I ran my ninth marathon today in Antwerp. At 3h30:12 it’s about 17 minutes faster than my previous marathon (Brussels – 14 Oct 2007).
Ironically, I was much happier with that marathon than today. Last October I completed the whole run against all expectations, and for me it was a great triumph, having also been my first marathon for close to four years.
Today I was much better prepared, and missed the 3h30 target by a few seconds, due to a cramp in my left calf that in the last 4km slowed me down to a jog. I had picked up a good two to three minutes’ advantage on the 5min/km pace up to 32km. At that stage I started to feel the first pangs of pain, but I managed to maintain the 5min/km pace. By the 36km mark the cramp was becoming insistent, flaring up at the least acceleration or ‘unusual’ movement.
The last 4km, along the "right bank" of Antwerp, were extremely hard, and seemed to stretch forever. It was so frustrating, watching so many athletes whom I’d overtaken earlier on breeze by – I wasn’t actually tired, but my leg muscles were no longer there. I just couldn’t accelerate without being struck down by the cramp.
At long last, we turned into the Grote Markt, and even here, what seemed to be the finish banner was just an advert… I was now hobbling along, determined to keep running till the end, the irregular cobbled surface inducing a continuous cramp. The final sting arrived when I saw the time – I had missed the 3h30m mark by just a few seconds.
I should probably have done a couple more 3h/3h15 long runs in the build-up to the marathon. Today I should have hung on to the pace-setters, rather than forging my way ahead early in the run (they had started at a slow pace). As I write, I’m not looking forward to the next marathon. But I know it will be hard to resist trying to achieve my No. 10!
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