I completed my first fifteen miles on Sunday afternoon. We were in the fine town of Frome for the weekend and I had plotted a 2.5 mile circuit in advance. It was a tad more hilly than I’m used to. Upwardly speaking, the most notable was a longish, steady climb followed by a sharp corner, and then fifty yards or so of steep hill. On the descendant side was a lovely last half mile of each lap through open countryside, almost entirely downhill, when I could slow my breathing to tickover and just coast.

Laps 5 and 6 were a bit of a killer on the legs, but I did feel that I could have managed another lap if I had to. So much of this seems to be mental – almost every step of the way I was aware of how far I’d gone and how far was left.

Fuel-wise I got through 2 litres of water and half a pound of figs. (I’ve decided that buying another 2-3 boxes of gels just to get me through the training is a waste of money – I’ve tested them and they’re fine, I’ll just save them for the race.)

Time-wise I came in at 2h 23 min, which is about 4hr 10 min pace for the marathon, slightly outside what I’m hoping for but totally pleasing. Overall, it felt much better than the 12.5 miles a fortnight earlier. Today, the legs are still pretty stiff, but I’m sure that three miles tomorrow will loosen them up.

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