I’m not running the London Marathon this year. I didn’t get the Comets club place nor public ballot and I don’t think I can raise a minimum of £2,000 to get a charity place. As a consolation, I have signed up to run the Milton Keynes Marathon. As part of my training, I took part in the Hemel 12 miler Marathon Training Run on Sunday 26th January. This was the first of the 3 events. John didn’t join me because he twisted his left knee during the Hyde Park New Year’s Day 10K and still has not recovered. Instead, my sister Fidelia joined me.
The Gade Valley Harriers Running Club has been expertly organising this event every year for perhaps over 20 years with 12 miles at the end of January, 17 miles at the end of February and 20 miles at the end of March. Through the word of mouth and the power of the social media, this event is getting more and more popular year after year. There are now over 500 entrants using this event as their training and preparation for not just the London Marathon but other marathons such as Brighton, Paris, Manchester and Milton Keynes etc. All these marathons are either shortly before or shortly after the London Marathon.
All these 3 runs are very well marshalled, with water stops every 4 miles from mile 4 onward and jelly babies 3 miles from the finish plus the post run hot drinks, juice, water, cakes and pastries all for a fiver. The proceeds after the costs for food and drinks go to charity so what’s not to like.
The weather this year was a lot better than last year. I remember last year was so windy. When I read my last year’s race report again, I said:
“….it was freezing cold and with howling wind in that morning. When our club chair Alan who ran 3 miles from his house to the start line at the Boxmoor Cricket Club to send us off arrived, he was shivering….”. I was pleased to see Alan this year looking well and warm (photo evidence attached).
We started in a relatively mild of 7oC with no wind and no rain. My sister and I together with a group of runners started at 9am – half an hour before the official start time. The 9am start caters for runners with 12 minute or above a mile pace.
The towpath was a little wet but not terribly muddy. I managed to keep my feet dry for the entire first 3 miles. My sister already pulled away from me on the towpath. The sun started to appear when I headed off up a Chiltern to the first water stop at mile 4. By then, my sister was already nowhere to be seen. The big climb from mile 3 to 4 was really a lung-opening challenge. I struggled more than last year due to my flu last month but once conquered I was awarded with a water station and a pleasant and largely flat 3 miles descending to mile 7. The winter sun even made the scenery more stunning at the Queen Elizabeth’s Wood and Yonder Cottage inside the Ashridge Forest. I have been passing that village pub near mile 7 for the past 14 years since 2006 and every time I made a mental note to myself to visit this pub for a Sunday brunch with John on one Sunday. It still hasn’t happened yet !
There was a 2nd big climb between mile 7 and 8. At this point, the route started filling up with those 9:30 start runners and many, if not all, of them over took me. How come these people looking so effortless?? Another climb, another reward, the 2nd water station appeared on the top of the hill. I take the isotonic gel for long distance so the water helps me dilute the gel and to be absorbed by my body quicker. Without the gel, I might have to reduce to walking pace. After the big climb, I felt mile 8 to 9 was quite flat. The jelly babies stop at mile 9 is always a very welcoming sign. The last 3 miles are all downhill all the way back to the canal. I don’t know whether or not the organiser had put the 12-mile mark or I had missed it because my watch showed 12 miles and I couldn’t see the mile mark sign. I stopped my watch and it showed my time was 2:09’00”. Although I was more than a minute faster than last year, last year’s weather condition was much much worse. I still needed to run for about 200 yards to the “official” finish spot then a change to walking mode to the steamy clubhouse where pastries, cakes and hot drinks were awaiting the runners. We shared stories with other runners over a club of tea and exchanged ideas.
Next time when I do the Hemel 17 milers, I must note down (or even take a photo from my phone) the name of that lovely looking village pub so that I can look it up online the address and postcode to drive there. I don’t want to run 7 miles there from the Boxmoor Cricket Club !!
