Belinda’s Loch Ness Marathon report

Belinda writes…

I tend to choose my races based on the scenery along the route; for example, Langley 7 is one of my favourites. And I have enjoyed a couple of long distance events in the Peak District which I’ve partly run and partly walked. So when an advert came up online for the Loch Ness marathon about a year ago, I thought it looked very appealing. Appealing, but far from a realistic plan because I had never considered that I might run a marathon. But if I ever did … well maybe this could be the one.

Fast forward about a year and I’ve had very little time for training – so my confidence, if not my fitness, is at an all-time low. But the Loch Ness monster, sorry, marathon, cropped up in conversation with a colleague at work. To cut a long story short, I entered the marathon impulsively, only about three weeks before the race. So much for the six long months of marathon training and weekly build-up of miles that I’ve witnessed others do since I joined WRC. My last long run was actually my first one in preparation for this event, and an old ankle injury came back to bother me during that – which wasn’t a great start. Plus, I had family members warning me in no uncertain terms against the wisdom of my plan. I assured them that I would treat it as a run or even a walk, definitely not a race, and that I just wanted to enjoy the scenery and not worry about my time. They weren’t convinced – but that just made me want to prove them wrong!

Fast forward three weeks and I found myself standing at the start line of a race in the most beautiful scenery in the Highlands of Scotland. We set off with a rainbow shining above us, and a band piping us on our way. Much of the race is downhill, with some undulating sections and one particularly fearful 2-mile uphill section at around the 18 mile mark. The scenery was lovely – taking us through sections of forest and past stunning views of the loch, and back along the river to the finish – but, surprisingly, I didn’t look at the views as much as I thought I would. I concentrated on my race, determined to run every step – other than when I walked through a few of the drinks stations on a need-to-hydrate basis. Having never run this far before, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel – and when I’d hit the dreaded ‘wall’. Or how my dodgy ankle would cope. But I’d listened to some helpful advice in the days and weeks before the marathon and, at last, I felt mentally prepared to give it my best shot. So while most people around me were walking up the big hill at mile 18, I ran past them all. And when I reached the 20 mile marker, I knew I could finish, because I felt great. Well, maybe not all that great, but a whole lot better than I’d expected to. The last two or three miles were tough – but I kept on running until I got my medal! So I thought I’d share my account of this great event – well organised, friendly, and probably taking in the best scenery known to marathon runners. I’d definitely recommend it. And maybe I’ll start my training a little earlier next time …