The 2008 'Diet Coke 10K Fun Run' - East Kilbride

Time 40mins 39secs.
This race came probably too soon after my two marathons. This 10K was only 4 weeks after my last marathon. The conditions were okay, possibly a bit windy in parts. The distance was in fact 10.2Km. My splits were around 3.57 per km, but the last km took me 4.50 or so. It was a 'Fun Run' and so no complaints about the course measurement. Four others in my club (Hamilton Harriers) also measured the course as 10.2km. They were all wearing GPS enabled watches. My average heart rate was 168 bpm, which is really my half marathon heart rate. Normally my 10K heart rate average is above 173bpm. I just couldn't sustain that today; nothing left in the legs.

THE EDINBURGH MARATHON 2008

Time 3hrs 21mins 15secs. Conditions - very windy. Average heart rate was 165 bpm, which is 20 bpm below my heart maximum. This was by far my most comfortable marathon. I followed the HADD advice and ran to my heart rate, being careful not to let it drift too close to 170bpm or higher. I made that mistake at the Lochaber Marathon four weeks previously and 'blew up' at 22 miles and walked most of the last 4 miles. At Edinburgh I feel my time would have been close to my PB if the wind had not been so strong along the Firth of Forth coastline.