I AM A MARATHON RUNNER!
AND THE SISTER OF A MARATHON RUNNER TOO!!!
To be fair I can't remember an awful lot about the day... but a LONG blog has been requested (thank you Marathon Man!) so I'll try and list as many points as I can!
1. Awoke this morning to a lovely text from Etsy Favouriter with a photo of us, full of excitement, having just made our first bag sale at the dog show last August along with a reminder that back then I thought that running would be the easy bit! Oh how wrong I was!!
2. Each runner is given a clear plastic duffel bag to put their stuff in for the end. It quickly became apparent to me and my sis that perhaps we had missed the point of what to put in ours - for whilst everyone else's seemed to include a banana and protein drink we had focussed on a hairbrush and make-up!
3. Sad parting company with FMG at the Cutty Sark DLR stop as she made her way to meet up with Al and the boys, and my sis and I headed on to Greenwich. Thank you so much for being there to support us, wouldn't have been the same without you. Get that shoulder of yours sorted and your marathon day will come xx
4. There was a steeper hill into Greenwich park than I was anticipating but I don't think it was supposed to count as my warm up!
5. Bags deposited, toilet visited it was time to part company with my sis and head into zone 8 (of 9) and wait for the start. It took until twenty past ten for me to get to the start, by which time the sun had come out and I was worrying about getting sunburnt and if I'd be too hot in my lovely new top, and as for not wearing my sunglasses....!!
6. All of which went out of my head as soon as I started running! Had told myself that I was going to run/walk from the start and it was hard watching everyone else pass me, but I persevered as best I could, focussing on the fact that I just had to get to the seven mile mark and I'd see the boys and FMG (and unbeknown to me RH another parkrun friend)...
7. I loved running round the Cutty Sark, the crowd there was fantastic, I was smiling and waving my hands to the TV cameras and just loving it knowing that I'd less than a mile to go to the first meet point... and then I was there and they were there and even though I was completely overwhelmed by how far I still had to run I was on a roll...
8. Which was short lived! By mile 8 I was in the St John Ambulance tent self administering some BioFreeze to my left foot and right knee! But only four miles to go and I'd get to Tower Bridge and then only another five and I'd see the boys again...
9. The theme tune to Black Beauty saw me over the 10 mile mark! I resisted the temptation to gallop!
10. Turning the corner and seeing Tower Bridge was one of my favourite moments.
11. After Tower Bridge there is a section where you run on one side of the road with runners much further round the course running on the other side of the road. I've heard that this can be demotivating but I took the opportunity to try and see if I could spot anyone I knew from Dewsbury parkrun (managed one, of a possible four), it was a great way to take my attention away from my sore feet, my right one having joined in the party by now!
12. It was a long way to seventeen miles and the first Barnardo's cheer station, but knowing it was coming up kept me going... quick change out of my running top, quick hello's to the boys and FMG, great news that my sis had made it to the half way point, quick bite of something to eat and it was off again to rejoin the relentless stream of people all starting to hobble towards their goal!
13. Quick toilet stop at mile 18 and then back to it! It was tough, I was in pain, I felt sick, I was dehydrated but didn't want any more water, and I was really beginning to regret my decision to wear a sports bra I'd purchased over the internet in a panic last week and never run in until today! Actually I don't know if it would have made any difference I don't have the physique of an endurance athlete whatever underwear I'm wearing and my chest and belly had had enough of being jiggled up and down constantly for what had now been around four hours!
14. Keep going.. they're waiting for you at 24.5 miles... you're almost there...
15. Got to the Barnardo's station and couldn't spot the boys, then a little way after I saw the face of my lovely marathon running school friend AG who'd come up from Brighton and all I wanted to do was stop and talk to her, but all she did was scream at me "Don't stop - keep running!"
16. Assuming this was because something bad would happen to my legs off I set, missing my cousins and Aunt in my bid to reach the finish! The Houses of Parliament took forever to pass, Buckingham Palace even longer, at 800m to go I thought I can't do this, then I saw the fountain and then I was on The Mall, the finish in sight... I HAD MADE IT!
17. Barely able to stand I collected my medal, oversized T shirt, goodie bag and my bag before making my way out of the end and through the crowds to my wee family who were waiting for me!
18. Actually it was me who was wee - I had shrunk! Seriously! For the first time in the forty one years that I've known her I was smaller than my friend! Just bizarre! Looking at the photo's I have just disappeared into myself, my neck and back having contracted presumably under the constant pressure of running for 4 hours 59 minutes and 33 seconds - THAT is why they told me to keep running! They knew how close I was to a sub five marathon!!!
19. Thank you parkrunfastfinisher for keeping them up to date with my splits and estimated finish time!
20. Goody bag pilfered by H, it was off to the Barnardo's after party! I must have looked rough when I arrived in the foyer of the hotel as I got a round of applause from the reception staff!
21. Whether I looked it or not, I certainly felt it, and not long after lying down for my post run massage I was being brought a waste paper bin to vomit in should I need it. Only trouble being it was perforated which didn't make for the most water tight of containers when the inevitable happened!
22. Unfortunately Al and the boys had to head to their train, but we were joined by my Aunt, cousins and FMG who were back from the 24.5 station with news that my sis was still going!
23. Another trip to the toilet to part company with what was left of the ghastly Lucozade Sport drink I had mistakenly thought was a good idea, and I returned to the party to be met with a sight that is by far and away my favourite image of the whole day....
24. My sister sat, beer in hand, with the biggest smile on her face! She'd high fived all the little children, walked, run, walked some more, stopped and drunk beer with some spectators and finished in six and a half hours. I love you sis!
25. I couldn't have done it with you, I had to see what I could do. I don't know if it was worth the pain but by that point it was more sore to walk than run! But for the record I think yours was the better approach!
26. Starting to feel better we had a fabulous evening celebrating before heading back to the hotel and taking our long awaited mojitos back to our room and drinking them in bed! (thank you FMG)
26.2 (Couldn't resist!) Thank you to everyone who made today possible. Everyone who has supported me over the past two years, those who made the effort to come and be there today, those who were tracking me back home and sending me good luck messages, LC who was tweeting my splits and sending good luck messages, the Bionic Man for getting me to the starting line in the first place, every single person who took the time to come out and support us along the entire length of the course and the phenomenal organisation of the London Marathon itself. I am SOOOOOOO pleased to have done it! I am NEVER EVER EVER doing it again!
Distance covered 26.2 miles
Total distance covered 1211.4 miles
No comments:
Post a Comment