Righto,
Finally getting around to writing this one up!
Its been an an unusual 9 days since the marathon (this post has taken 3 nights to write), from the immense nerves building up to the race to the sheer exhiliration and complete exhaustion from finishing to the last few days where I guess the fatigue of the last 6 months training has really caught up with me and I'm left with a bit of a marathon sized hole in my life..now what?
This final weeks preperation was all about relaxation and nutrition, I managed 3 very relaxed runs during the week though had a bit of a scare during the first one with ankle problems forcing me to walk for a km or so. Fortunately the next couple of runs went fine and even the persistant tendonitis of the last 3 months seemed to be easing.
I spent plenty of time on running websites reading up on the do's and don't of last minute training, taking from what I read to not change my diet too much except to up the amount of carbs and also to avoid spicy foods..just in case. Knowing sleep was going to be difficult the night before I made sure of a week of early nights.
I took Friday off work to allow me to get into town to register for the race at the London Marathon Exhibition as well as make sure I was completely prepared for the day. The exhibition was fantastic, plenty of running gear to be bought, info on other world marathon events and plenty of pasta served with motivational and professional marathon runners giving talks on how to approach the race. I was relieved and a little suprised to find that my preperation for my longer training runs already matched one of the speakers preperations for her marathons ie spending the day with your feet up eating and watching telly...plenty of people out there taking that preperation into day to day life I imagine too.
Saturday was spent watching rugby with contually grazing on pasta and fruit, I had been watching the long-range weather forecast all week and up until this point the forecast had said heavy rain, which was great for me considering all my training had been in the cold..however fortunately for the spectators the forecast changed to sunny and hot..just my luck that we'd get our first summer day in about 2 years on the day that I'm supposed to run some 42km's..looks like i'd be breaking out the Tui hat.
Sunday, waking up to skies so beautifully cloud free and blue that it would strike fear to the hearts of any marathon runner I clambored out of bed had a quicky brekky a warm shower and flatmate Gareth and I drove to pick up Charles and then onto the start area in Greenwich.
After a bit of last minute hydration, lubing up, sunscreen application, sewing (charles's shorts didn't have pockets so we had to attach his carbo gels somehow)and a last minute dash to the urinals with the worlds longest queues we were off to the start line.
Approx 9.35am - Mile 0 - 10 minutes till start
We were both starting in group 8 of 9 so were pretty much at the end of the 35,000 runners. Charles soon discovered his ipod had stopped working but I assured him that there should be quite abit to keep him occupied on the way round.
9.45am - Mile 0
And we're off!..well not really we know the race has started but there's still no forward movement in the crowd
9.50am - Mile 0
And we're off!..slight shuffling forward
10:03am - Mile 0
We're across the start line and straight into a very light congested jog. The first couple of miles we find ourselves being overtaken by some interesting characters - Spiderman and The Stig
Ok fair enough, both athletes in their own right no shame there.......
...however a mile further in I'm passed by none other than Mr Tickle!..and I'm not so sure on the legality of his 'tickle' as he brushed passed either!
11:00am - Mile 5
Checking the time we're just inside the pace to run at my goal of 4hours 30 minutes, the crowds cheering us on are just incredible, scores of people shouting out encouragement, little kids on the side of the road hoping for a high five as you run past, people with their windows open with music blasting, even brass bands!, and with my name clearly on my shirt I was finally getting my training dues.
11:50amish - Mile 10
The crowds are just getting bigger and louder, I'm also happy at this stage to have regained some pride by overtaking not only the Stig and Mr Tickle but also a Camel, and at least 3 Rhinos.
We're still going pretty strong at this stage and I've made a bit of an effort to chat to all runners I see wearing a silverfern. A couple of which came over just to run this thing!
12:20pm - Halfway!
We've just crossed tower bridge and apart from Charles' knee giving him some issues we're going pretty well..that is until I see the clock at the halfway point (2 hours 16 minutes) showing we're behind the pace for my 4.5hour goal..time to pick up the pace! Though still made time to chat to an elderly woman running near me, it was her 20th London Marathon, certainly puts my effort into perspective!
