Two Tunnels Marathon 2024: Redemption

18th August 2024, Bath

Unfinished business and a chip on my shoulder. That pretty much amounted to the preparation I'd done for this event. A lot had happened since June and the Giant's head and panic attack. A lot of running was not one of them. The furthest I'd run in the build up to this was 6 Miles. The optimist (or idiot) was hoping the training for previous events would carry me through. But I felt we had unfinished business, having had to duck out the Dragon Devil. And after a few weeks, I had recovered sufficiently to feel up for keeping going with events and evolve the ambitions of the year. So a mix of cycling to work, a few runs etc had me feeling in ok nick. And this event came around quick, so no time to think about it really, between job hunting, settling into the new home and navigating the demands of being a toddler dad, life had become less thinking more doing! So not the usually obsessing over the route, planning pacing, thinking nutrition etc. Just getting to the start line, was an achievement in itself. I rolled out of bed, knowing only to get to the park and ride and go from there. Honestly, as I got on the bus, having got to the park and ride later than I'd anticipated, unable to find a coffee, I was not in the right headspace for a Marathon. My expectations were zero, I just wanted to get round. Before long I was at the start, headphones in and starting to get into the zone. It's funny how geared up for events like this you can get, you can build it up to be this huge thing, but it was literally a start line, in a field, on the outskirts of Bath. This isn't a knock on what was a well set up and run event, but on how easy it is to overthink these things. Yes you need to prepare, yes you need to respect the event, but not get caught up in it. Before long, I was off, and it was a steady start, out through the two tunnels, which was the appeal of this event, running through two of the longest tunnels in the UK was pretty cool, literally and I really like it, stupidly I realised you only got to go up the gradient not down it on the Marathon, the down was for the Ultra. It was a warm day to, so the break in the tunnels was welcome. Before long it was onto what the majority of the route would be, the lovely Towpaths into, and back out of Bath. It was a nice quiet run, weaving in and out of the public using the path, with nice calm views. Very much the sort of run I enjoyed. Before long I was in Bath and looping back out to the start. The first lap, I'd done fast, very fast. I was running an average of 9:30 mins a mile. Sub 4 hour pace! Today couldn't possibly be the day could it? The answer was very much.... No. I held on for a while, but by Mile 17 I'd dropped to 11 Minute miles and ended up averaging 11 Minute miles overall by the finish. The lack of training soon caught up with me. There is no hiding from Training in the Marathon. So it was a tough one to close out. But close out I did, by now, I'd the confidence to know I can finish, I pushed through. It hurt, I had no energy in my legs. But I kept going. Eventually I plodded over the line, in a time of 4 Hours 47 Mins, my third fastest Marathon. Now admittedly, I've only run 7 Marathons, but still! Given how I was a few months before, the lack of prep, and my meh feelings about running I was chuffed. I'd also, in my own mind, redeemed myself from failing to do the Dragonride. It also showed me, that maybe, just maybe, If I apply myself, put in the effort and work bloody hard, maybe my goal of a sub 4 Marathon is not dead after all. Harder to obtain than before; yes. But still doable. It now boils down to quality over quantity, it means a shift in how I train. I can't do as much as before, I don't have time, and less so with the new job, but if I can focus on quality, I think I can.

The fact I think I can, shows how far I've come. A few months before this event, I was low, very low. And this event, gave me belief. Not long after this I got the new job, and started turning a lot of corners. My resilience, my drive, it was back. I wasn't ready for the event, but I found a way. It's been a pattern in my life, that things are a little bit harder for me. Lost my dad. Unable to have a child. Battled through Adoption. It means a lot of digging in and finding a way. I think that's why I can do the endure of endurance events, I've always been able to dig in. My life isn't glamorous, I don't excel at things, but I'll find a way. Running has reminded me of that. So next year, that's an aim, I'll revisit. A 4 hour Marathon. The rest of the year, I've not run as much as I planned, If I hit 600 miles this year, I'll be pleased (as of writing, I'm 40 miles off) and I've focused on cycling, but that's another blog, for another day. For now, I'm happy with what I achieved, with running this year. If you told me, when I was pushing 20 plus stone, I'd one day run an Ultra, I'd have laughed and then probably eaten you. So no one can take that achievement, away from me. Did I do what I set out to do? No, but the fact I got close, is something I'll be proud of, always.