I wasn’t ready for this marathon – I had been sick and didn’t have time to fully recover. My weekly volume was only 30 km, and my longest run was a half marathon a month before the race. After that, I didn’t run anything longer than 14 km. So, I wasn’t chasing a PB or a specific time.
Woke up before my alarm – which is lucky, because I actually forgot to set it! 😅 A quick breakfast and off I went: drove to the city center, then took the ferry to Devonport. The start was at 6 am.
I took it easy: walked all the uphills, kept my heart rate in zones 2 and 3. I felt pretty fresh up to the halfway mark, but then the real struggle began. Mostly, it was my feet – they just weren’t used to that kind of mileage anymore. After the 20 km mark, I just wanted to step off the course and call it a day. I managed to hold on until about 30 km, but then had to switch to a brisk walk.
My feet were burning and swelled up so much I had to loosen my shoelaces. Took a Nurofen pill, which helped a bit. I even found enough strength to start running again for the final kilometer, and went for a sprint right before the finish line.
Now, three days of rest, and I’ll be ready for new adventures!