12:40pm - Mile 15
Still going ok, definately feeling like I'm running the marathon now rather than parading in front of adoring fans cheering my name. I was hoping at this stage the crowd would have thinned out a bit so I could run faster, lots of runners at this stage were running out of steam and Charles and I were weaving like crazy to try and keep a decent pace going. Managed to run into fellow Kith and Kids and training runner Nathan, had a brief chat but he was having leg injuries again so had to say our goodbyes, also said my good byes to Batman and the boy wonder as well as no less than 4 Wonderwoman..the last of which had me looking twice.
13:30ish - Mile 20
Now we're really running a marathon. Idle chit chat is gone and replaced by heavy breathing and the energy used for the early stages high fiving now being used to spot gaps in the mass of runners slowing down or grab lollies that the crowd are handing out to us to keep us going. I'm pretty sure at this stage I'm back within my time goal but not 100% sure so keep on pushing and even manage to get past a couple of Baywatch stars as well as my nemisis from the first 2 miles Spiderman!
From here onward is the furthest I've ever run..
14:00ish - Mile 25
Things really grinding to a halt mentally, have lost Charles either in front or behind? I'm not sure, the last thing I remember him saying was his leg was cramping. I'm not sure if I'm even going a good pace, still finding gaps and overtaking everyone around me but most of them seem even in my fatigued state to be in worse shape than me.
The crowds are still fantastic though 4 hours of cheering seems to be wearing some of them out, in a last ditch effort to perk myself up by cashing in on my 15 mins of fame I start running up to the crowd telling them to make some noise! It did the trick! They cheered like crazy and I managed to squeeze out a little more pace..at least for a little while before I start to feel like throwing up..still I kept goingA little later - Mile 25.8
Really feel like vomiting now, keep trying to focus my mind on all those friends and family cheering me on here and abroad, just have to keep running less than a kilometre to go. I think back to those two 20 mile runs I'd done and how I managed to get through the pain then and that was without thousands of spectators. I see a lone steward holding out a bottle of water I grab it as I run toward the final stretch out toward Buckingham Palace..I manage to get a mouthful down me before throwing it away.
A little later - 385 Yards to go
I see the sign followed by the 200 metres to go, and I'm still not sure I'm going to make it,
really hitting the wall now as I make it around the last bend and soon the finish is in sight.
I aim for the middle arch and gun it over the finish line with arms held high!
Well thats it my final training entry, its been a completely insane 6 months. As I said when I first started this I stated 'I've never been a runner' right from primary school upwards I have never been gifted physically and from an early age I accepted my strengths would always be in my top 2 inches.
So why the marathon?
I did this to see if I was wrong, to see if I could change the way I think about my identity, to see if I can achieve something from scratch with actual hard work. Earning my degree pales in comparison to the work I had to put into this, and I guess now that I know this is possible it does open some doors as to what else can be accomplished if I'm willing to put in the time and energy as well as make the necessary sacrifices.
Right throughout school in every race you could guarantee I would come in last or at the very best(and normally only because of a kids asthma attack) second to last. So although in 16,031st position thats still some 19,000+ places ahead of any of my previous races!
Stoked!
Week 25 Results:
Distance Covered: 57.7km
Total running time: 6 hours 7 minutes
Average speed: 9.4 km/h
Money Raised: £460.00! What a week! Thanks to: Princess Ruby Keegan, Jo, Samantha, Janko Computers Sam, Louise, Tom and Mary, Robyn, Emily, Tim, Hamish, Ellen, Bev, Mark, Gerry, Renee, Richard, Yvette, Frank, Bhavin, Jason, Sean, John, Kevin, Tracey, Berick, Sandra, Paul, Adam and Richard.
And I gotta throw in a massive thanks to my trainer, mentor, nutritionist, flatmate, sponsor, reporter and mate Gareth. Sure if I'd done some permanent injury I'd be cursing him now, but as things turned out all went well so full credit for getting me involved with Kith & Kids and the London Marathon, an unforgettable (possibly) once in a lifetime experience, and I hope to see you out training for Dublin '09 once that leg gets sorted. Cheers mate!
In total we've raised some £1700.00 for Kith & Kids smashing the £1500.00 target. This money is going to make a real difference in peoples lives not to mention how all this generosity spurred me on in my training for fear of having to give it all back if I didn't succeed!
Thank-you all for your support..and I'm all ears for ideas for my next challenge!
too old to make the All Blacks?...
Cheers,
-Josh
