Notes
Really, really happy with this result. I started off a bit fast but kept my head - the 3:45 pacemaker was ahead of pace so I tried to just stick to my watch. For the first half, 8:30 miles felt like a slow jog. Started to slow at mile 19 (from 8:25-8:30 miles to 8:53) but stuck with it and didn't stop racing. I knew that 3:45 was probably lost but I felt perfectly satisfied to continue as hard as I could to just break my PB and 3:50. Slowest mile was mile 26 at 9:46. Neil ran about the last mile and a half with me which was really great (even crossing the finish line with me!) I feel like I absolutely gave the best performance that I could on the day. 3 day carb load seems to have helped stave off the wall. I was much more conscious of keeping hydrated than I perhaps have been, but then limited water intake for a bit when I started to feel sloshing in my stomach. Gel strategy also seems to have worked (1 @ about 45 min, 1:30 and 2:15, and then a bit of lucozade at 3:00 but I couldn't manage much). I also walked through several water stations which is a new strategy that paid off - my legs felt refreshed afterwards and it allowed me to take on more water (sometimes just pouring over my head and swishing). After finishing, I spent a long time mindfully drinking as much water as possible to avoid feeling sick and it worked!