Costwold Marathon

Location - Temple Guiting, Gloucestershire
Distance - 26.2 Miles
Type - Country Roads
Date - Sunday 19th February
Organised by:- Beyond Limitations
Website - Click Here

Well now I have a full set !!

1. A DNS at the Anglesey Coastal Marathon
2. A Finish at the Battle of Northampton
3. A DNF at the Cotswold Marathon

With the organisers enforcing a strict 6hr cut off time, and my long standing back problems making themselves known from the outset, I took the difficult (and expensive) decision to stop after the first lap.

Whilst disappointing, ultimately this was the right decision to make on a very hilly Cotswold course, rather than face the ignominy of being hauled off the later on by St John's Ambulance.

I think that trying to do 3 Marathons in 4 weeks was always going to be ambitious, especially at this stage of the year, with relatively little training behind me, but after paying for the event, and a Premier Inn room the night before, I decided to give it a go.

Not an ideal way to end the week, but something like this was bound to happen sooner or later, and the important thing is to keep in mind that I'm not doing it for personal satisfaction, but to raise money for a very worthy cause.

Fortunately, I have managed to arrange a replacement event, in the form of the Daffodil Dawdle in a few weeks, so I'm still on track for a stupid amount of events. And the next few weeks will see me tackle the first of the LDWA walking events, which are far easier on the back.

Next week sees me tackle a 'bonus' event, in the form of the South Shropshire Circular, a 25mile (and as such not a Marathon) hike around the Clee Hills, which has approx 3600ft of ascent and should be superb. Having previously tackled some of the Shropshire Way in the countryside surrounding Ludlow, I'm looking forward to lacing up my walking boots and getting out into the Countryside.

Onwards and upwards, then folks.