Guess what? I have entered another marathon! And it’s THIS SUNDAY… that’s just two weeks after Montpellier!
And… it’s PARIS!!
I’m sure you’re thinking that I must have gone crackers to be attempting 42km again so soon, but let me explain.
I found out after the event that Montpellier wasn’t correctly measured and lost its French Athletics Federation “label” (essentially an official certification of the distance), which means that my time doesn’t count as a proper marathon. Even though the result was rubbish, I am pretty gutted about this as I would never knowingly have picked a marathon without the “label” for my big race of the spring.
Added to that, there is the overwhelming feeling that I seriously underperformed at Montpellier. Whether it was my inability to digest the gels, the tough weather conditions, or poor race execution (undoubtedly all of the above), the fact is I am hugely disappointed with 3hr11. I should have been at least ten minutes quicker than that, based on my training. To have worked so hard and have nothing to show for it is enormously frustrating.
Then there’s the fact that it is March 2022 and the two-year anniversary of the first Covid lock-down has just passed. I have been thinking a lot about that period and remembering running in circles round the block like an oversized hamster! Here in France we were limited to 60 minutes of exercise per day, staying within a 1km radius of home. “2020 Sally” would have given her right arm to take part in a race, any race. But imagine, a marathon! And not just any marathon: Paris!
The fact is, you never know what’s going to happen next. When opportunities present themselves, sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet. Carpe diem.
I also found out this week that my fourth-place finish means I won €300 in cash at Montpellier. An undeserved prize, but one that tempts me to blow it all on a second attempt at the distance. A weekend in Paris is not cheap (the entry fee alone is €125 if you enter after 12th January), but this prize money makes it feel like slightly less of an extravagance.
Of course, I’m taking a big risk here. Paris could be even worse than Montpellier. There’s no denying the fact I’ll be going into it without having fully recovered (the experts reckon you need at least four weeks to recuperate fully from 26.2 miles). The forecast is not amazing (around 0°C first thing). I may struggle just as much to assimilate any sugars. I may be swept along by the crowds and set off at an even more suicidal pace. I may crash and burn even more spectacularly. My knee may never forgive me.
But I accept these risks. I’m going into it eyes wide open, ready to soak up the atmosphere, see Paris from a totally unique perspective and just see what I’ve got on the day.
No regrets.
