Thank you all so much for encouraging/supporting me in my Marathon journey over the last 6 months.
It's been quite a trek but amazingly pain-free, thanks to good advice and not many miles in training!
I was so pleased to complete the Marathon in 5hr 24m 12s and the sunshine on the day, given the weather we've had before and after, was a real blessing.
The day started all too early at 5:30 when we left to find the coach parked by the MK Police Station. We arrived at Greenwich after a brief stop at South Mimms Services at 8am and scattered to find our starting area. I was in the Blue Start so I trekked across the grass with several strangers from MK (Steve, Geoff, Kelvin & Steph), showed our race numbers to the marshalls and were let in.
First stop - create a Base Camp, near a landmark, and join one of the loo queues. They moved fast so I was back looking for my landmark quite soon - and just starting to panic when I couldn't identify my co-runners/bag. Lots of stretching/push-ups/getting dressed in skimpy shorts (Steve) and compression sox (Steph) - I just peeled off my old jumper and sat on my bin-liner, eating a banana. We noted that the Elite women were off so it must be 9am - where had the time gone? A quick photo and we dispersed to dump our kit-bags and decide whether to join the loo queues again - now 5x longer. I was now wearing my pink bin-liner as it was quite breezy but still cloudless.
9:45am - start time - but folk were still assembling in their starting pens.
I was in #9 - last - so we shuffled forward for 15 mins before suddenly the gantry was there and we'd started. I couldn't quite believe it but we set off at a good pace and the first mile went quickly. Then the fun started - a left turn and we were on a road with the dreaded speed bumps. By every bump was a marshall, holding a lollipop with "HUMP" on it and yelling out the same. On the 3rd bump the fairy to my right forgot the hump and went flying ... hope she finished OK. Next up was Woolwich Barracks where an Olympic Test Event in Shooting was happening - a bit disconcerting to hear gunfire as we passed. It was quite warm by now and I was wondering whether I was a bit overdressed when we turned a corner at 3miles and met the headwind that would try and blow my cap off. The spectators were out in force all along the course, and especially around the Cutty Sark @ 6.5 miles, all shiny and restored after the fire 5 years ago. I made a date with her ... and continued on with a big grin on my face.
We'll draw a veil over miles 9-12 - boring scenery ie no landmarks (apart from fleeting glimpses of The Shard), missed my brother and nephew at Mile 9, lots of spectators but too many of them had pints in their hands and I still had a looooong way to go. A slight twinge in my Achilles made me break open the ibuprofen "just in case". Then you turn the corner at Mile 12.5 - and you can see Tower Bridge. I was tired but swept along by the crowd, over The Bridge and left towards Docklands and the half-way point - YAY. Then a yell - and two spectators running along and shouting at me! Big hugs for Jean and Trevor, I was so pleased to see them. They were so encouraging, held my water as I downed a gel and sent me on my way with a new spring in my step.
Next stop, a loo at Mile 14 ... but NOOOOO it was being shared with spectators so the short queue was in fact quite long (grrrr - they can use pub loos - grrrr) so I set off for the next set at Mile 15, thankfully in an underpass (Westferry Circus), out of reach of our audience! There were still 6 people in front of me so I used the time to stretch, down another gel and some salt tablets and ibuprofen and finish my current water bottle. Then on to the "lonely section" on the Isle of Dogs (because not many supporters traditionally make it down there) but there were still a lot of folks around - sufficient for me to miss My Supporter, Helen from church (double GRRRRR). I tried to phone her near Mile 18 but just left a voicemail. By now I was approaching Canary Wharf and sailed through, hardly noticing that I'd passed my previous max mileage! I was mostly running with the occasional slow down to a route march (not a walk as that felt too slow). The crowds were getting larger and shouting encouragement as you passed, often "Come on, Anne - you can do it". The grin came back, I held on to my hat in the wind and realised that we'd turned the corner and were heading West towards the Finish. Still about 5 miles to go but even if I did 12 min miles I calculated that I'd finish under the 5h 30min mark. So "Come on Anne ..."
And there were the Supporters - Trevor, Jean, Chris & Alex near Mile 22 as they'd promised. More hugs, a photo, and I was off again, past the Tower of London, towards the Embankment. A wide road, many walkers to dodge, thighs sore but not helped by walking. Latch on to someone your pace, try to grin, find you mean it - pass your pace-maker, grab some water, smile "Thanks" at a bystander for saying the magic words, wonder if the mile-markers have been moved. Look up and see Parliament, try to remember the map, "Where's Birdcage Walk?", notice the trees so must be on it, see 800 yards to go and think that's twice around the track. Then the 26mile marker, labelled "385 yards to go", past Buckingham Palace, round the corner and "I can see the Finish". Someone ahead doing an aeroplane impression, I'm running, trying to grin for the cameras and raise my hands and - under the gantry, over the mats and someone saying "Well done, Anne" as I text the news, get my medal and float towards the goody-bag area and kit-bag wagons. And only then did it start to rain!
Did I say the trek was pain-free? Did I boast that I'd never had any blisters in training?? It took 2 days for my quads to forgive me and allow me to use the stairs again and I had a massage to sort out any residual stiffness. And, as Jean commented, I've got an interesting pedicure! But it was an amazing experience, the hardest thing I've ever done and I have learnt so much along the way, practically, personally and spiritually.
