Hello from the other side. London Marathon 2016

London Marathon 2016

Hello from the other side.

A spectator's blog.

Last year I was lucky enough to gain a charity  place in the Virgin London Marathon (VLM) and I remember the high from that day, like it was yesterday. I can recollect all the training that I completed, collecting my number from the expo and the enormous amount of excitement that I felt the week before the event.
I felt real disappointment back in October, when I found out I had not got a ballot place for VLM 2016, but I decided to sign up for the Paris marathon instead.
Paris 26.2 was awesome!  A beautiful city, with great weather and fabulous supporters.
 I managed to drag most of my family and friends out there too, a cunning piece of marketing on my behalf! ‘Why not come to Paris for a weekend break and watch me run?’ Why not indeed! They all boarded the Eurostar, then cheered me on and we had a fabulous time together before and after.
 As my friends collected their numbers for VLM  from the Excel in London, I suddenly became envious of what was in store for them. How can anyone be envious of running 26.2 miles, you may ask.

2015 Virgin London marathon.

Well to sum it up, it's the atmosphere, the sense of being part of something huge, the build up on social media and the whole feeling of love and community that surrounds it.
The BBC treat it like an old friend and Paula Radcliffe’s World record & course record of 2hr 13 mins still stands strong from 2003. Watching it from the comfort of your own sofa you can’t help but be inspired.
Having watched it myself from home for many years, this year I decided to go and support and I’m so glad I did! The atmosphere is electrifying, cheering the runners on and shouting out their names felt like a release from all those envious thoughts!
We were located at mile 9 with a great view, getting there early we managed to see most of the action from the start and as the wheelchair race whooshed by, it was clear the weather was perking up and wasn't going to snow as predicted.
The next group to run past were the ambulant athletes and the visually impaired runners with their guides.

The elite men flying past.

Then the elite women zoomed past 9 miles in 48 mins!!! Wow! They were followed by the elite men who passed in 41 mins!  The masses were not far behind.
The charity runners started to pass us and I clapped and whistled, cheered, shouted names and nearly cried! It was very emotional to say the least!
I spotted  Iwan Thomas and Dame Kelly Holmes amongst the thousands of runners and kept my eyes peeled for 4 other fellow runners that I knew. The fancy dress and costumes worn were stunning and I take my hat off to the running rhinos, the dinosaurs and the storm troopers, they look so heavy and impractical to run in! I did manage to catch a glimpse of my 2  friends but they didn’t hear me screaming their names, but I was glad they were still running and they looked happy.

Respect for those runners in dinosaurs, rhinos and minion costumes.

We had starting talking to a lady next to us with her mum and son, they didn’t know anyone running but came every year to support and always stayed til the end. They came up with a marathon type bingo which kept us alert and amused. The challenge was to find the following;
a Barry, a Sheila, take a selfie with a horse costume behind you and high five the Grim Reaper! It was the best game ever and it kept her son enthralled for nearly 4 hours.
They were a real insight into what the London Marathon supporters are all about, cheering everyone on and loving the day! I told them I would be running it again next year and they agreed to meet my other half at exactly the same point in 2017 with a new improved marathon bingo game and to cheer me on with a big sign that would read  “ Go Brenda Go”.

It was so emotional watching everyone's journey, it took me back to 2015, when upon seeing my girlfriend at mile 9 I felt emotional, yet surprisingly strong! It was only when I saw Big Ben that I was finally convinced that I would finish! The volume, from the crowd cheering increased and I raced across the finish line achieving a new personal best of 4hr.28! I was over the moon and even after 26.2 miles I felt invincible and didn’t sleep for 3 nights!
My marathon journey started in 2014 and it had not all been hugs and puppies!
It had been hard work, true grit and determination coupled with pure stubbornness had got me through Brighton in 2014 and I vowed never to run another one again! The attention I received as a broken runner in Brighton is the only thing that got me across the finish line and I wish I could say thank you to all those random strangers that took time out of their lives to cheer me on.
It was time to pay it back! Genuine kindness and encouragement was the name of the game and I was in charge!

Cheering everyone on.

Instead of moving onto Canary Wharf, we decided to stay and cheer all the runners coming through until the end. Most spectators move on to the finish once they have seen their loved ones, which leaves the course empty of supporters for the last of the runners, not great when you need a boost. So we whooped, clapped, cheered and shouted out names til the very end, I didn't know these runners but I remember thinking how amazing the London Marathon was last year, I wanted to give them my full support and reassure them that they could finish it.
Random strangers shouting out your name, kids giving you high fives and people giving you jelly babies and support, is exactly what you need to get you through the long miles of a marathon. Given half a chance I would have walked or run beside some of the runners, chatted to them and told them how amazing they were doing, however, my barrier jumping days are over and the marshalls were still about!

