT.

Post Race – My legs hurt. I’d finished though, and well under 5hrs. Made my way to the event village where we (the VIPS) were told we had a special souvenir to pick up (pic below, arty shot with my medal on it) which was a really nice gesture from the organisers at Run For All. Actually ALL of the VIP stuff was amazing.

Found the way to the transfer bus back into York city centre and it took ages because of the traffic, so by the time I was getting off my legs were nice and seized up. The joys of being a hero. Got back to the apartment (via the shop for beer) and had a shower (with a beer) then it took me like eleven hours to get dressed. The evening recovery plans were Thai food and alcohol and that’s exactly what happened, the Thai food was amazing and went to a place called Evil Eye for an Old Fashioned (just like Hemingway used to drink. And just like this Hemingway was drinking now!) Few more pubs, then back to the apartment for much needed sleep.

Monday 16th October – Recovery Day

Ow. Suck it up, legs! Today was full of touristy stuff so no time to listen to the aches and pains I was feeling. Instead, I vocalised them constantly. The morning was a trip to the Jorvik Viking Centre (home to the biggest poo in history! Honest!) followed by a visit inside York Minster, lunch (was a bit put off by the massive poo) and then Wizard Golf, which is obviously inspired by Harry Potter but without the licencing. Dinner was two big pizzas and more beer.

So that’s it! My Yorkshire Marathon recap for ANOTHER year done. I’ve got plenty of races lined up for 2024 already and decided that THIS time I’m gonna take it seriously (as he says every time). Thank you to everyone that takes the time to read me mumble on about this kinda stuff, and for the nice messages and comments I get. I’ll do a post next week about what’s coming up in 2024 and hopefully see you at a start line!

Scottish 10k Recap

In Which Mistakes Were Made (And Will Be Again, I Know Myself)

Saturday 23rd September 2023

The Scottish 10k is a local race for me, as it starts and finishes about 15 minutes walk away from where I live (can’t get *much* more local than that). I’ve done it a few times before and know the route so of course I signed up to run it again.

One of the main rules for running races that I’m aware of (even more so now) is this: “No Alcohol The Night Before A Race.” One of the main rules I ignored the night before the Scottish 10k is this “No Alcohol The Night Before A Race.” Which was a daft thing to do, I know, but I’m a fully grown adult and I’m allowed mistakes. And beer.

The reason for the beer is that my friend Rob was also running the race, he lives down in Yorkshire (where I’m originally from) and we have an in-person catch up a couple times a year. (By catch up, I mean “lots of drinks.”) We decided to combine the catch-up with the race and only planned after-race beers but that kinda went out of the window on the Saturday night.

I met him from his coach around 7pm which meant that we wouldn’t be in time for the hourly train to mine, and so we decided to wait in the train station…. pub. We had a couple pints each there (extortionate Edinburgh prices) and then, boy logic, because we’d already had some beer we might as well have a few more back at mine!

Sunday 24th September 2023 – Race Day

Ughhhhhhh. My alarm went off at 7am. Then again at 7.15. And 7.30. I got up. My head was a little delicate but fine for a lazy Sunday. Oh no wait, got a 10k to run. UGHHHHHHHHH.

I went downstairs and Rob was already awake. Greeted each other with a grunt. I made coffee, small talk, and the decision to not drink the night before a run again (HA!). Had a bit of breakfast (get those carbs) and got my kit on. It was a wonderfully autumnal Scottish morning and would be perfect race conditions, if I were in a condition to race. We walked along the river to the race course (an actual race course, where they race horses, which was where the run was starting/finishing) and wished each other luck. We were in different starting pens so I said I’d look for Rob on the turn around.

Robs aim was to just get the run finished, it was his first official race in over a year and his second “any kind of run” this year so far so he wasn’t looking to win. I’ve got the Yorkshire Marathon in a few weeks so I was just planning on taking the 10k steady (didn’t want to tempt any injury this close).

Before I knew it it was go time and a few thousand people all headed in the same direction. Right at the start I saw a guy I know from Strava/Instagram at the sides cheering people on so that was a bit of a boost straight away.

The Scottish 10k (not to be confused with the Great Scottish 10k) is an out and back route which starts/ends at Musselburgh racecourse. It’s pretty much as flat as you’d like the whole way and gets a fair bit of crowd support. My plan was to run to the turn around point and then run/walk the rest of the way back. My original plan was to run the whole way but my slight hangover made these new plans instead.

I kept steady, pacing myself behind a couple of people in Um Bongo shirts, not bothering to look at my watch for the actual pace because I wasn’t aiming for a time. Before long I saw the water station on the opposite side of the road (we were only about 3k in) so figured there must be two water stations as usually it’s as close to halfway as they can in a 10k race.

Not long after (it seemed) the turn around approached and I realised that nope, that was the only water station and it would be around 7k in to the route. Seemed a bit too far in, I could hear someone complaining about it (wait, was it me complaining?). Even though it was Autumn in Scotland it was quite warm and so there a few more grumbles before we got our water (again, might’ve just been me and I was agreeing with myself because I’m smart).

I saw Rob on the other side of the road so gave him a cheer and then I had a bit of a walking break while I had some of my water. I looked out for other people that I knew were running too but didn’t see anyone so either they were avoiding me or they were in front of me. Both real possibilities.

And then before I knew it I could see the finish line, I turned towards the finish chute, and I was done. Scottish 10k done for the 6th time. I got my medal and goody bag (t-shirt, energy bar, water) and made my way back up the end of the course to cheer people on and wait for Rob. He appeared like a drunken sweaty beacon in the distance and I ran a bit with him towards the end for motivation. Done.

Wanting to top up our beer levels we made our way in to town to the local Wetherspoons (British institutions they are) and at 11am ordered a couple of pints. We were told they aren’t serving alcohol until 12.30pm. Bugger.

After finishing our Pepsi’s we made our way further on the road to a different pub that WAS serving alcohol and ordered a couple of pints, then sat out in the beer garden so we didn’t stink up the bar. After that we had another, then went back to mine for recovery food and to get freshened up before going back to the Wetherspoons and ordered a couple of…. you get the idea.

Monday 25th September 2023

URGGGGHHHHHHHHH……..!