Domino - Jessie J

The San Sebastian Marathon Course

'I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air,
Now I'm breathing like I'm running cause you're taking me there'.

Cornish, Gottwald, Kelly, Martin & Walter.

This song really spoke to me as I started to 'up my pace' in the last six miles of yesterday's San Sebastian Marathon. Now if you are looking for a fast time to finish off your year of marathon running, then this one could be right up your street.

I'd been eyeing this one up for Jenny to beat the sub 3-hour marathon for some time and it came at the perfect time for her race and training schedule as well as bookending a season of personal bests for her.

For me it's all about approach and getting racing into a pattern of behaviour that takes all the pressure out of beating PBs into one of wanting to smash them with a certain amount of ease. It makes racing a more enjoyable experience and one that the athlete isn't frightened of re-engaging with to go even faster next time.

For Jenny, all the 'planets' lined up and on a 26.5 mile long marathon course she was more like 2.57 than her total 2.59.06 official time. My 3.43.54 more of a 3.41 and in line with my Wolverhampton and Abingdon times with a negative split to boot.

The whole 'San Sebastian Marathon' experience has been totally brilliant... 

- the awesome reception from the Santander Runners on Friday

- the fastest flattest marathon 
- the best Stadium finish where I cried more than Jenny at the finish line

- the welcome and generosity of one Rory Gonzalez who made all of this happen 

- seeing a 'Girl from Wales' join the sub 3-hour club and achieve a life-long running dream.

Is it time you ran a dream time? If it is please drop us a line - we'd love to hear from you.

More tomorrow...