The London Marathon... An iconic sporting event broadcast all over the world. Something I've watched but now would take part in for the first time, my second marathon. My first one in Manchester couldn't have gone much better... perfect conditions, a negative split, amazing support. That's a lot to live up to.
If this were any other race, I would probably write about my disappointing result, my goal of 4 hours disintegrating in a few moments just after half way, the first race where I've had to walk for long periods because I just couldn't run anymore. I might write about what went wrong in great detail - probably a combination of the sunburn, heat, residual tiredness and problems with hydration and refuelling - and ponder on why running 9 minute miles felt so tough almost from mile 1. I could show you graphs of my km split times getting slower and slower.
But this wasn't any other race and I'm taking the advice of a training partner who knows me well and I'm going to try to not be too hard on myself. The only thing that really still hurts now is my sunburn. I've drawn on my inner Pollyanna. I ran the London Marathon and it was the most incredible and memorable running experience I've had so far... and here's why:
There were things I didn't like... the congestion that didn't seem to ease until the final turn into the Mall, the sound of drums reverberating in the underpass at Westberry Circus, the jostling around the water stations and tight corners, the lack of shade. It was so much harder to spot supporters than at previous races too. Mr T struggled to spot me on the Embankment and I missed him in Canary Wharf. I know other friends spotted me and shouted out my name but I missed them completely. My sister couldn't find get to the finish at all. There were other things that I probably would have appreciated more if my race had gone to plan, especially the intensity and almost deafening sounds of the cheering along the Embankment. Feeling a tide of runners come past me as I struggled to keep running in the last few miles was probably one of the difficult experiences to overcome.
But overcome I did and after 4 hours and 20 minutes of toil and struggle, I was into the final few hundred metres and turning into the Mall. I got overtaken by a man dribbling a football - check out my pictures on the official website for proof - but I kept going. I'm not sure I managed the smile I'd aimed for, but I did raise my arms in relief as I crossed the finishing line and stopped my watch. The wave of emotion was intense and I was fighting back tears. I kept moving forward as directed by the stewards, collected my medal, had my chip removed from my shoe, picked up my goody bag, collected my kit from the baggage truck. My ears were buzzing from the noise and a stray jet of water from one of the hose pipes being used to cool down the runners.
I got to the end of the finish area and really wasn't sure where to go or what to do next. Suddenly, two wonderful Cancer Research volunteers greeted me, congratulated me on my achievement and asked me if I was coming to the charity reception. They guided me all the way, carrying my bags, saying thank you for all my efforts (which seemed strange at the time because they were the ones helping me) and gave me a big hug when the tears started all over again. The enormity of my achievement, despite missing my goal, was tinged with huge sadness as I thought about my Dad. I know he would have been proud of what I'd accomplished.
Jon was waiting for me at the Cancer Research reception - thanks to a problem with my chip, he'd not had an update on my progress after 30km so was very relieved to see me safe and well. I think his spectator stress exceeded my running stress - I just had to follow the crowd. More tears were quickly soothed by a big hug followed by a large cup of tea. The team at the Cancer Research reception were amazing - providing snacks and drinks and a post-race massage. More stories exchanged with fellow runners, all tired, all proud of their achievements, all reflecting on their motivation for running. It wasn't long before I was smiling again... I'd done it. Lying on the massage table, I had another boost when I learnt that Liverpool had won their top of the table clash with Manchester City... the dream is still alive!
My phone was going crazy... thanks to status updates from Adidas, many of my friends already knew my finish time and were sending messages of congratulations. As I rehydrated and refuelled, I was lifted my all these messages. It took until yesterday evening to finally read them all - thank you to everyone who posted, commented, tweeted, liked, texted, phoned and emailed. It was amazing to hear how much my run had inspired and encouraged others - how can I be disappointed with that?
A couple of hours later, I found two little girls who were equally excited and amazed by my achievement. More hugs, more tears and a trip to Gourmet Burger Kitchen - who were offering a free burger and prosecco to marathon finishers - and I heard all about their marathon-watching day and secret trip to London. They'd seen Mo Farah and Richard Whitehead run by before I reached mile 9, but I think it was the array of fancy dress outfits on display that had made the biggest impression... a toilet, a sauce bottle, a rhino, a baby! We spent the rest of the evening refuelling, catching up and celebrating.
