I completed the final long run of my training for the Greater Manchester Marathon last Thursday - 10 miles in wind and rain along the canal towpaths of Hanley and Stoke and then through Fenton and back down Victoria Road. I was feeling tired before I set off and, as I left the house, I contemplated a shorter run than my training schedule suggested. I decided to listen to the latest edition of the Marathon Talk podcast as I ran, a special show reflecting on the unexpected and tragic events at the Boston marathon on the 22nd April. The stories that were told and the emotion in the presenters' voices reflected much of what I'd been feeling since news broke of the attack. As I ran, sometimes with tears in my eyes, I forgot about being tired and focused on my goals. I would show my support for the people affected by the Boston bombings by being as ready as I could be for my first marathon on April 28th.
Meanwhile, all eyes were on London yesterday for the Virgin London Marathon. The organisers and participants were clear that the event should go ahead. Runners wanted to come together and show their support for the people of Boston. There was a sense of defiance amongst participants and spectators alike - showing the world that they couldn't or wouldn't be put off from taking part in this great celebration of sporting endeavour. I read a fascinating article by Marina Hyde which calls the terrorist plot in Boston the "least successful in living memory" - it didn't make people fearful, it made them strong. A quote from Boston participant Shalane Flanagan struck a chord with me too: “the marathon is symbolism for overcoming and facing challenges. This will not stop anyone. If anything, it will inspire people to persevere and show that we're better than that.”
And so it was in London yesterday - the crowds were larger and louder than ever and the runners seemed to feed on their energy. But even without the impact of the Boston bombings, the London Marathon this year felt different. I knew lots of runners who were taking part, including my training partners, Liz and Bobbie. We've spent the last 16 weeks following the same schedule, training together when we could and taking part in races together too. But this was their race, just like Manchester will be my race on Sunday. I wanted everything to go well for them and thanks to the fantastic tracking function on the VLM website, I was able to watch their progress with updates at every 5km checkpoint, even if I never quite spotted them on any of the TV feeds. I was so pleased when the tracker showed that they had finished, as I knew the sense of relief and pride that they would now feel. A massive congratulations to both of them.
And so inevitably my thoughts yesterday turned back to Manchester. Watching the London Marathon, and hearing the stories from my training partners and running friends, has added both to my excitement levels and my nerves. This is real, there is not much time left to wait but as past experience has shown, I'm not very good at waiting.
Over the next few days, I'll pack and probably re-pack about five different variations on my running gear for the day, all dependent on the vagaries of the Manchester weather. I've got my breakfast and energy gels all sorted. I've got to print out some final bits of information and location maps. I've got to preserve energy and get lots of sleep. I've got to eat lots of good carbs and try not to eat lots of sweets and chocolate. I've got to not worry about every little twinge or ache. I've got to try and reach my fundraising goals for Cancer Research... you can get involved in my sweepstake by clicking on this link: http://sdrv.ms/114YgnK or sponsor me on my justgiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/liztideswell200619/.
I've got to remember to breathe.
I've got to decide whether to wear my pacing band, which shows 5km split times based on my target race time, or run without it and not worry about times and targets. I've got three very gentle runs to complete just to keep me ticking over. I've got to buy some yellow and blue ribbons to attach to my running vest as part of an organised tribute to the victims of the Boston bombings - blue and yellow are the colours of the Boston Athletic Association.
I've got to remember to breathe.
If you're in the area, pop along and cheer me on. Your support will be much appreciated. There is loads of spectator information on the Marathon website: http://www.greatermanchestermarathon.com/. If you can't make it on the day, you should be able to track my progress on the website too.
I've got to remember to breathe.
At just before 9am next Sunday morning, I'll find my way to Start Area D wearing my Cancer Research running vest, #8621 pinned on securely. I'll take some big deep breaths, think about the reasons why I'm running in my Cancer Research vest and remember the people who are supporting me. And then I'll run a marathon.
Happy Running,
Liz T.
Meanwhile, all eyes were on London yesterday for the Virgin London Marathon. The organisers and participants were clear that the event should go ahead. Runners wanted to come together and show their support for the people of Boston. There was a sense of defiance amongst participants and spectators alike - showing the world that they couldn't or wouldn't be put off from taking part in this great celebration of sporting endeavour. I read a fascinating article by Marina Hyde which calls the terrorist plot in Boston the "least successful in living memory" - it didn't make people fearful, it made them strong. A quote from Boston participant Shalane Flanagan struck a chord with me too: “the marathon is symbolism for overcoming and facing challenges. This will not stop anyone. If anything, it will inspire people to persevere and show that we're better than that.”
And so it was in London yesterday - the crowds were larger and louder than ever and the runners seemed to feed on their energy. But even without the impact of the Boston bombings, the London Marathon this year felt different. I knew lots of runners who were taking part, including my training partners, Liz and Bobbie. We've spent the last 16 weeks following the same schedule, training together when we could and taking part in races together too. But this was their race, just like Manchester will be my race on Sunday. I wanted everything to go well for them and thanks to the fantastic tracking function on the VLM website, I was able to watch their progress with updates at every 5km checkpoint, even if I never quite spotted them on any of the TV feeds. I was so pleased when the tracker showed that they had finished, as I knew the sense of relief and pride that they would now feel. A massive congratulations to both of them.
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| Running for Cancer Research! |
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| Race Number |
And so inevitably my thoughts yesterday turned back to Manchester. Watching the London Marathon, and hearing the stories from my training partners and running friends, has added both to my excitement levels and my nerves. This is real, there is not much time left to wait but as past experience has shown, I'm not very good at waiting.
Over the next few days, I'll pack and probably re-pack about five different variations on my running gear for the day, all dependent on the vagaries of the Manchester weather. I've got my breakfast and energy gels all sorted. I've got to print out some final bits of information and location maps. I've got to preserve energy and get lots of sleep. I've got to eat lots of good carbs and try not to eat lots of sweets and chocolate. I've got to not worry about every little twinge or ache. I've got to try and reach my fundraising goals for Cancer Research... you can get involved in my sweepstake by clicking on this link: http://sdrv.ms/114YgnK or sponsor me on my justgiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/liztideswell200619/.
I've got to remember to breathe.
I've got to decide whether to wear my pacing band, which shows 5km split times based on my target race time, or run without it and not worry about times and targets. I've got three very gentle runs to complete just to keep me ticking over. I've got to buy some yellow and blue ribbons to attach to my running vest as part of an organised tribute to the victims of the Boston bombings - blue and yellow are the colours of the Boston Athletic Association.
I've got to remember to breathe.
If you're in the area, pop along and cheer me on. Your support will be much appreciated. There is loads of spectator information on the Marathon website: http://www.greatermanchestermarathon.com/. If you can't make it on the day, you should be able to track my progress on the website too.
I've got to remember to breathe.
At just before 9am next Sunday morning, I'll find my way to Start Area D wearing my Cancer Research running vest, #8621 pinned on securely. I'll take some big deep breaths, think about the reasons why I'm running in my Cancer Research vest and remember the people who are supporting me. And then I'll run a marathon.
Happy Running,
Liz T.
Great post there Liz and yes remember to breathe, you will love every minute of it!! well done you are truly awesome and amazing :)
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