Endurance Life South Devon Coastal Marathon

The Endurance Life South Devon Race was my first tough challenge of the year. Unfortuantely I underestimated the challenge and overestimated my fitness!

We got down to Devon on the Friday night after another hard week at work. After a disjointed sleep in an uncomfortable bed, I work early with fire in my belly. Emma drove me to the start line where I was able to register and do my final prep. I wrapped up warm as the sun was shining but there were rain clouds in the air and the sea breeze chilled everyone. I was ready to start the race and boy was I pumped to get out there.

We started on the flat and quickly got introduced to the South Devon hills via a trail that lead from the road. We crawled our way through the trees and mud to one of the most spectacular coast lines I have ever seen. The path was extremely muddy which made it difficult to get a good rhythm. I climbed up the leaderboard using the fire in my belly to fuel my pace. This was to be my downfall later…

With ipod in, I kept weaving my way along the coastline all the while my legs were getting heavier and heavier. The pace I set at the beginning of the day had meant my legs were in danger of cramping. I managed to get to the 32km mark when my calves and quads gave in and locked up. I couldn’t move the cramp was that bad. I literally had to lie on the ground for 5 minutes to get the lactic acid to dissipate. That was it… my race was over. My legs were completely gone. I hobbled back to the start / finish area completely deflated. My eagerness to get out and race and my under preparedness had meant I had failed to complete the race. My Coastal Marathon completion would have to wait till the Sussex race. This time I won’t fail.