Brilliant. I love that race mentality of really hating those around you and using them as motivation. Any race where you finish with 2 vegan sausage rolls in your back pocked in a huge win. 36th out of 1,100 runners though, that’s pretty cool right and I think you would have taken the sub 4 all day long had someone offered it to you. I kind of love the extra in the gardens and feel like it makes you the winner in truth. That determination to do that little bit extra despite being pretty ruined, it’s cool. I think looking back at my own experience and what I could have done better as both a runner and a coach for yourself is firstly come up with a much more detailed race plan. Which hills to run, which hills to walk, splits at certain check points. I think without any of those mini goals I was just demoralised from the start and kept taking the easy option. I had to cut this from the video as looking back it was humiliating and so ignorant that at halfway (2:18) on my watch I actually said I was going to try and do a negative split. Looking back that was a ridiculous comment and a goal I gave up on as soon as my foot was submerged in that smelly puddle. The only thing I noticed a few of the runners did was a recce of part of the course. I don’t know about you but some of those hills and climbs, despite being warned, were much worse than expected. Even walking up them was brutal. In fact running was easier than the walking. I think it’s good to tick that one off and maybe one day I’ll go back determined to beat that time, but for now I’m sticking to the road or at least sensible trail races. Beachy Head can do one. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it’s fun to read. And superb running Sam.