The sunburn will fade, my legs will feel normal again, but I'll always have my 2014 London Marathon Finishers Medal and I'll be adding it to my medal tree just as soon as I've shown it off a little bit more!
Will I do it again? Like Mo Farah said, I've got unfinished business with the marathon. I know I can run a better race and get close to that 4 hour goal, but perhaps I'll opt for something smaller and less frenetic for my next one. I'm not sure I'm ready to battle the Streets of London again just yet but I'm still glad I did it in 2014. If you get the chance to train for it, the experience will be worth the effort, even if you only do it once.
Happy Running
LizT
PS It's not too late to get involved in my fundraising: I have more cards for sale if you're interested or you can donate via http://www.justgiving.com/LizTideswell200619. If you pledged money or joined in my sweepstake, I'll be collecting that over the next couple of weeks.
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| Setting out for the start... thanks to Potters Trotters Liz for my send off |
But this wasn't any other race and I'm taking the advice of a training partner who knows me well and I'm going to try to not be too hard on myself. The only thing that really still hurts now is my sunburn. I've drawn on my inner Pollyanna. I ran the London Marathon and it was the most incredible and memorable running experience I've had so far... and here's why:
- It wasn't just a race, it was a whole weekend which started at the expo at Excel and didn't end until we got home on Monday. The expo was chaotic and busy but interesting and informative. I sat drinking a cup of tea listening to eventual winner Wilson Kipsang offer advice to first timers and tell us we could eat chips for a post-run recovery meal if we wanted them. I chatted with other runners on the DLR back from the Expo. I exchanged race stories with a man sitting waiting for his train at Euston, tired but proudly wearing his finisher's t-shirt and medal. I bumped into a fellow runner at Stoke Station and did the same. I'm sure I'll be telling my race story for a few more days yet.
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| Wise words from Geoffrey Mutai |
- It wasn't just something for runners, it was something for the whole community. Walking back along the Strand after the race, a family stopped me and congratulated me on my achievement. They'd watched for hours on the embankment, possibly even shouted my name as I ran past. They'd loved being part of something special. Along the route, small children stood with their hands out, counting the number of runners who stopped to "high 5"! I waved and say thank you as much as I could muster, as people called out "C'mon Lizzie". I got a free hot chocolate in "Pret a Manger" because they thought my achievement was worth celebrating and they were impressed with the medal.
- I was running with Olympians. Double Olympic champion Mo Farah struggled with the second half of his race just like I did, although at a much faster pace. I was inspired by the sight of Richard Whitehead on the other side of the road coming back from Canary Wharf just after I'd crossed Tower Bridge. They run much faster than me, but they followed the same route and were cheered on by the same crowds.
- There were parkrun connections at every turn. I started my London Marathon weekend staying with a friend who is a run director at Greenwich parkrun, so we distracted ourselves from our pre-race nerves by trading parkrun stories. I listened to parkrun's UK Country Manager Tom Williams interview Kipsang and Geoffrey Mutai and had a quick chat with Tom afterwards too. I got to try out my 10th different parkrun with a visit to Mile End parkrun on Saturday morning - great course, welcoming team, loved it. The baggage trucks at the start area were being manned by volunteers from lots of local parkruns. I got a boost going into Greenwich when I spotted a sign saying "wave if you parkrun". I saw parkrun t-shirts and flags around the route.
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| parkrun Tom meets Kipsang and Mutai |
- Friends and family were going to great lengths to support me and track me around the course, either virtually using the online tracker or in person. A big thank you to Kirsten in particular for keeping an eye on my progress and keeping Jon updated via text messages... I don't think he's ever used his mobile phone so much. The biggest surprise of my day came at about 9 miles in Canada Water. As I came round a corner I was looking around for Mr T, when I heard a shout. I looked round and saw not only Jon but my sister and two nieces Isabelle and Madeline, who had sneakily planned a trip down to London to cheer me on. What a brilliant surprise and another boost to hear "Go Auntie Lizzie" and see them waving the posters they had made on the train down. I wiped away tears as I waved and tried to carry on running. As the going got tough, I kept thinking about how great it would be to get a big hug from them at the finish. It took a while to find them again, but it was worth the wait.
- I was seeing the iconic sights of London. Despite my struggles, I tried to look around me and appreciate what I was seeing and where I was running. It wasn't always easy but coming over Tower Bridge at about half way was an amazing experience. I smiled and waved as much as I could and felt the buzz. I remembered to look up to see the Palace of Westminster as I came along the Embankment and to spot Buckingham Palace too.
