Stroud Trail Marathon - What We Learned in 26.4 Brutal Miles

A couple of days ago I ran the Stroud Trail Marathon, alongside my friend and running partner G, running her first marathon. It was hard. It was very hilly. It was the hottest May day for four years which meant it was very hard. We had trained well, but by mile 8 we both agreed that we were feeling more drained that we would usually feel at that distance, and by 15 miles I was definitely flagging.

But for us this wasn't just the challenge of running 26.4 hilly miles on a hot day (though it was definitely that!) It was also a step along the way towards Race to the Stones, a 100km ultra, which is a scant 9 weeks away, so this was also a training marathon and a learning marathon.

And here are a few things I (we) learned....

Distance Check

It's been a good weekend for the Big Wales Thing, passing a critical running milestone that tells me that maybe, just maybe, I have a chance of covering the distance.

This weekend I set out to run 20 miles each day, with a reasonable weight (6kg) pack. I know that routes around here aren't going to be as hilly as I can expect on my run, but all the same, I have never run that far in a day before, let alone two days in a row!

I didn't quite make it, but I came close enough! 20 miles on Saturday and 18 on Sunday. Enough to make is feel that, with a bit more training, I can manage the 18 mile a day average that I am looking for.