Marlow Half Marathon 2023

Steam coming off the early Military Outdoor Fitness Class

With the boat wrapped up for the winter it is the running season!

It’s now the Thursday before the Marlow Half and I have just ran to Tower Bridge to check that my ankle is going to be OK for Sunday’s race. It has been a tricky lead up this year as I have been away sailing all summer with zero running. When I returned from Alaska, I caught every germ possible from the recycled aeroplane air and lost another precious week before I could start training again.

My Sunday test run, just to make sure I can do the mileage!

With just four weeks left, I had to tread a careful path between overtraining and simply not training enough. I mixed running with Military Outdoor Fitness sessions. My ankle is niggling me a bit, but it seems ok once it has warmed up. After some deliberation, I have decided I will go for the half marathon* and just take things easy and enjoy the ride. My prediction is a slow 2 hour 30 minute result if nothing plays up.

*There are two other options. You can opt for a 7 mile route, or there is a new 10 k trail run

Let’s see what happens!

Almost there!
The actual run!

Can’t complain. It was a very slow run but I sneaked in a couple of minutes under 2 hours 30 minutes so that was the best that I could have hoped for. The weather was amazing and I really appreciated the glorious lush English scenery after spending 6 weeks up in the rather bleak Arctic. My ankle survived but has stiffened up now. It needs some rest. My nephew and his partner whizzed around in 2 hours and afterwards we all trotted to my sister’s house for lunch. An annual event which I really enjoy.

But for how much longer? The graph below predicts that I should be able to continue entering until about 2034 although I do hope to finish quicker next year!

As always a massive thanks to all the volunteers who make the Marlow Half such a brilliant event.

2 responses to “Marlow Half Marathon 2023”

  1. Well done Alasdair. You did very well to complete a half marathon whilst carrying an ankle injury.
    Best to stay clear of the hills in Greenwich park for a couple of weeks.

    1. I think I will take your advice! My ankle doesn’t feel too good today as I hobble around walking the dog! Maybe I’ll try some”strength” sessions?

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