The last time I ran the greatest marathon in the world was in 2016 where I achieved a Good For Age time of 3:04:44 which qualifies me to run the London Marathon for another two years. After running the London Marathon five years in a row I decided to take a rest for 2017 and defer my entry until this year. I think after achieving Good For Age places six times (once at Edinburgh Marathon and five times at London Marathon) and two sub 3-hour marathons, I had lost a bit of that desire I needed to run the marathon and my legs needed a good rest from the distance.
In those two years between 2016 and 2018 I ended up running far less than planned due to a number of reasons and those two years of long periods of not being out training on the roads or the track (I used to train up at Carnegie on my own) meant I lost all my momentum in my running and by the time I had realised this it has been too late to get that back.
So, this year’s London Marathon was deemed by me as my comeback marathon and also planned to be my last one too, at the same time very proud of running six London Marathon’s.
I started my training in the first week of January and got straight into it pretty well. There were no worries going into my training, I was feeling very fit and strong going into 2018, however not so much on my running side of things but my cardio was great.
Although before 2018 I had only ran three official races since the London Marathon in 2016, I wasn’t in-active from sports and fitness. I had a long rest after the marathon season in 2016 and if I am honest I lost my way in my sports and fitness and by the end of 2016 I was the most unfit I had been for years, put it that way.
Early 2017 I joined the gym again (thankfully there was one at my apartment complex where I lived at the time) and I decided to get myself fit again and I sure did. It didn’t come as quickly as I expected but I was now in my early 30s. Anyway, I kept building up my fitness and started training for my 11th Leeds Half Marathon in 2017 when I injured my achilles playing football, so I had to cut the training and stick to the bike and weights in the gym. I hobbled around the Leeds Half Marathon in one of my worst times and rested my achillies.
I then had time between jobs which allowed me to have a six weeks training camp and things took off from there, I particularly concentrated on cardio, boxing and core strength to give me that head start ready for marathon training.
To begin with I didn’t have many miles under my belt since 2016 but I had desire to train and my first official training run was a half marathon in 1:40:00, I felt good and believed the speed would start to come back naturally. I was happy I got long distances in early and over shorter distances I felt the speed was coming but it never really did. I ran Liversedge Half Marathon for the sixth time in seven years and I finished in my worst time by over nine minutes and then finished the Spen 20 Mile Race 17 minutes slower than my PB from 2016.
Just before the 20 mile race I had accepted I was not at my previous pace and decided to aim for around a 3:20:00 marathon time, so I paced the Spen 20 for 2:32:00 and beat it just at 2:31:00, so I was on for 3:20:00 at London and that was going to be my aim.
Pictures below:
Left - Spen 20 Mile Race
Right - Liversedge Half Marathon
Usually when I go down to London for the marathon I have a bit of a crowd of us going down but on this occasion it was just me and my fiancé Katie travelling down and we decided to make a long weekend of it and treat it as a holiday trip as well.
We travelled down on the Friday morning and the first thing we did once we arrived at Kings Cross is travel to the London Marathon Expo Centre (see picture above and below) to pick up my race number. Me and Katie had some photos and I took Katie around the Expo, it wasn’t a long stay there as we were due to go to the theatre that night.
We had a great couple of days before the marathon, we went to the theatre twice, once to see The Woman In Black and also to see Alladin, which was amazing. The night before we went for a really nice Italian meal next to the London Eye and most of all I got to eat my carbs the night before the race.
I set my kit out as always the night before (see below) and I was ready for bed. I didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked to be honest but I was excited to run so found it hard to wined down at first, so I got around five hours which was okay. In 2016 I only got three and a half hours sleep and still managed a Good For Age time so I wasn’t too worried.
It was well documented within the media the week leading up to the marathon that it was expected to be one of the hottest on record and we were constantly being bombarded with emails and information updates advising all runners on how to plan their pacing and to keep hydrated.
I decided that rather than putting the pressure on myself of targeting 3:20:00, which to be fair is the pace that I am currently running at, that I would aim for anything under 3:30:00 without really making a big thing about my time like I usually do. I took on board the weather warnings from the organisers and drew from some of my own previous experience with hot marathons and was going to slow my intended pacing down.
The thing is with running the spring marathon races is that we do all our training in the cold and peak of the winter and by the time the races arrive, the climate is much warmer and our bodies have trained for the cold, so it can be hard come Race day.
Every time I have ran the London Marathon it has been dry and warmer and I ran the Edinburgh Marathon in 2012 and 2013 when it was very hot but I must admit I didn’t expect what was to come at London this year, the heat was so intense.
I started this race in the Green Start, which is unusual for me, usually I am in the Fast Good For Age start, however, despite running on a Good For Age place I was in the Green Start which is mainly the Guinness World Record attempt runners (my running friend Terry broke another Guinness World Record - a massive congratulations), the slower Good For Age runners, celebrity runners and some ballot entrants, it’s a mixed bag but one of the smaller start areas.
I started in Pen 2 so I was close to the front and I knew that my current pace didn’t really warrant me starting in Pen 2, maybe Pen 3 or even 4. Anyway, the race got underway and was started by the Queen through video link from Windsor Palace. I just decided to run my own race and aim for just under 3:20:00 pace and to stay disciplined.
