Training for my first Marathon - London 2010 by Clare350

Sunday April 25th started with an early wake up ...4.45am.  Although I wasn't fully awake, I wasn't fully asleep either.  Jumped straight up and into the bath.  After a quick soak and hair wash, remembering the words of the Lucozade sport guy at Expo, poured myself an ample portion of porridge, soaked it in milk and popped it in the microwave.  Then it was on with the race kit, tracksuit on top and downstairs to try to force the porridge down ... its now 5.15am!  Was away by 5.30 and arrived at Oxford City Football ground at 5.55am ready to board the Headington Road Runners Marathon bus at 6am.  The bus ride was mainly quiet, and I felt strangely hungry which I couldn't quite work out!  Anyhow got dropped near to the start area around 8.30am and I then headed towards the Blue area.  Although I had plenty of time to kill, it went quickly ... after my first visit to the loo, settled down to watch the big screen for a while ...... then it started to rain aaaahhhh.  On the coach I mentioned to the chap sitting behind me that I had forgotten the bin bag so he said that he had an old tee shirt to wear at the start and that it wasn't going to rain so I could have his lilac bin bag .... after a moment of saying no no I cant possibly take it ... I took it!  When it was hammering down with rain and I reached for the lilac bin bag I felt truely bad for the poor chap who was probably getting soaked!!  It was soon time to depoist my kit and stand in a long queue for the loo again freezing my t*ts off!  I was in zone 7 to start and was surprised that there was no marshalling of the pens and people seemed to be picking and choosing their start place.  Tried to move up closer to 6 but still started behing the runners world walk run pacer ... also the people I was standing with all were not contemplating running the whole way.  I knew then that I should have been closer to the start, but it was too late we were off!!  Pretty much LOVED the first 8 miles... high fiving all the kids and singing along with the bands, and booing the red start runners when we merged!  However after two hours garmin was telling me that I wasn't achieveing 9 minute miles and if I wanted to get close to 4 hours I need to pick up the pace.  I found this hard, purely due to congestion (at five miles we were all down to a walk for about 30 seconds).  Found it hard, but not impossible and by 9 miles seemed to be about back on target ... I began to relax and run within myself in a nice rhythm.  Westminster bridge was a laugh and I leapt about in front of the BBC cameras in a vain attempt to get on TV (like everyone else!).  John, my running pacer from Reading was Marshalling and was stationed at mile 13 & 22 .... it was good to see him and he gave me a boost.  I thought my family would be around here too ...  but didn't see them!  The second half was always going to be tougher but with the help of gels and lucozade sport I seemed to be keeping fairly much to time ..... Then we went under that tunnel (at 20?) and the garmin went off aaaaahhhhhhh ..... suddenly I didn't have a true record of my time and my brain didn't seem to be able to do the maths.  I was fairly knac***** by 22 miles and running on empty ... just tried to keeep it going ..thanks to the crowd I did!  Didn't even give Buck Pal a glance and I couldn't really believe it when I could see the finish was it a mirage!  Remembered one of my mates telling me to raise my arms at the end for the pic ... I did!  The clock above my head said 4.11 ... my garmin said 3.58 ..... I knew I had done something inbetween but wasn't sure what!  From my basic maths I dedided that I had probably missed my target of 4 hours by a minute.  Soon as I stopped after the finish my legs immediately cramped up ...I was pleased that I had made the decision not to stop on the course for a rub down from a medic as I am sure I would never have got going again.  Anyhow, had the usual pic taken and headed of to the changing area and then to meet my family ... they were proud and had managed to see me in the Isle of Dogs.  Home with the family after a nightmare on the tube.  My daugher looked up my time on the internet ...... and it was 4.00.12 ..... so you could say I missed my target by 12 seconds  ahhhhhh how annoying.  However most people don't ask you how may seconds you did the race in so I suppose saying 4 hours basically means I fulfilled my ambition???  I'm just kicking myself for the seconds I lost larking around with the crowd and sitting behind people running slower than me in the first half.  Anyhow thats me done, I don't think I will be repeating the  exercise .... will move on to some other challenge.  Thinking about run/walking the ridgeway in two days ... its 80 odd miles :-)

  ... was going to try to add a pic but I can't make if work!!

Thanks to you all for reading my blogs and helping me out when I needed it.  Its been an absolute pleasure reading yours.