 The last of the last runners passed us, so we decided to call it a day and head home. It had been such an awesome experience and although I was gutted to not have taken part myself, I came home feeling just as high as I did last year! Although, thankfully I did manage to sleep that night.

So what did I learn?
I should never really feel envious of something I have already had the honour of experiencing.
Supporters are not just random strangers, they are friends you just haven't met yet.
Marathon bingo is the best game ever!
London is still awesome and to quote the great  Arnold Schwarzenegger “I’ll be back!”

Watch this space for the the next big challenge!!
50before50
Runtoryrun
VLM2016

Breakfast with a Dame!

Breakfast with a Dame.

It's not every day you get to meet your sporting hero, let alone have breakfast with one!
This is, however, exactly what happened on a bright sunny morning in Hildenborough at Cafe 1809. I found myself with 15 or so other people, waiting excitedly for the Running Hub to begin with Dame Kelly Holmes. The small crowd,mostly from the land of Twitter & Fitness, drank tea and I did a little networking to find out who was who before the main event!
But, how did I get here you may ask.
Rewind to the previous weekend, where I had entered a competition with Fitness Rewards on Twitter. I uploaded the statistics from my latest run and 3 days later John McGlone had invited me to the exclusive event, I was thrilled and could barely contain my excitement!


DKH was very relaxed and she welcomed everyone to her Cafe 1809 with a smile and then the room fell silent in anticipation of the what was to come.
She started with a brief intro and history behind Cafe 1809, her race number from Athens 2004, where she had won double Olympic gold. The building used to be the an old newsagents called “Fags and Mags” and DKH had worked there doing several paper rounds as a child.
She had tried to buy the property for years with no luck, but eventually it was purchased and work started in 2013 to demolish most of it and construct the Cafe from ground level. Most of the original building had disappeared, but what emerged was a brand new designer hub for the local community to enjoy. A meeting place for Yummy Mummy’s, runners, and cyclists to eat, drink and chat, with the added bonus that you may catch a glimpse of DKH!
DKH talked with passion about her school days at Hugh Christie Comprehensive School and how her PE teacher Debbie Page had encouraged her to get involved with athletics.
She joined the Tonbridge Athletics club at the age of 12 and progressed in athletics with the help of coach Dave Arnold.

An insight to the early years.

At the age of 17 DKH joined the Army, starting as a HGV driver and later becoming a PTI.
For several years she combined both athletics and her employment in the Army, until funding increased allowing her to become a full time athlete in 1997.
DKH talked openly about the high and lows of competing with depression and darker days of self harm, which were mixed in with success, disappointment and injuries.
With a career that boasts Olympic bronze in 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2 silver medals and a bronze at the World Championships, a silver at the World Indoor Championships, a silver and a bronze at the European Championships and 2  gold medals and 1 silver at the Commonwealth Games, she already had an amazing career on the track. Her most significant and life changing wins came in 2004 at the Athens Olympics where she won the double Olympic gold in 800m and 1500m. DKH gave us an insight to her Athletic years and then we all watched the Athens races with her.
I instantly got goosebumps. Suddenly, I knew I was in the presence of an incredibly focused and determined human being! That moment in time had been the pinnacle of many years hard work, commitment and dedication to track running and it had meant so much to so many people!
More personal achievements followed in 2004 when she was voted as Britain's Sports Personality of the Year. She then went on to become Dame Kelly Holmes OBE in 2005, which was also the same year she retired from athletics.

Virgin London Marathon
In Jan 2016 DKH had announced she was running the London Marathon, inspired by her friends that ran VLM 2015. Social media and runners up and down the country went mad for it, Twitter nearly exploded!
She began to share her concerns and her training stories with us. We all chipped in with our marathon adventures and reassurance, but every now and then, she blurted out
 “Why am I doing this?” and then cringed at the thought of another long run!
She asked us questions like “Is it normal to go out the day before your long run and stash snacks and drinks in bushes?”. This caused much debate and laughter, almost like snack orienteering, but with running in between! Maybe not normal, but very creative and funny!
She also suggested taking Imodium before any long runs and on the actual marathon day, again this was meet with “oh no, I wouldn't do that, who gave you that advice?”
She replied, with a smile, “ Paula Radcliffe!”
Well I'm guessing that advice is coming from an expert with a few marathons under her belt, and one brown pant incident! I mean who we to disagree with Paula!
Running 26.2 miles is not easy and it doesn’t seem to get any easier. Even after 7 it still hurts like hell for me!!
For DKH, as a fast middle distance runner, her whole biomechanics had to change to adapt her running style to the longer runs, something that landed her in a whole world of pain back in Feb. After her first 18 mile run she was crippled and ended up in hospital for spinal injections to ease the neural pain. She said “ It was like ants were crawling all over my body”. After 7 days rest she was back to training and managed to keep on track with the relentless weekly long runs. She states her preference on having a hot bath now, over an ice bath and is a chocolate enthusiast, a nice reward after all the marathon training and fundraising in the recent months.

