How did you Newport marathon go?
It was the first one for me. Training went really well - 45mpw peak volume, several long runs at 9:40 - 10:00 min/mile (17, 20, 21, 22 miles), 3-week taper. I found I was wearing too much on the day, I didn't think I set off too fast at 9:30 min/mile, but I probably started going backwards around mile 15, then had bad cramp for the last 5 miles, finishing in 4:30. I think if I set off slower I would likely have beaten that time, and next time I'll take a vest with some electrolyte drink as I probably started drinking the Gatorade too late. Fuelling was ok but I prefer energy bars to gels and found I had just lost the stomach for them during the race.
It's really strange that my long runs, at 6am and with no food before I set off, were better than the race, but that's a lesson learned!
I know the lanes quite well, I used to cycle them a fair bit, but had forgotten how uneven the surface can be. Some of the verges have been repaired by a blind man, I swear, which isn't such a big deal when you have lots of energy, but can be tricky with heavy legs.
I saw a young lady stacked it after barely a mile, blood everywhere but I think(hope!) she was OK.
*your*