I really love Berlin, but I’m beginning to think it doesn’t like me much. It seems determined to break my heart – or my legs. Having trained as hard as I think I could, avoided injuries, been in what seemed like great shape – it all went wrong.
Earlier last week I suddenly developed a pain in my hip – seemingly out of nowhere. Yesterday it niggled away at me, growing louder and louder. I stayed on track through to about 25km, but much like my chip (which was faulty, and claims I didn’t even start) my legs just weren’t working. Perhaps my stride ended up imbalanced because for the first time since I started running in 2012, I got a massive painful blister. My legs felt at 30km like I’d expect them to feel at about 40km – just nothing left. When you hurt that much, that early on, things are clearly not going to plan.
By about 34km I was done. When the 3hour pacers went past me, I made the strategic decision to stop, and jog the rest. I wasn’t about to DNF in a marathon – I was bloody well getting that medal – but I also didn’t want to totally do myself in. So I limped the rest of the very very long way to the line, collected my medal and my finish line beer and had a little cry. OK, quite a big one. Then discovered that I don’t even have an official time, though I know it was under 3hr 10min because I noticed the clock hadn’t ticked to that when I crossed the line.
Well, I guess that’s marathons for you. They don’t always bend to your will, alas. There will be another one (though right now I’m considering giving up this stupid running lark and taking up watercolours instead). And on the plus side, meeting up with so many of you lovely commenters below the line afterwards was an absolute joy. Well done to everyone, from magnificent PBs (Gill, David – hats off to you both) to Sorcha, who may have single-handedly kept me a) running again and b) in love with Berlin by telling me about the existence of a doughnut run. Oh and that Bekele chap.
As always, I want to hear your stories from the weekend – another doffing of cap to Tara for a fantastic run in the Loch Ness marathon – and plenty of you I’m sure will have run far more sensible distances magnificently as well. I’m off to eat more doughnuts/strudel and try not to wallow in self-pity too much …
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