Aside from the challenge of running a marathon, DKH has set herself a huge target of  fundraising £250,000 this year and she talked us through the 5 charities she is supporting and what they mean to her.
The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust - Set up in 2008 this not only supports athletes as they transition from sport, but also uses their skills and experience to transform the lives of disadvantaged youths through mentoring programmes.
Myeloma UK - A rare, incurable cancer of the blood, DKH has a  personal attachment to this charity, her mother has now gone into remission.
MIND - Mental health charity helping to highlight and give awareness to issues that are often silenced and have effected Kelly personally, particularly depression and self-harming.
The Pickering Trust - Provides emotional support for people affected by cancer.
Hospice in the Weald - Where her coach, Dave Arnold, passed away two years to the day after she DKH won the 1500m gold medal in Athens.

A superb breakfast had been laid on for us and we moved into the function room to allow paying customers into 1809.
DKH started the Q & A session and again she made us laugh by asking “What's this taper run all about? In my athletic years this would have been a quick pace up and down the track, not an 11 mile run! 11 miles!!” I have to say I would've agreed 2 years ago but now it all seems perfectly normal to me!

Let the Q & A begin.

We talked all things marathon. What snacks do you take with you? All replies to this question seemed fairly standard, gels, jelly beans etc until someone randomly shouted out “satsuma!”
The same woman later shouted out “apricots” which conjured up an image of her in a Carmen Miranda style running outfit with a fruit bowl on her head! Aside from all the fruit talk, sharing best practice is a great way to get top tips and runners are always a great sharing community.


We talked about playlists, the boredom of the long run and her constant watch checking!
She was wearing a huge new Garmin that told you everything, splits, pace, average pace, time and could probably read you your horoscope and do your weekly food shop for you too!
We all agreed about the ongoing battle with the little voice in your head telling you to stop, or you need the loo, or you’re tired, you're thirsty, you're done, but it is the determined mindset of most marathon runners and not their legs that get them through 26.2 miles.
She has also turned into an avid Parkrunner at the weekends and turns up in her pink hat at randomly selected Parkruns a few times a month! The look on peoples faces as she whizzes past them must be priceless!
The Q & A was coming to an end and after a few raffle prizes were dished out it was a great opportunity to get a photo with DKH. She was gracious and polite to everyone and her infectious smile continued whilst signing everything that was thrust in front of her, thankfully no satsuma appeared!
I had thoroughly enjoyed the last two and a half hours and felt honoured to be in the presence of such an inspiring role model, leader and personality.
As I had my photo taken and wished DKH good luck with her 1st marathon, I asked
“ Do you think you will do another marathon, could it become a yearly event?”
She just laughed and replied, with a sparkle in her eyes “ Not a chance!!”

Good luck.

To support DKH and donate to the 5 charities visit her page
 ukvirginmoneygiving.com/teamKellysHeros or text KRun26 £10 to 70070

#runtory
#firtnessrewards
#marathonchat
#ukrunchat
#50before50
#DameKellyHolmes
#Kelly’sHeros
#1809
#VLM

Please note no satsumas were harmed in the writing of this blog! ;)
Thank you for reading my blog, tune in next time for an update on how training for
100km Race to the Stones is going.

Paris or bust!

Paris Marathon

April 3rd 2016

Paris or bust!
The marathon bug had well and truly bitten by the time I registered for the Paris Marathon 2016. I remember the wave of excitement as I opened up my confirmation email, which also generated my race number 66976.
A few weeks later my friend Jodie had asked me if I would train her to run a marathon and I, of course, said yes! Within hours Jodie had signed up to Paris and I started work on our training plan.
We promised to stick to the schedule and support each other through thick and thin!
Winter marathon training is never easy and both of us suffered with coughs, colds, tiredness and injuries but we battled ever forward with the schedule and rested up over Christmas. We resumed in January which resulted in some of the funniest and hardest runs I’ve ever done, all completed with smiles on our faces and sometimes tears too!
By March our longest runs were behind us and we both nervously tapered 2 weeks before the big event, Jodie was ready for her 1st marathon and I was ready for my 7th!

