A fair amount of elevation change in the 10k race today, but I think this pacing is pretty good (Avg GAP) and for kms 4-8 pretty even on the avg HR?
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Did you do it?
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I did!
For 26k it was one of the best experiences ever! Loving life, high fiving the kids on the street, waving to my friends and strangers! Then 16k of torture!
I came down with Bronchitis on the weds before and the doctor said not to race, but I had raised so much for the charity that I didn’t want to let people down, I don’t think this helped but In hindsight/reality I think I went off too quick and I also think I just didn’t have the KM’s in my legs and the strength to get the the end! But felt incredible floating along at 6.24 pace for the first 26k and it was my legs that gave out and not my lungs.
I’m from SE London so meeting in Greenwich Park and going through where I grew up was epic, Tower Bridge was incredible but once I turned to go into Canary Wharf I smashed into the Wall and it was hard going.
Went to a run/walk strategy 2k run 200m walk into 1k run 200m walk into 500m run 100m walk into 5m run walk the rest 
got to 38k in this stuttering fashion and had to walk the last 4k unfortunately which in the moment took the shine off of it in a big way! Decided i would never run anything longer than a half marathon ever again, decided Hyrox is looking like a good option, wondering where my golf clubs were and if i should dust them off instead! managed to get myself together and run the last 200m over the line!
I was really unhappy that i missed my target time of 4.30 (finished in 5.14) double unhappy that I had to walk. However, after a few days to reflect and lots of kind words/messages from friends and families I’m really happy I did it and the disappointment has faded and been replaced with joy at how amazing the event was. Start to finish the organisation was incredible, so slick and seamless, the atmosphere was truly next level! I’m going to do it again as i think I got a bit overwhelmed and didn’t get to soak everything in as much as I wanted and the last 16k was hard to enjoy with how hard it was!
So in short - the last 16k being hard was 100% my fault, I got sick, I hadn’t got enough long runs in and it was hot on the day and I made absolutely ZERO adjustments to my pacing strategy!!! However if i had started slower i think I would have lasted longer but to be brutally honest I don’t think I had 42k unbroken in me at the moment with where I am with my fitness!
I’ve gone full circle from wanting to jack it all in to signing up for the ballot for 2026, Dubai Marathon 2026 and looking at others! One thing it did make clear, was my decision to postpone Roth from this year was the correct one. fat golfer to Roth in this short span would have a stretch too far! Going to knuckle down on the running for the next few years and try and hit my 4.30 goal.
Thanks for all of the support, advice and encouragement. It massively helped when I was struggling in the training!
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I’ll kind of say well done for getting through it, and hopefully you haven’t made yourself worse!
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Well done on finishing it given the bronchitis. There’s a lot you can take away from it - never again (wrong!), too quick too early, pacing etc etc. Many of us have been there so crack on.
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I’ve posted on here recently about my first experience in 2011 and it was around there also it all came crashing down, probably not far from the tunnel at around 15-16miles. Going back was the best day of my sporting life and I’ve had a few. I still hadn’t trained enough, its never enough is it, but it was good enough to have a very enjoytable day. #GETATIT
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My 1st mara was also London - my wheels feel off at around 20 miles just after coming out of Canary Wharf area as I’d gone out too quick. The last 10k was painful.
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Thanks for the comments guys - does make me feel better that I wasn’t alone!
That last 4k, even with all the support and people running around you was a very lonely place with dark thoughts of being a failure and messing up, hearing other peoples similar stories and seeing people post on insta stories does take the sting out! Seems like everyone makes it over Tower Bridge for the picture tho 
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A work colleague was saying someone from their run club, there was a group of them running Manchester, dropped from their group, normally runs about 3hr20 only managed 5hrs and a bit hours and needed medical attention afterwards.
Maybe that adds some perspective.
Whatever the time it is a great achievement.
When I was in the finishing straight there was someone being treated by paramedics 50 - 80 meters from the line. I assume they DNFd, they were being put on a stretcher and looked out for the count.
Now that would be gutting, 50 ish meters, but health and being okay is more important.
Anyway, you should be proud and focus on all the positives.
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Well done on fighting through a tough day at the office.
I’m pleased that you’ve got over over the initial disappointment. (almost all) people don’t care about times - you completed a marathon - and although you shared the race track with 56,000 others this is still a tiny number compared to the population. You’ve done good. Be proud of your achievement.
Well done.
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someone I know - known to @funkin as well - had that happen at the end of an IM not far from the finishing tape. he later cracked out a 9:30 (or so) at a different IM.
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Guys - I’m thinking of dedicating myself to running now for the next few years and think I may get a running coach to help with hitting my goals.
Does anyone here coach? or have any recommendations?
telephone call for @explorerJC …
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Run more. Some fast, mostly slow. Sleep lots.
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Feeling inspired so I’ve entered the ballot. It closes tomorrow. I’ve run the Flora London marathon, once by ballot and once GFA, back when GFA was very soft c. 2010. Fingers crossed
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or something based on the ChuckieV method (which is just a heavily worded version of what a number of coaches would do anyway)
FTFY
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“this is Jim Rockford…”
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mostly, yes…can I help?