Rose entered the Edinburgh Marathon, this weekend of racing includes a 5km, 10km, half and full marathon.  I decided to do the 5km road race as I very rarely get to do one.

We stayed in a Youth Hostel on the Friday and unfortunately despite assurances that they would start breakfast at 7:30 we had to leave at just before 8:00 with no sign of breakfast.  So we did the hours drive stopping at a McDonalds.  We parked up at the edge of Edinburgh and caught the train (no parking at the start).

We eventually found our way to the start, it was quite warm with a slight breeze.  We bumped in to Darren Wood, Diane and Alison, and George and Janet Laing.  My kids were playing up lol.

I did a mile warm up and made my way to the start, one row back from the front.

I did not know the course elevation and it was a tough first half, after about 400m I thought I would push the pace and I was in first place following the lead car (for the first time ever). I held on to first place until the 1st mile when I was passed by an Italian runner.  I could not keep with him (well of course I could, but my negative brain was fighting and winning my positive brain and it convinced me that second would do).

I ran as hard as I could down the long hill constantly checking over by shoulder and I was delighted to finish in second place (out of over a thousand runners).

My time was 18:12, no where near where I wanted it to be but the first mile had 209 feet of climb.  My GAP was approx. 5:33 minute miles.