Post London Marathon 2009 - Putting it to bed.

So, thats it. I've been working on Uni stuff and paid work over the last week. I've got to finish coursework by next Wednesday then its just Thesis to write for Summer.

Admittedly thats looking at the marathon, but I'm looking at the experience of others, not myself. I've had a week to reflect on my performance and decide how I want to remember it, what went right, what I can do better on next time, and where it fits in to my goals for the year.

I underestimated how tough it would be in the conditions, and paid for it potentially. Not in that I wasn't happy to come in in the time I did (over 20 minutes off last year), but in how uncomfortable I was by the finish. Lesson learnt, I'll be upping and varying the training next year and know what has to be done to run comfortably - an offshoot of which should be a quicker time, whatever the conditions.

Currently I'm writing up an essay on Athletic Identity in elite and student participants. It makes for salutory reading. When you train and get ready for a Marathon or other endurance event, you cut yourself off from the rest of the World a bit. You go a bit into yourself, and I'd say an athletic identity is an ineviatable consequence. You have to be focused and disavowing too much booze, late nights and the wrong kinds of food helps. Given how we socialise in this country you do feel a bit cut off at times as a consequence. I'm not complaining though. Its great getting that feeling that you'll be in good shape come race day.

Talking over others experience has shown me already though that as with everything in life, you need to vary what you do so you keep your sanity, perspective and motivation. I'm looking forward to the rest of the month, unfortunately I've had to up the study to be able to pass the course at a point where I'm itching to get out! Luckily a data collection trip for the thesis to Manchester is upcoming, so I'll my bretheren up there this weekend and I reckon I might have a jar or 2.... However I'm also due to run Sunday morning too! I'll be keeping up my running and fitness with the club but from now on, I'll also be widening my experiences. And, as I've written about here before, for now, 2009's marathon is put to bed. Till next year...