Overview

Where do I start with this one?? logically lets start at the begininng

5:30 start to drive to London, yes I did just say 5:30 this may be normal for some people but the only times I have ever seen this hour before has been on my on my way home! So I was all packed and heading to Redbridge in my waterproofs before meeting Steve at Stratford. Everything was going well and I spent the time applying my compeed that I bought the day before at the expo the wear under my 100% blister free guarantee 1000 mile socks.

Off we both went to Greenwich and took the walk to the start area everything still going well and still no nerves strangely, the scenes were superb at Greenwich with fancy dress and happy people and glorious sunshine. What happened to the heavy showers??

Final preparations and I strapped my knee up and hoped for the best before applying vaseline and sun cream and putting my bag on board the designated lorry. Off I went in to pen 8 in the red start and waited amongst the thousands, still no nerves!

Right to the race, off we went and I felt good and settled myself in at a goodish pace, despite the lack of training recently due to the injury I felt surprisingly fit and healthy.

Miles 0-6 - Without doubt this was my highlight, the atmosphere was truly amazing and the eastenders were superb and fully deserve the Olympics on this display. So many people were coming out of their houses playing instruments and every pub had a live band and a real carnival atmosphere. I soaked up every minute high fiving every kid and running along the side to enjoy the party.
At his point I was unbelievably happy and planning on coming back every year.

Miles 7-13 - I first felt my knee give my a couple of big twinges around the 6.5 miles mark and I knew I could be in trouble but I still felt really fit and happy so plodded on knowing time could be against me.

Miles 14-18 - I knew my family were just after the half way point and I was on top of the world when I managed to pick them out and go over for quicks hugs, apparently this brought the tears on for my mum when she saw I was running and my knee was holding out.

I wish this is where the race finished as it generally went downhill from here. 14 miles in I knew my knee felt bad and I knew that I couldn't slow up or I would probably not be able to start again. 1 mile later came a big turning point I was tripped from behind going round a corner I got my balance back but my knee took a big whack against my other leg. This slowed me right up and as expected made it very difficult to start again but I got going and ran on to 18 still going ok but probably not maintaining what had been a very good race until then.

Miles 18 - 26.2 - My parents took Toby home at this point and drove past me on mile 18 and I was going well running through pain which is good because my mum went home happy but I was struggling in a big way. I knew Claire and Kate would be around mile 22 and when I got to them I was defeated, the pain was too much but seeing them convinced me to attack it and try to run through to the finish. I was now limping badly and this brought its own problems as cramp then set in and I found myself in new pain and having to get a massage on course (which was nice)

I still felt fit and desperately tried to run the last 5 miles but I just couldn't do it and limped home in what seemed to take an enternity. It was a crushing blow and I had a long time to reflect on it and it really took away from what should have been elation crossing the line. I managed a determined limp/hobble/run for the last 800 metres but I was gutted that my dream and my hard work was ruin by my knee.

I finished in 5:05 which is ok but having been going so well and feeling so strong still, it is hard when you just can't so it.  I ummed and arghed a few times on whether I would do this again but I now know despite the unfinished business my knees just won't take it and I will settle for the finish and the medal that I have.

I don't regret any of this experience (apart from the injury) and the marathon day will always hold some great memories, I will be there next year but as a spectator. I would encourage everyone to do something like this as it will live with me forever and despite the hardest training sessions I am so pleased with the discipline I showed dragging myself out every single week especially through the dark cold winter nights.

The marathon itself was without doubt the most humbling experience of my life and I was getting choked up from start finish seeing the causes and photos of lost loved ones that people were running for (some of them very small children) and I fought back tears for the whole day.

The highlight will have to be the party atmosphere in around the east end and the YMCA playing the song at full voume and every single runner joining in together as we ran by.

MSRC were fantastic all day and I will be so proud handing them the money over, they really looked after me and my sports massage aferwards from Carolyn was a God send, she spent a long time working on my ITB and it meant I could walk back to the tube feeling good apart from some horrendous blisters.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way including all of my family and everyone who has followed my blog it has been a rollercoaster but has really taught me a lot and given me some massive memories that will live with me forever

And finally

This was for you Mum we don't always understand what you have gone through but we are all very proud of you. Keep fighting it, everyone loves you very much.

Simon x

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Well this is it I am definitely going to do it, the physio did an ultra sound and played about with my knee and then sold me some insoles and strapped my knee up and off I went last night for the make or break run.

I am absolutely delighted to say I made it round just short of 5 miles without my knee giving way. A few times I had funny twinges and got very worried especially after the strapping came off by the 2 mile mark. I was forced to go at a very very slow pace due to the lack of movement and the paranoia but it was running and I will take that at this stage.

