#277 - #281- Enigma Marathon Race Reports

Marathon #281 (I lost count yesterday!) Enigma Fireworks Day two done! Legs a bit tired from yesterday but managed a decent tempo run for ten miles before thinking that was rather too much like very hard work so messed about rather more after that, 4:25, so a Day Two PB, for a trail race, in Buckinghamshire. On a Sunday! lol Great to see so many of the usual suspect over the weekend and although a bit chilly today was nice and sunny so for Mid-November would take that anyday! Thanks to Foxy and Karen for looking after us!

Marathon #279 Enigma Fireworks done! PB alert! 3:39:54 so am very pleased with that as a little unexpected but legs felt semi good and initial tempo run of 13.1 miles at 8:00 got stretched to 16 miles and then hold on for dear life! Am sure traditionalists would be horrified by my 1:44 / 1:55 split, but works for me! Now warming up and about to re-carb! Lol

Marathon #279 - Enigma Three Lakes Challenge - Caldecotte Lake done! 4:26 today which was a decent effort on fairly worn out legs, not least as a Day Three PB by about 26 minutes or so! Bit of a grey day today, but the weather held off so that was good and nice as always to share some miles with running friends! Happy with my work over the three marathons, all of them done on legs still not even close to being recovered from the 100s in the US a few weeks ago which I hope will stand me in good stead for the challenges ahead! Thanks to Foxy, Teresa ( Steve Edwards wife, who seemed to be my personal bottle filler!) and the other helpers for three days of lake fun!

Marathon #278 - Enigma Three Lakes Challenge - Furzton Lake done! 4:24 today so a reasonable enough effort and a course PB by about 28 minutes so pleased with that as not my favourite lake in Milton Keynes by any stretch of the imagination! But a lovely sunny day, bit chilly, bit breezy but take that any day of the week at this time of year so all good! McDonalds again... can't beat a couple of quarter pounders with cheese!

Marathon #277 - Enigma Three Lakes Challenge - Willen Lake done! 3:55:56 so am pretty pleased with that! First outing at the new lake and its a bit hillier than the other Enigma courses and am pretty sure the wind was in our faces the whole way around the lake! But a nice sunny day and not too chilly so really can't complain, 3rd fastest marathon for me which is pleasing as still don't feel that there is a whole lot of life in my legs at the moment. Now recarbing in McDonalds!!

Pre-Race

# 277 - Willen Lake - This is the new lake on the circuit and the first running of an event there. Similar in size to Caldecotte the most used venue it's seven and a bit laps to make up the 26.2 miles. Was a lovely bright day and despite it being fairly breezy (and I really do think it was in our faces for well over 75% of the time) I had a decent enough run. The legs didn't feel fantastic I must say but settled in to a decent enough rhythm and then it was really just a case of if I could make it a sub 4:00 or not.

The route is probably the most interesting of the Lakes, as much as anything as you're not actually running around the lake THAT much and there are a couple of rather sharp little hills, the one with switchbacks especially is fairly nasty and on the last few laps did treat myself to a bit of a walk up there! Otherwise just a solid effort was mile 15 before I dipped out of the 8:xx miles and overall pleased with effort levels and result.

Race

# 278 - Furzton Lake - My least favourite of the Enigma courses, never seem to have a great run here, lots of little twists and turns and what seems like a great big hill (its not really) on each of the 17 and a bit laps... managed some fairly decent miles on tired legs. Was mile 7 before I was out of the 8:xx miles and still managed a 9:xx at mile 15 but by then had rather lost the will to push on and extend myself. The walk break up the hill got longer and longer and messed about a bit having a few chats with people as they caught me up or vice versa. Having said that was my best time at the course by almost half an hour and even my slowest mile was only 11:30 odd which would have included a chat a walk and a few nibbles at the aid station (I had far too many cookies!)

#279 - Caldecotte Lake - Not such a nice day today, but the rain held off just about so that was good, overall we were very lucky with the weather indeed bearing in mind the time of year and the big storm the weekend before. Was another solid effort, in fact a PB for Day 3 of a marathon series by a good way (although my previous PB was pretty soft) and was pleased with my effort from about 14-22 miles when it would have been very easy to just let time slip by and mess about, chat etc as is often my wont! But kept up a solid run, walked up the little hills and all in all a good three days work. Most pleasing was that I didn't get the post 100 mile "dead leg" syndrome at all. I'm in fact fairly hopeful that I've pushed my damage point now out beyond 26 miles or at least very close to it.

#280 - Fireworks Day 1 - Always going to be on the calendar as was Lisa Hewitt's 100th marathon and after taking the previous weekend off was on fairly decent rest for me! Even though was rather surprised at how well I ran, Really wasn't expecting a PB and wasn't even meant to be that hard of an effort really. But set off at sub 8:00 pace and was probably fortunate to be pulled around somewhat by Matthew Tonks, Rik Vercoe and Gary Wade. Managed 5 miles at 7:xx pace (including one at 7:34 somehow) and then it was a long hold on. My initial goal was 13 miles at 8:00 (I'd managed 10 at Kent Coastal) and then actually managed 15 before dipping over that average. From then it was just a hold on, the 8:xxs lasted till mile 20 and then 24 I slowed down to 9:30... but I'd worked out that if I could just hold on for a bit I could likely get sub 3:40 which was just the boost needed. With about 100m to go a girl passed me and not being full of chivalry I apologised and over took her to make sure I dipped under 3:40!

Really was the first marathon that I ran the entire event, not a walking step I'd say, stopped once to fill my water bottle and paused a couple of times to pick up cookies, but otherwise every step was on the run. Mind you that did mean I was seriously dehydrated! In fact I was probably heading towards hypothermia too (was cold and rained a fair bit) as was incredibly cold and hungry at the finish, not to mention I drank 5 pints of cider that afternoon, plus a bottle of protein and went to the loo once! Huge hot dog meal in the pub, lots of cake and chatter afterwards, all good stuff!

#281 - Fireworks Day 2 - And all too soon back again to do it again! I did wonder at the back of my mind if I might be able to do a decent run as despite the PB the day before the legs felt pretty good. Set off at 8:30s but that soon tailed off somewhat, still managed 10 miles at 9:00 but that was that and the walks up the little hills started, and the chatter and the messing about. Did rather give up somewhat by the last lap but 4:25 was pleasing enough on day after a PB legs! As a contrast when I did the PB at Prairielands in October 2012 the next day was 5:15 or so, marked improvement. Pleased also that these days the "can't really be bothered to push myself pace but its running" pace is about 10:00 and tired legs marathons are coming in at sub 4:30s. Last year that would have been PB pace!

Things I Learnt

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