Ely Marathon Result – Running Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Phew! It was a scorching hot day on Sunday but I’m glad to report that I managed to somehow drag myself around the course and complete the Ely Marathon (part of the Ely Runfest organised by Ely Tri Club). You might think in October that it is going to be a reasonably cool day, yet the weather gods had other ideas!

My time wasn’t the best yet after so many years since my last marathon, I’m just super happy to have crossed the finish line and collected my medal. I’ll also be pretty happy when my legs stop aching as I’d forgotten about the challenges that come with stairs in the days after running a marathon (I’m so glad my office is on the ground floor!!).

I wrote a little about my training and running psychology in this recent article: Marathon Training and Mindset where I also include links to many other articles that can help you with your running mindset to boost running performance.

Ely Marathon

There’s something very special about the days leading up to a marathon. There’s the planning and getting your kit ready (and triple checking it), and the unique blend of excitement, nerves and anticipation. And the rest and break from usual training, when normally I’d be at bootcamp or out running on those days, is actually sometimes more challenging than the actual marathon training itself.

It had been so long since my previous marathon, some seven or eight years ago, that all my old preparation routines and rituals had gone out the window and I felt very much like a novice marathon runner as I sorted stuff and then walked to the start outside Ely Cathedral. By the time I arrived the ultra marathon runners had already set out on their forty mile route, a distance that is more than a little too far for me right now!

The start of the marathon went smoothly over the first miles along the river and out to Wicken. My favourite part of the entire route was definitely running through the beautiful surroundings of Wicken Fen. Despite a dream I had the night before where I got lost and ended up just running and running mile after mile, the course is super simple to follow and was well marshalled and sign posted throughout. At the halfway turn around point I was still feeling pretty good as I jogged along.

As this was designed to be a long training run ready for a future ultra marathon, my pace was fairly balanced and even. And all was good until the long, long roads and tracks on the way back to Ely. Those roads go on forever! And then some! Somewhere around the eighteen mile mark the heat got to me, my legs started screaming and my consistent pace evaporated into a mix of jogging and walking.  There were moments where I really wasn’t sure I would reach the finish line that still seemed so far away and I called upon every psychological trick in the book to keep moving forwards. Reaching the water station three miles from the end was a wonderful moment as despite carrying water, I desperately needed more to cool me down and to hydrate in the sunshine.

It was a wonderful moment to finally reach Ely and then the last little push to the finish line and a well needed lie down on the grass (that lasted quite some time)!

I have to say that it was a very well organised event and the marshals were fantastic (and they laughed at my feeble jokes which is a plus too!). And despite the soul destroying flat Fenland roads that mess with your mind, I may well be back to improve on my running performance and to crack those last few miles where the wheels came off a bit this time (and it next year it could be a bit cooler that would help too!).

So plenty of positives for me to take away, a few learning points too, and as anyone who has even completed a race of any distance knows, there is the satisfaction of successfully completing the route.

For me it is now about recovery and then easing back into training, back up to full training and then getting ready for the ultra marathon I’m planning later this year. Wish me luck!

To your running success, 

Dan Regan

Running Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

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