My new problem now is the insoles have absolutely destroyed my feet and I now have some enormous blood blisters all over my feet but after my knee troubles that seems unimportant now (remind me of that on Sunday and Monday).

Unfortunately I am a long way from being where I was in terms of fitness but I will be making it round and I am determined to enjoy it and appreciate it.

I am booked back in for physio Friday but I am generally resting until Sunday now.

BRING IT ON!

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This is getting silly with ups and downs now!!

I went on the treadmill yesterday for 3k and got through it without any major problems or pains but on several occasions my knee felt as if it was going to go again. This left me with mixed feelings and I made the decision to try a road road of about 4 miles that evening, however as soon I as started getting changed my fears came true and the sharp shock pain was back.This happened on 2 occasions getting changed and 1 more walking down the stairs to leave and then a final time in the office. At this point my knee felt very weak and I was concerned enough to cancel the planned run for that evening and basically admit defeat for the run.

I spent the whole evening and today very down agonising on whether it was best to go ahead and maybe limp round or pull out all together. However I have just been for physio again this afternoon and I am now very upbeat about running again and I am going to try doing the 4 mile effort this evening.

As it stands I am running but I keep building myself up only for my knee to let me down again (literally). I hope I get through it tonight unscaythed (spelling mum?) as if I do there will be no turning back, I have also booked in for physio again on Friday to try and prepare me for the race.

At the start I told everyone I would consider my challenge a failure if I stopped to walk but right now I just want to get round more than anything. My challenge was always to run the lot and I will always have that in the back of my mind when I do look back but I will be making sure my knee is right first before I attempt something like this again. Who knows what the future will hold though I may be back to fulfil the dream next year.

As for now my goals have moved a lot and I have been through it emotionally so getting round in any way will be huge

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I've been to see the physio again this morning and the good news is not running was never mentioned but I have no real guarantees of making it to the end.

I am especially annoyed that he told me my running shoes have some responsibility for the problems I have now, as they are not offering the right support. These are the same running shoes that I went to a specialist shop to make sure I had the right ones and paid good money for the priviledge. To be fair I am not sure my arches are what he was actually looking for though.

The problem is definitely related to my kneecap and has a lot to do with how my foot leans in and becomes flat footed when I put weight on it. This leads to my knee not operated in a straight line and therefore the muscles not working in the way they should do.

Enough of the technicals my knee is now taped to one side to try and train it back to place and I have more physio planned for next week.

The whole of today was positive and based 100% around me running so lets hope the tape and a foot arch will make the difference

I am going to try a short run this weekend, probably on Sunday before I have been to see my tractor boys put the budgies back in their place, so hopefully Sunday will be a great day all round.

9 days to go!

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It has been a few weeks now since my knee went and I have been completely resting it and it has appeared to be healing very well. I finally decided to try it out last week and had a short treadmill effort but I could feel it was starting to tighten and went on to the cross trainer instead, without any problems.

Again I then rested for a few days and felt fine so I attempted a run on Good Friday, everything was going well for the first couple of miles when suddenly I got a huge twinge and shooting pain and it completely gave up again. At this point I was absolutely devasted and everything just crumbled, I limped home with tears inconsolably. How could I possibly even consider the marathon when I can't run 2 miles?

The next day I was still experiencing discomfort but the pain was going away much quicker, I have since seen a GP and a physio and I am hopeful that I can still make it. We have narrowed it down to my knee cap becoming misalligned and rubbing, also known as Chomdromolacia Patella (I think?)

I am going back for more physio on Friday (another £100 spent on running!) and we are going to experiment with some tapes designed to hold the patella in place and I have exercises and anti inflammatries as well to help along the way.

This weekend will be crucial and I am back confident again after the horrible experience of the weekend

THis is my weak knee but it is stronger than it has been for years and the physio showed no muscle problems so I am hopeful but if "it goes" on the day the pain makes it impossible to "run through it" so I know I can't cause too much damage but I also know I can't finish

The trouble is I feel so unfit now as well due to 4 weeks of resting and comfort eating but I will be so relieved to just make the event now my times are not as important anymore

Fingers crossed 10 days to go

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When I entered this the same question kept being asked by me and most people that know me, would my knee stand up to the test? My right knee has been a major problem since I was around 12 and 2 operations and 2 detached cruciates later I thought it was now stronger than ever, although I am always very careful with it.

The training always seemed to be making my knee stronger and although at the start it used to ache a lot after my longer runs, it now seemed to be completely over that and almost back to "normal".

