The Edinburgh Marathon - 26.2 miles

Sunday 25th May - D-DAY

And so it's over. I can't really believe it. But I do have the medal, scars and achey muscles to prove that I did run 26.2 miles on Sunday.

The start was fantastic. I'd walked to the pens with my friends and I felt really excited. The first few miles are through the centre of Edinburgh, down past the now-iconic parliament building with a fabulous view of Arthur's Seat - the peak of a group of hills which sit in Holyrood Park on Edinburgh's fringe.

The route then winds out of the city centre towards seaside resort Portobello and down the coast through a number of small towns before reaching the beautiful Gosford House where it turns back on itself for the last eight miles or so, to finish at Musselburgh Race Course.

At the half marathon stage in a town called Prestonpans I felt pretty good. I'd paced myself properly and I was running well.

The going got tough somewhere between miles 16 and 17. I ate 2 paracetamol, anticipating the pain to come.

That was wise. I started to feel the burn around mile 19. It was getting hotter, I was tired and my legs were aching. But I knew I had less than ten miles to go.

From mile 21 onward it's pretty much a blur -- I can't really remember much other than really, really wanting to get to the end and not allowing myself to stop running. All around me people were walking, stooping over and vomming in the road. My legs felt as heavy as lead.

As the Musselborough Racecourse came into view I picked up a little bit. The crowds thickened, knowing that soon I'd be able to stop. Crossing the line felt funny. I stopped moving and my legs turned to jelly. It didn't seem real. I'd finished in 4 hours 10 minutes, a time that made me very very happy.

My legs have been stiff for the past few days and I've got a little bit of rubbing around where my sports top was, but all in a escaped relatively unscathed.

A man dressed as spiderman broke his own world record, for the fastest costumed Marathon, finishing in an incredible 02:49:50.

Ran: 26.2 miles

Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes, 21 seconds

Ate: A lot of jelly babies, one disgusting gel, 2 paracetamol

Drank: Ridiculous amounts of water and lucozade sport

Felt: Hideous for 2 full days afterwards

Finally: A huge huge thank you to all my friends and family who came to watch, I really wouldn't have made it round without you there, you were incredible.

The Pre-Race Blues

Monday 19th May

I’d heard a lot about the Pre-Marathon Blues – a stage of the taper where lack of miles and worries about the race combine to make you feel dreadful.

Last Saturday I felt it.

After running so many miles, relieving stress and bumping up the endorphins, a lot of people find the taper mentally challenging. According to my research, it’s common to feel a range of emotions in this last week before the race: irritability, tiredness, depression, to name a few.

That – combined with the anxiety of running your first marathon – can put you at rock bottom. And so on Saturday I lay in bed until noon, worrying that I’d not be able to make it round or thinking I didn’t want to. I knew I had to get up. I knew I had to go running that day, but it was just easier to lie there and while away the hours. Even when I made it out of bed I couldn’t seem to carry on. I had no motivation for getting out of bed and no motivation for running.

Eventually I managed five slow miles but the feeling wouldn’t go away. And it’s still lingering even now.

They say these feelings can be relieved through “focused relaxation” which includes stretching, yoga, herbal teas and breathing exercises. Really I can’t see how any of those will help. I am trying to run a little, sleep a lot and stay in a positive frame of mind...