Marathon training diary no6: long runs

Today I completed the last of four long Sunday runs. Ed, Julia and I went to Hemel Hempstead to take part in one of the Gade Valley Harriers' London Marathon training runs.

Ed picked me up a little late after forgetting her own warning about the clocks going forward and we tumbled out of the car with little time to spare. Fortunately the starters were fairly relaxed about the start time and (having picked Julia up) we all set off with about 300 others on the 20.1 mile course.

We began by running along the canal bank and I found that my rhythm eluded me a little. This was not helped by the long pull out of the valley but with the first hill behind us Julia and I got into our stride. The course was beautiful and deer, larks and kites were spotted on or above the chalky downland. I hoped to recall some of Meredith's The Lark Ascending but failed miserably.

The country reminded me very much of Kent in the pale sunshine and I could easily imagine Norman Barons hunting boar or stag over it.

The marshaling was excellent and the water (and jelly baby) stops were well placed. With the exception of one long hill we found little difficulty in keeping to our 8min 45sec pace target. Indeed we were a good couple of minutes ahead of schedule when we finally finished (again by canal). We had been aiming for 2hours 55mins and finished in 2hours 52mins 5secs

Ed was a good way behind us but she was pleased to have got round. I'm really impressed that having only recently thought ten miles "impossible" she has already done twenty.

Gary Nelmes