I could sit here all day and say that running in Prague was really enjoyable. Tell a story of how things were when they were entirely different. Although it was difficult, I'm happy I finished the marathon.
Having visited Prague several times, I thought it was a beautiful city where I could spend time wandering about, but I was incorrect. It's a beautiful city that you should definitely visit. It has the historical component, food, excellent weather, and inexpensive beer (I had to mention that). Even in areas without beaches, it more than makes up for it. But the marathon on Sunday was the main reason I went there.
Pre-race thoughts of Prague
I wasn't very nervous before it. The one thing that worried me was the heat and how difficult that would be. That was always going to be my most significant challenge, but I had no idea how huge it would be (I'll get to that later).
I was chilling at my hotel the day before and the rooftop overlooked Prague Castle I just had one thought going through my head "can I do this?" It was the first time I had self doubted myself and my abilities. If I really thought that I wasn't capable of completing the task at hand then I would've called it quits and not gone ahead.
I just zoned out, went for some food/dinner, stocked up on water and some snacks then proceeded to hit the hay. I knew I had to get up early and what was ahead, so wanted ample rest.
Race day thoughts of Prague
The race itself proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated; on the way there, I had prepared a pace plan and appeared to be on track to meet it.
The first five kilometres went rather smoothly, and the next five km followed suit. I felt energised and certain that I could accomplish the goal. I felt confident going into the race, believing that the pace plan was sound, effective, and it was working.
It appeared to be proceeding according to plan, but after around 10km, that changed. With 30kms to go, my legs, hips, and knees gave up. At the 40km point, my right calf popped, and I felt like giving up since I was in so much pain. Considering I still had a little way to go, I told myself again why I was there and why I was doing this.
There were some of the worst feelings in the world during the last few miles. I was hurting so badly. It was challenging to attempt to ignore the discomfort and concentrate just on finishing it. It needed to stop, that's all. I kept reminding myself, "You've come this far, you can do it!" even if the road felt never-ending and difficult to complete. I was in excruciating pain for the last 500 metres, but all I could think about was crossing the finish line.
Post-race thoughts of Prague
I instantly looked for a place to sit down. Finding a place to sit was difficult for me because I was in so much agony. Even though I was in tremendous discomfort, I was done; there was nothing else to do. I'm going to stop now, but not before I had to get my stuff and limp back to my hotel.
I must have appeared incredibly dishevelled as I strolled through Prague's streets. I was walking so slowly that people must have thought there was something wrong with that British tourist.
After returning to my hotel room, I took a bath right away and went out for some food and a well-earned beer or two before my 7 a.m. flight.
Overall, I enjoyed my short stint in the city, I would've enjoyed it a lot more if I was an actual tourist and didn't have to endure a race.