Anyway back to this week a fairly usual couple of short treadmill efforts passed without incident and Friday I was due to play squash, however Friday morning I was getting dressed and I felt my back go. This also happened to me around Christmas time and left me in pain for a couple of weeks, so I was obviously very concerned, I went into the office and experienced various feelings of being stabbed while sitting at my desk however when I ran up and down the stairs it felt fine. With this in mind I agreed to go ahead with squash as it was paid for anyway but on the basis I might not last. Everything felt fine and I chalked up a comfortable win without any side effects. My back continued to then hurts as it does now when I am sitting or laying down but it is fine when I am running around - very bizarre

On to the run, I filled myself up with carbs and drove round to put the drinks in a safe place and off I set much earlier for a minimum 18 but fairly confident today would be the 20 miles. Slightly chilly day but fairly bright and decent weather for my longest run so far, my ipod was fully charged and I set off at a conservative pace.

That is when my biggest fear became a reality, my weak knee was tightening up and didn't feel good at all, I blocked it out and put it down to my mind playing tricks trying to get out of the task ahead but it was becoming very apparent I had a problem. Nothing had snapped or twisted or jarred (like the pine cone incident) which I was used to in the past with my knee problems, it was just randomly seizing up. I stopped on a couple of occasion and stretched and tried to work out the problem and started again with a leisurely jog, it was no use though I couldn't manage more than 2 strides. I disconsolately walked home wondering what the hell had happened, I had managed just 4 miles.

I don't know why but I am very still confident that I am going to be fine, I think because there wasn't a snap or twist it can'tbe serious but going down stairs is providing me with pain at the moment, I haven't got the usual other pain that have gone with my previous knee issues, getting in and out the car and all twisting. I have 3 weeks left to recover and without last weeks run I would feel a lot worse but I know I have 20 miles in me already and if need be I can get round by resting until the event.

I will take it very easy and keep a very close eye on it this week but hopefully in a couple of days normal service will be resumed

Fingers crossed

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Lots of gloomy posts in the past few weeks but right now I am feeling on top of the world (mentally not physically)

I finally got passed the dreaded 13 miles with a very good 15 miles run, everyone has been telling me that you get good runs and bad runs but they all seemed like bad runs in the past few weeks, until yesterday. I completed the 15 and honestly felt if necessary I could've kept going for several miles. The pain was obviously there through aching but nothing like the previous runs and my pace and consistancy was still going strong at the end.

I did however head home at 15 miles mainly because it was getting very dark by this point and I think Claire was getting ready to send out a search party. My final time was 2:20 which is about right for my pace and certainly good enough to make me happy for a first attempt.

I set off around 4:30 armed with pockets full of jelly babies, 2 power gels, a bottle of water and a bottle of lucosade sport, I strategically positioned the 2 drinks at a sensible, discreet point on my route and set off (probably slightly too fast) and didn't feel too great after a long day playing with the kids and walking around shops. I remained postive though and thought I'd take it as it comes and see how I get on.

Everything was going ok and I finished the first of my 4.5 mile laps and stopped briefly to eat a few jelly babies and take a few sips of each drink before putting them back. My plan was then to stop again after the 2nd lap and have the 1st of my gels with the water but disaster!!

When I got back the drinks were gone! I stood in sheer bewilderment for a few seconds wondering why they had gone and who had taken them? What do I do now? I took the plunge with the gel anyway going for the blackcurrant one first.... yuck that was disgusting!!

Off I went again with the thick horrible tasting gel and jelly babies making me even more in need of a drink, again at this point my run could have been ruined but what the hell I carried on. A few miles later I took the plunge and downed the next gel strawberry and banana... yuck even thicker and just as revolting!

I have never tried the powergels before or a serious amount of jelly babies and maybe it was in my head but they seemed to be working. I have said before that the problems with pushing my distance was most probably mainly in my head and I think they made the difference, as I was not feeling my body tell my to stop as I went round to finish the 3rd lap and get to 13 miles. Now I had to improvise a couple of miles on my route and that could be where my mind takes over and thinks I have done enough? Not today I was determined to hit the magic 15 and I did it without a problem, feeling as if I could've (with refreshment) easily pushed out several more miles.

The pain was there as expected after and no doubt will be for a couple of days but my confidence is back and I am feeling for the first time that I can really do this

I found this easier than the Silverstone effort but I definitely think that experince has really helped me and I am now not blaming the same old excuses, like running on my own and doing the same routes. I was very careful throughout the run to dodge some monster pine cones after my previous set back and I also didn't deliberately avoid the small hills and bridges as I have in the past. Under 5 weeks to go now and I have my official number now everything is becoming very real but I back on the up at the right time.

Quick question for the experience runners, how many gels can I have on the day? Is there a dangerous amount or any side effects? I am thinking 5 would be good but don't want to overdo it

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My official time was 1:59:11 and my position was was 3221 which isn't too bad I suppose

Hopefully some pictures will available here soon http://adidashalfmarathon.co.uk/

My number was 5686

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