Day 741

1.  My toe is so sore that it woke me up at 5am! Unable to get back to sleep I was googling GP drop in clinics and picturing a wide range of disaster scenarios...

2.  These ranged from the discovery that I had a broken toe (what a heroine I was for running a marathon with it!) to bring admitted to hospital with septicaemia (which would show that nurse with the withering look!) 

3.  Quick trip to volunteer (IN THE SUNSHINE!) at parkrun waiting for the clinic to open and a chance to compare feet with my fellow marathon running friend whose recovery is a fortnight ahead of mine...

4.  Oh dear! Let's just say that I decided a second trip to the doctors wasn't necessary and my one slightly red toe can probably be treated at home...

5.  And I can report that sitting with my feet in a bucket of warm water being brought tea and toast by Al (despite him just having run 11 miles - well done Mr L) is vastly preferable to sitting on your own with your feet in a bucket of ice!

M + 6

Day 740

1.  Uh-oh! Not sure quite what happened this morning...

2.  Saw my first advert for next year's London Marathon and felt a yearning to be part of it!

3.  THIS WAS NOT THE PLAN!!!

4.  Thankfully the reality that I can't even run 3 miles at parkrun tomorrow, let alone 26 has brought me back to my senses...

5.  But for some inexplicable reason I am fighting the urge to google 'London Marathon Ballot' Aaarrrgghh!! Actually I could just have a peek, but only so I can tell Mr L....!!

M + 5

Day 739

1.  Oh dear! Took myself off to the doctors this morning concerned that the toes on my left foot are numb, the blisters on my right foot are sore and that I've been feeling nauseous since Sunday...

2.  I received such a withering look of 'what do you expect you've just run a marathon' that I didn't dare tell her that I'd set off on a sore foot, nor that I didn't like ginger when she suggested ginger biscuits and ginger beer as a remedy to my life threatening stomach 'bug'!

3.  Clearly time to change my mindset! These are the war wounds of a marathon runner... and I shall limp and belch with pride knowing the sacrifice it took to win them! 

4.  Or perhaps it was the company of a good friend, my favourite dog that isn't Dougal and the fact that my legs are almost back to normal that cheered me up! Loving hearing stories from people who tracked the marathon - glad to hear you're tempted Mr J, I tried my best to convince Mrs J to go for it but she's read too much of my blog to be won over easily! 

5. Sorry! Let me just back track a minute.... Ginger beer?! Figure if going to end up feeling a bit sick I might as well get there in style! Not every day Mr L comes home to find there's champagne on ice - but then it's not everyday you turn 46 having just run a marathon!

M + 4

Day 738

1.  Not a good morning.  My feet are sore, my legs ache, I feel like sh*t and it's hard not to feel sorry for yourself when you're sat eating your breakfast with your feet in a bucket of ice!

2.  However, they did feel a bit better afterwards, I was able to walk a little further than yesterday and stairs aren't causing me quite so much of a challenge, but I'm still feeling nauseous and a bit on the miserable side.

3.  A bit?! It is becoming something of a joke in our house quite how far from post run euphoric I am...

4.  My poor long suffering wonderful husband, who deserves a medal of his own for living with me, had such high hopes that this would bring an upswing in mood long enough for it to actually be noticeable!

5.  Alas! 'Tis not to be! But I have photographic proof that I didn't hate every minute of the marathon! Marathonfoto have emailed me with the evidence! There, hidden amongst the usual horrors are a few which actually catch me smiling! Might be worth the £59.99 just to remind Al what that looks like!

M + 3

Day 737

1.  Only one thing I wanted to do today - REST!

2.  Instead I got up, took the boys to school, went to the supermarket, put some washing on, walked the dog (ouch ouch ouch!), visited my parents, put some more washing on and then finally about 2pm got to curl up on the sofa with the dog! H is right, he makes a very good pillow! Two hours later I woke up when the boys got home, then it was time to make tea before driving across Leeds to take H to a swimming gala...

3.  SITTING AT THE SIDE OF A SWIMMING POOL FOR TWO AND A HALF HOURS IS NOT FUN WITH ALREADY SWOLLEN FEET THAT THEN DECIDE TO SWELL SOME MORE!

4.  Home at half ten, all I was able to do was crawl into bed. If I felt cheated out of yesterday's food fest, the fact that it is now two days since I ran a marathon and I STILL haven't managed to go an luxuriate in a hot bath is adding insult to injury! I knew things would have to get back to normal post marathon but I had hoped for a slightly gentler return than this!

5.  Oddest thing this morning, I almost found myself thinking that I could do it all again - what's that all about?! (And I do hope the email I got from Barnardo's this evening congratulating me for taking part in the 2017 London Marathon wasn't a premonition!) Thankfully the feeling was very fleeting and post dog walk I am resolutely NOT doing another -  meanwhile Al is still in the tempted camp, and H - on hearing that his Auntie stopped to drink beer en route - has enlisted her as his running buddy for London 2018!  Just tell me which miles you want me at with my cool box!

M +2

Day 736

1.  Went to bed last night saying that I didn't think I'd make it to the spa this morning, however I slept so badly and my legs were so sore that I was almost in there when it opened at 6.30!  I have no idea if sitting in the steam room and going for a very short swim helped, but it was a pleasant way to spend the morning.

2.  As was going for breakfast! I was ABSOLUTELY STARVING and devoured an enormous cooked breakfast, unfortunately this revisited me shortly after arriving home, after which I retired to bed, slept until 9pm, got up had a couple of pieces of toast and went back to bed again.  I can't help but feel a little cheated on the whole - day after marathon day you can eat as much as you want - food fest!

3.  Whilst unable to sleep this morning I had a look at my splits on my Garmin, and was so chuffed with a sub 9 minute mile around the 24 mile mark, picturing myself pushing on desperate to get to the Barnardo's cheer station and all three of my boys, a mark of how much I love them and how strong I was even at the last....
Talking to some gentlemen on the train home I discovered that my Garmin will have paused when I went through the tunnel at Embankment!! In fairness this make much more sense as I don't actually remember that spurt of energy or increase in form (but the love was there!!).

4.  In fact there's lots I don't remember and it all feels a bit surreal.  I can't really believe that it's over, nor that it actually happened! (if that isn't the same thing!) but... something BIG must have taken place, because despite sitting with me at my most broken, Mr L is tempted to give it a go!!!

5.  And despite how poorly I'm feeling now, I had a fab weekend.  Sad parting company with my sis and FMG earlier today - so glad that you were part of it with me.

M + 1

THE LONDON MARATHON 2016

WHOOO HOOOO!!! I DID IT!! 4 HOURS 59 MINUTES AND 33 SECONDS!!

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