- I was part of the Cancer Research team. In the days before the run, I'd received many donations from friends and family for extra inspiration. My fundraising tally is now so close to my £2,000 target - saying thank you doesn't really seem enough. I am enormously grateful for everyone's support. There were cheering points around the course where volunteers and supporters gathered to give extra support to all charity's runners. When I needed to walk, I found another runner in a Cancer Research vest and walked alongside him. He offered me words of encouragement and I started to run again. Being surrounded by runners all taking on the challenge for great causes was an inspiration in itself.
There were things I didn't like... the congestion that didn't seem to ease until the final turn into the Mall, the sound of drums reverberating in the underpass at Westberry Circus, the jostling around the water stations and tight corners, the lack of shade. It was so much harder to spot supporters than at previous races too. Mr T struggled to spot me on the Embankment and I missed him in Canary Wharf. I know other friends spotted me and shouted out my name but I missed them completely. My sister couldn't find get to the finish at all. There were other things that I probably would have appreciated more if my race had gone to plan, especially the intensity and almost deafening sounds of the cheering along the Embankment. Feeling a tide of runners come past me as I struggled to keep running in the last few miles was probably one of the difficult experiences to overcome.
But overcome I did and after 4 hours and 20 minutes of toil and struggle, I was into the final few hundred metres and turning into the Mall. I got overtaken by a man dribbling a football - check out my pictures on the official website for proof - but I kept going. I'm not sure I managed the smile I'd aimed for, but I did raise my arms in relief as I crossed the finishing line and stopped my watch. The wave of emotion was intense and I was fighting back tears. I kept moving forward as directed by the stewards, collected my medal, had my chip removed from my shoe, picked up my goody bag, collected my kit from the baggage truck. My ears were buzzing from the noise and a stray jet of water from one of the hose pipes being used to cool down the runners.
I got to the end of the finish area and really wasn't sure where to go or what to do next. Suddenly, two wonderful Cancer Research volunteers greeted me, congratulated me on my achievement and asked me if I was coming to the charity reception. They guided me all the way, carrying my bags, saying thank you for all my efforts (which seemed strange at the time because they were the ones helping me) and gave me a big hug when the tears started all over again. The enormity of my achievement, despite missing my goal, was tinged with huge sadness as I thought about my Dad. I know he would have been proud of what I'd accomplished.
Jon was waiting for me at the Cancer Research reception - thanks to a problem with my chip, he'd not had an update on my progress after 30km so was very relieved to see me safe and well. I think his spectator stress exceeded my running stress - I just had to follow the crowd. More tears were quickly soothed by a big hug followed by a large cup of tea. The team at the Cancer Research reception were amazing - providing snacks and drinks and a post-race massage. More stories exchanged with fellow runners, all tired, all proud of their achievements, all reflecting on their motivation for running. It wasn't long before I was smiling again... I'd done it. Lying on the massage table, I had another boost when I learnt that Liverpool had won their top of the table clash with Manchester City... the dream is still alive!
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| I've done it! |
A couple of hours later, I found two little girls who were equally excited and amazed by my achievement. More hugs, more tears and a trip to Gourmet Burger Kitchen - who were offering a free burger and prosecco to marathon finishers - and I heard all about their marathon-watching day and secret trip to London. They'd seen Mo Farah and Richard Whitehead run by before I reached mile 9, but I think it was the array of fancy dress outfits on display that had made the biggest impression... a toilet, a sauce bottle, a rhino, a baby! We spent the rest of the evening refuelling, catching up and celebrating.
I've just had a proper look at my results from Sunday... my official finishing time was 4:21:51, which put me in the top half of all finishers and top third of all women. That sounds pretty good to me - I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.
Will I do it again? Like Mo Farah said, I've got unfinished business with the marathon. I know I can run a better race and get close to that 4 hour goal, but perhaps I'll opt for something smaller and less frenetic for my next one. I'm not sure I'm ready to battle the Streets of London again just yet but I'm still glad I did it in 2014. If you get the chance to train for it, the experience will be worth the effort, even if you only do it once.
Happy Running
LizT
PS It's not too late to get involved in my fundraising: I have more cards for sale if you're interested or you can donate via http://www.justgiving.com/LizTideswell200619. If you pledged money or joined in my sweepstake, I'll be collecting that over the next couple of weeks.
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