NEVER AGAIN

So after months of build up, cold and wet training runs including a 22 miler on my own, no drinking for 4 months and lots of other sacrifices the day finally arrived to travel to London to get this done. I was exceptionally nervous, I always am before an actual race. Full of self doubt that I wasn’t going to make it and petrified that I was going to have a serious toilet accident (Paula Radcliffe) live on telly. 

We left Leigh at about 7.30am on Sunday morning and got the train. It was amazing how many other runners from this area were doing it and we hooked up with a few and chatted during the journey. There was an awful lot of nervous giggling and chatting and we all had our own goals and reasons for running. By the time we arrived at Greenwich it was standing room only as the train was packed with runners and spectators and as we walked to the start line there was an ominous hush that fell over the crowds as it dawned on everybody exactly what we had signed up for.

After quite a few nervous wee’s it was time to get in to your separate pens on the start line. The picture of the beginning that you always see on the telly from the gates of Greenwich park looking back at the thousands of people ready to start. I can tell you that standing there waiting to get going is not a nice experience. It was actually very emotional meeting people running for special reasons like hospices that have helped family members or supporting hospitals that have assisted families whilst children have had multiple operations.

Who am I kidding the whole day was emotional, it was exhausting. Apparently the race was started by the Royals. I was so far back that I didn’t see them. It took me 25 minutes to even cross the start line and by the time I got there they were long gone. But we got going and I set out at a steady pace of about 9.30 miles for the first couple of miles. It was amazing to see the crowds at this early stage and even more amazing to see people having to walk after only a couple of miles.

I thought I hadn’t done enough preparation? Maybe I was going to do OK? Starting from pretty much the back, I was in pen 8 of only 9 pens it would be difficult to go out too quickly as there are so many runners and if the road narrows or you approach a water stop it can become a bit of a bottleneck and you spend an awful lot of time weaving in and out of other people trying not to bump in to one another.

At mile 3 unfortunately I started to feel a twinge in my right knee but this wasn’t unusual so didn’t think much of it and carried on. I don’t think that there are many marathon runners that run completely pain free and it was nothing that the handful of Paracetamol I took before I started couldn’t mask.

As the crowds thickened, the bands played and the sun came out I got in to a bit of a groove and bounced along quite happily. Sub 10 minute miling for about another 5 miles, on track for my target of 4ish hours. At about 10 miles my knee started really playing up and I thought that it could be something serious. I kept going and tried not to think about it.

The next goal was to get to the other side of the river to start the second half. Turning on to Tower Bridge was a great feeling, it is quite a big milestone as this is almost halfway  and physiologically it feels significant as you are at least on the same side of the Thames as the finish! As you come off of the bridge though you turn left towards Canary Wharf whilst on the other side of the road are the faster runners already passing 17 miles and for them, probably only an hour off of finishing. That is not a big help!

Miles 12 and 13 it became apparent that I wasn’t going to get anywhere near my preferred time and as my knee started to seize up the run that had turned in to a jog was more and more becoming a shuffle. At mile 14 my family were waiting to see me at Limehouse and as at this stage I was in quite a lot of pain it was hugely emotional as I managed to give my daughter an extremely sweaty kiss.  Soon after this in the glamorous location of an underpass in East Londo,n somewhere at mile 15, I had to relent and what I feared most happened and I had to walk. I stopped for a bit to have a wee and energy gel and then walked/limped along for a while. This was now going to be a battle with myself rather than with the clock. 
The crowds really helped.

Somebody told me to ensure that I had my name printed on my T-shirt and strangers stood on the sidelines shouting your name in encouragement really helped as for the next few miles I walked/shuffled/ran as best I could. This was in the heart of East London and it looked as though quite a few of the spectators hadn’t actually gone home from their nights out before and I was offered quite a few bottles of beer as I struggled along. I obviously looked like I needed it?

My family were waiting for me at mile 21 and I couldn’t really stop to speak to them as I think I would have broken down completely. My wife tells me now that I didn’t look good and it was obvious I was in pain but her bellowing encouragement made me keep going. Once you get in to the 20’s all you can think about is the finish.

At every corner you want to see Big Ben and the Mall but it is still a good few miles. All you can do is put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Once I was on the Embankment I was nearly there. There was no way I was going to walk the last few miles so it was head down, dig in and get this over with. The crowds were amazing but quite honestly I couldn’t hear them, I was in my own little world of pain. I got to Big Ben turned the corner and then it was Buckingham Palace and on to The Mall, the finish line was in sight.

As I shuffled over the line I managed to raise my arms and punch the air, finally it was over. 5hrs 4 minutes of pain, all over. My knee was agony and now completely seized all I wanted to do was get home and wallow in my own self pity.

I had to collect my bags, meet my family and get the train home. Even at Leigh station there weren’t any taxis and I had to walk up the hill. It seemed like everything was against me that day.

I have now visited a physiotherapist and it turns out that I have damaged my IT band and strained my hamstring tendon on my right knee. In a funny sort of way I am quite pleased that there is actually something wrong, at least it wasn’t just me being a wimp.

Looking back on the day I can’t quite yet say that I enjoyed it and I have said that I would never do a marathon again but now it has been a few days it does feel like I have unfinished business and as the ballot for next year opens next week who knows what I will do?

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of this people that have been extremely generous in sponsoring me for this years London Marathon. I was able to meet my target of £2,500 for Brainwave and they are quite rightly very grateful.

I also want to make special mention to friends that ran with me. Kelly Carver was amazing, the iron lady managed the race in 4hrs 11mins, Mark Vanderpump did really well at 4hrs 26mins and was quite smug about it, haha. And my other friend Matt Harper Ward went round in full snowboarding gear including helmet, carrying his snowboard.

Also to the Leigh on Sea Striders members that managed to finish in under 3 hrs, I hate you all! Well done.

Next week, 'property resumes'...

This article is by Rob at Scott & Stapleton 
Tel: 01702 471155