I made it!

Well, Marathon day finally came, and it was every bit as challenging as it promised to be. First challenge turned out to be getting to the starting line on time! I had booked a cab the night before to pick me up around 6AM, so I could be at the start in plenty of time for the race. I had planned to arrive around 6:30 for the 7:30 start. When the cab hadn't arrived by 6:15, I rang the company, and it seems they'd lost the booking! They did send another cab, which arrived within 5 minutes.

Instead of arriving at 6:30, it was a little after 7 by the time I got to the MCG for the start. By the time I did any remaining paperwork and left my gear in the storage area, the race was about to start. I ended up making it... just, with a flying start with the tail end of the field!

The first 10km went well, taking just under an hour. This continued to 15km in 90 minutes, which was not too bad. Around 18km, some injuries from a car accident I had back in July were starting to become a problem, and the half way mark took me around 2:15, which was a bit slower than the 2:03 I had run in a half marathon 2 years earlier. By 24.5 km, the bad hip and knee joints gave out, it was simply too soon after the accident. However, all was not lost, as I could still walk without any discomfort, so I continued walking, with the occasional jog downhill, and finished the marathon. Not the best time, and at 5:19, it more than an hour behind my original target of 4 hours, but I did finish, which was the most important thing. The buzz at the end was worth all the pain! :)

Next time should be better, when the injuries have healed 100% Somehow, I don't think this will be my last marathon, even though I'm not naturally a long distance runner.