Started on new race report for GCM

_drafts/gcm17.md

+---
+date: 2017-08-18 19:50:00 +0000
+title: "Race Report: Gloucester City Marathon"
+image: /assets/images/thumbs/gcm.png
+tags:
+- Running
+- Race
+series:
+- My Epic Quest
+description: >
+  On 06 August 2017 I managed to finish my second marathon. This time, hopefully, it will not be remeasured and declared short! Earlier this year, when I finally decided on which marathon I wanted to do, I set myself a lofty goal of beating my PB from Manchester. Given Manchester was declared short, equalling my PB would have been enough. Unfortunately, I overdid it early on in the training and injured myself losing a week of training and having to start back gently.
+excerpt: >
+  On 06 August 2017 I managed to finish my second marathon. This time, hopefully, it will not be remeasured and declared short! Earlier this year, when I finally decided on which marathon I wanted to do, I set myself a lofty goal of beating my PB from Manchester. Given Manchester was declared short, equalling my PB would have been enough. Unfortunately, I overdid it early on in the training and injured myself losing a week of training and having to start back gently.
+---
+
+| Race Details |                               |
+|--------------|-------------------------------|
+| Event        | [Gloucester City Marathon][1] |
+| Date & Time  | 06 August 2017 08:00:00       |
+| Distance     | Marathon                      |
+| Type         | Road Race                     |
+| Time (_PB_)  | [3:55:01][2] (_3:23:02_)      |
+{:style="width: auto"}
+
+On 06 August 2017 I managed to finish my second [marathon][1] :grinning:. This time, hopefully, it will not be remeasured and declared short! Earlier this year, when I finally decided on which marathon I wanted to do, I set myself a lofty goal of beating my PB from Manchester. Given Manchester was declared short, equalling my PB would have been enough. Unfortunately, I overdid it early on in the training and [injured myself][3] losing a week of training and having to start back gently. I decided that chasing my PB was probably not a good idea, but I would see how I felt on the day.
+
+I managed to get a lift up to Gloucester with Jason and Vanessa (_thanks both!_) which made life easier for me and Rosie. We parked up at the College almost next to the finish line and, after having a few problems with the machine not accepting the new pound coins, we made our way to the race village. I feel that I have seen quite a variety of race villages over the last couple of years, but this one was very different. We wandered through to the registration desks so Vanessa could change her vest and then started looking for the start so we would be ready. However, there were no signs anywhere. The finish line was fairly obvious, a funnel, a gantry and some pedestrian barriers along the quay where we were expecting it. The map we had to show the start was not at all clear so we had a look around, asked a few people (_including some of the pacers_) and the best answer we got was "well, I think it's along here somewhere". Not a promising start. 
+
+The next issue was the bag drop. I hadn't seen it when we were wandering around so I asked one of the official looking guys where it was and he directed me in the opposite direction to where I eventually found it. Not only that, but it wasn't managed and it wasn't even covered. It's not a major issue, but if the weather had been different, then it could have been a problem! By this time, I was more stressed out than I've been in a long time and the marshalls were telling us to head to the start. So I said goodbye and good luck to Jason, Vanessa and Mark, who were all doing the half marathon, and started looking for the 3:30 pacer.
+
+It was 07:55 when I found the pacer and noticed one of the marshalls trying to tie a sign on the barrier designating which 'pen' we were in. I still had no idea where the actual start line was, but at least I was in the right place and ready to go. The gun went and I quickly found the start line as I tripped over the starting mat on the bend. My first thought was how terrible the organisation had been thus far, but I was feeling good and looking forward to the race so I put it all behind me and concentrated on what lay ahead instead.
+
+
+
+{% flickr_image 36666100996 aligncentre z %}
+
+[1]: https://www.gloucestercitymarathon.com/ "Gloucester City Marathon 26.2, South England"
+[2]: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/af779e_d4517717144e492d8adcac90431ad2d9.pdf "Results"
+[3]: {% post_url 2017-06-30-overtraining %}
+
+[photos]: http://5681402.tifmember.com/?ppwd=29114xbg&Action=EGS&id=256659604&q=1486 "Official Race Photos"
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