By mile 2 I could already feel the intense heat, I was needing water already which is unusual for me. I was easily clocking off the miles at around 3:18:00 pace for the first 7 or 8 miles but I was drinking so much more water than what I am used to, I was dehydrating so quickly. Between miles 8 and 13 to the half way point I was still consistent in my pacing and was bang on 3:20:00 pace but I just didn’t feel right at all, I could sense that I was going to struggle in this heat sooner or later and I made the decision to be sensible and slow down.
I decided with it being my last London Marathon (never say never) that I would just enjoy it and not worry too much about my time. I soaked up the atmosphere, high fived the crowd along the way and ate as many oranges as possible when offered, it was great. My favourite part was the Tower Bridge, the crowd is amazing there and I soaked it up, it really does give you tingles down your spine over that bridge.
The last 6-7 miles were very tough in the heat and I also think that slowing down took it out of my legs a bit more because I don’t think my legs were used to running for that length of time, my legs just got heavier and heavier as the miles went on. I saw a lot of runners stopping and walking due to the heat and there were times when I thought maybe I should walk for a bit for my own physical health but I wasn’t giving in, I may have accepted that any time under 3:30:00 had gone out of the window but now I had a new fresh challenge and that was me against the marathon.
In some ways this was my toughest test to date, okay, I may not be attempting to beat 3 hours and beating 3 hours like previously but this time the distance and the weather conditions were fighting me and I wasn’t going to let them win. I was determined to keep going and not stop until I crossed that finish line.
Once I hit mile 24 I got this second wind of energy and I think (I may have to double check) my splits got faster over the last two miles (or atleast it felt like they did) and I just powered through. I did stop for a wee twice (mile 2 and mile 17) but not once did I give in to the marathon and I ran the whole way, I battled through the intense pain that was shuddering through my body from feet to head from pounding that pavement and I am very proud of that.
As I was approaching mile 24 I knew looking at my stopwatch and comparing my time and that there were two miles left I would be on for around 3:45:00, so I was determined to finish atleast 3:45:00 and I managed it, 3:45:02.
So, overall this was my worst marathon time and by quite some way, however in hindsight I am happy with it. I’ve had way too much time off proper running since my last marathon and simply haven’t been dedicated like I was a couple of years ago. I didn’t really have anything to prove to myself or anyone for that matter. I have been there, done it and worn the t-shirt and for five years I was very consistent.
I just accepted in my head that I am not at the level I was a couple of years ago and I probably have lost some of that desire. My legs have been through a lot and some people do say, you’re only 33 years old, years left in those little legs of yours and there probably is, but maybe not in running.
A lot of road runners, particularly the long distance runners get into the sport a little later in life, in their early 30s and their legs are fresh but I’ve been running half marathons every year since I was 22 years old, I ran six Good For Age marathons, two sub-3 hours, two seconds off a sub 5-minute mile on the track and countless PB’s in other distances. I can be happy and content so far and I have to also take into consideration the amount of competitive football and five a side matches I have played since senior level from the age of 17, I have played over 900 games, it’s a lot on the legs and I’ve been involved in competitive sports and fitness since the age of 8 years old, eventually it all catches up with you.
All in all, I was proud to finish my last marathon on Sunday in 3:45:02 and that I dug in deep to do so in that blazing heat.
Welldone to all my fellow Kirkstall Harriers who completed the marathon on Sunday and also a big shout out to my fellow Kirkstall Harrier Hal with a smashing 3:05:00 time, see all results below.
2:06:21
I must also congratulate the legend that is Sir Mo Farah for breaking the British marathon record held since 1985 and a great finishing position in third place. Excited to see Mo develop over the next few years and hopefully win it. I saw him pass at the other side of the road about 11-12 miles mark (can’t remember exactly) and everyone went wild doing the ‘Mo Bop’.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/britishheartfoundation-richardkennedyjoyce-londonmarathon2018
London Marathon 2014:
2:57:29 (aged 29)
(Good For Age Place)
(Good For Age Qualification)
(Sub 3-Hour)
(Top 3%)
London Marathon 2015:
2:58:38 (aged 30)
(Good For Age Place)
(Good For Age Qualification)
(Sub 3-Hour)
(Top 3%)
London Marathon 2013:
3:00:41 (Aged 28)
(Good For Age Place)
(Good For Age Qualification)
(Top 4%)
London Marathon 2016
3:04:44 (Aged 31)
(Good For Age Place)
(Good For Age Qualification)
Edinburgh Marathon 2012
3:04:56 (Aged 27)
(Good For Age Qualification)
(189th position of 8,000)
(Injury: Grade 2 Calf Tear)
Edinburgh Marathon 2013
3:18:06 (Aged 28)
(Good For Age Place)
(Injury: Achilles Tendinopathy)
London Marathon 2012
3:26:27 (Aged 27)
(First marathon)
(2 months notice replacement charity place)
London Marathon 2018
3:45:02 (Aged 33)
(Good For Age Place)
(Comeback marathon after 2 years)
(Last planned marathon)
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