You might find this difficult to believe, but just two weeks after Paris, I entered ANOTHER marathon. This time it was a local event – the Marathon d’Albi, just fifty minutes’ drive away.
I set my alarm for 5am to be ready for my lovely friend Jo, who kindly gave me a lift over there. The plan was that the rest of the family could enjoy Sunday morning at home and drive over later to join me for Easter brunch.
We arrived in plenty of time to collect our race numbers and the super little pack of goodies (bag, headband and T-shirt). I was also able to drop off my own drinks for transport by the race organisers to km 20 and 30, which was reassuring after my tummy troubles in Montpellier.
There was quite a big showing from the Blagnac athletics club, so it was fun to have team-mates to chat to and joke around with before the start – always helps to keep the nerves at bay I find!
The gun went at 8:45am for a mass start of marathon and half marathon runners. This meant I was able to settle into a comfortable rhythm (about 4:15/km) with three or four other Blagnac athletes. The half followed our route until about 11km (when they turned round and headed back) and that first quarter of the race was awesome. The road flew by under my feet. At one point I checked my watch and we were a whole kilometer further on than I had thought!
After the half marathoners left us, our route carried on along the stunning Tarn valley in gorgeous sunshine, until our own turn-around point at 22km. I settled in shoulder-to-shoulder with my team-mate Christian (a super strong masters athlete) and really enjoyed this section with his company. There are two famous tunnels on the Albi marathon route (and you do each twice). It is quite disconcerting as it really is incredibly dark – but so much better with company.
I fell off Christian’s pace at about 20km, but didn’t feel like I slowed down too horribly. The lead lady dropped out and another stopped on the side of the road with awful stomach issues, poor thing, so I realised I was in the lead. I do love to be in the lead! It gives me such a boost to hear “première féminin”. I knew I probably wouldn’t hang on to the lead, but you have to be “in the moment” and just enjoy the sensation while it lasts.
Running back towards Albi there were definitely more uphill sections, plus I found myself in “no man’s land” with no other runner anywhere near me, until the lady with the dodgy tummy powered past me at about 37km. My stats show me I slowed down a lot (just like Montpellier, just like Paris), but I didn’t actually feel like I hit the wall this time.
Coming up the last long road I managed to speed up a bit and overtook two men on the lap of the running track at the very end. I crossed the line in 3:13:05, second overall female and…. CHAMPION OF OCCITANIE!
I was relieved to finish, but super happy and proud to have won the regional championship (the first lady having come from a different part of France). The time was, once again, not what I was dreaming of and clearly not a very worthy result for a regional championship. But, you have to enter the championship if you want to win it… and you have to run 42.2km to get your hands on that medal! This was not an easy thing for me to do, as my third marathon in four weeks, but I did it.
Although I felt fine crossing the line (the atmosphere in the sunny stadium was fabulous), after collecting my prizes I felt horribly sick and ended up vomiting my guts up three times over the next few hours (so much for Easter brunch). I couldn’t keep anything down – not even sips of water. How I didn’t end up hospitalised with dehydration I don’t know!
Judging from the mind-boggling volume of the vomit (sorry), my stomach really hadn’t processed any of the drinks I had consumed during the race. This was about 200ml of sports drink between 5 and 10km, the same between 20 and 25km, a gel at about 28km (I had two sips then chucked it as I could tell it wasn’t going in) and a final 250ml of diluted lime cordial between 30 and 35km. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I don’t think that’s a lot for over three hours of running on a warm day.
Something definitely isn’t working hydration/nutrition-wise for me though. This is the nut I have to crack before my next marathon.
Yes, I said “next marathon”…! This beast of a race has beaten me three times this spring, but I haven’t given up yet. I’m determined to get that sub-three hour time (and a personal best) in 2022… I’ll be back!