In sickness & in health.
God I felt ill!!
Arriving in Paris, after months of training I was a mixture of nerves and excitement.  I had spent the last 10 days in the UK feeling under the weather, which had left me tired, uncomfortable and irritable!
I made my way to the expo and picked up my number with ease and whilst I tried to enjoy the atmosphere my stomach flipped over. Unsure if it was nerves or illness I tried to mentally convince myself that everything would be ok……..
The night before the Marathon  I ate a very bland meal, had a bath and went to bed early but at 1am all was not well! I woke up, feeling hot, cold and nauseous, my stomach gurgling!
No, no,no! This can’t be happening?! I ran to the toilet and 2 minutes later I had lost the entire contents of my stomach….. Both ends! I thought that was it, game over! Food poisoning? Stomach bug? There had been so much of it going around at work, but I thought I had managed to dodge it, maybe not. Was I even going to make it to the start line? Maybe not...
I put myself back to bed and tried to calm my mind, breathe in, breathe out. I meditated for about 5 mins before I fell back to sleep, hoping the sickness would pass.

Let's get ready to rumble!
I woke at 6am and cautiously got out of bed. The good news was I felt ok and after a small breakfast and hydration drink (preferred choice SOS berry) it was time to make my way to the start line.
The bad news was that Jodie was in a different starting pen and despite my best efforts, vaulting over two pen gates to get to her, we failed to meet up. We had agreed that I would catch her up, my last words were “keep to the left and I will find you!”

Separated from Jodie, but feeling determined.

The atmosphere was electric, chaotic and confusing, probably not helped by my lack of understanding of the french language. As all the tannoys went out I just stood in my pen soaking up the crowd's energy! The weather was bright and sunny and The Arc de Triomphe was silhouetted behind me by a perfect blue sky. At last, I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and as I ran over the start line, I began to feel excited, happy and well enough to run!
Paris, in all its beauty lay before me on this glorious spring day, all I had to do was catch Jodie up!!
I decided to up my pace and started to blast out 8-9 min mile in hope of finding Jodie before 5km. ( my usual pace is 10 min mile!)
Alas, I had not caught her by 5km or 10km, but by 12km we were reunited and we chatted away, the Paris landmarks were a blur behind us and up in front we entered the first park, Bois de Vincennes.

The iconic landmarks of Paris.

Les supporters fantastiques!
The supporters, bands and music en route, were all amazing! I smiled and enjoyed the mile I was in. I will never forget the French crowds shouting encouragement.
“Allez Vix, Allez Jojo” whilst the um pah pah music played loudly around us. Some of the songs we recognised and we sang along to the strange European version of Britney Spears Hit Me Baby One More Time and the Spice Girls Viva Forever! It passed the time and made us laugh!
   The sun was beating down on us by midday and we had reached the halfway mark in good time. Thankfully, for all the runners, the aid stations popped up at every 10km, the volunteers handed out bananas, oranges, raisins, sugar cubes and water to keep us all going.
There were also water canons and showers to help cool us down but my 30km it was getting harder.
I told Jodie my mantra in hope that it would keep us going “ Just keep moving, one foot in front of the other. Just keeping moving”
However, Jodie had come up with her own mantra “Just keep swimming!!!” And we did just that, moving and swimming! Whatever it takes to get us over the finish line!

The heat is on!

Zut Alors!                          
We reached 35km (only 7km to go) and we had run out of water! It was now 21 degrees and many of our fellow runners were collapsing or sitting at the side of the road. Bois de Boulogne, the 2nd park had little to no shade and the next water station was 5km away! I scavenged for discarded water bottles and chucked their contents over our heads, reassuring Jodie that is was only water and not wee! We kept moving forward and soon enough the water station appeared, I picked up water and fruit for us both but as I turned back to Jodie she had gone!
Mon Dieu! I couldn’t see her anywhere, a chaotic few minutes ensued where I didn’t know if she was behind me or running up ahead.Surely, after the last 40km, we had to finish together?
Thinking back to the beginning I took a guess that she was ahead and with the last of my energy I sprinted off to find her.
I managed a very speedy km and to my relief caught a glimpse of Jodie, one last kick from my legs and I had her next to me.
The last ½ km we just smiled and enjoyed the crowd and once across the finish line we stopped, no tears, no words were needed so we just hugged! We had done it, Paris Marathon had been conquered!

Feeling great after 42km.

Et voila!
We gratefully collected our medals and finishers t shirts and within moments we were on our way to finding our friends and families. On arrival, my best friend sprayed me with a full bottle of champagne!
I felt lucky and honoured to have so many of my close friends and family in Paris to share my big day. There was lots of embracing and emotions, lots of photo’s taken and memories made that day.
Jodie and I said goodbye and we went our separate ways to celebrate our success with our supporters. I was hungry and tired, yet I felt alive and full of adrenaline!
We ate, drank, laughed and walked around Paris in a daze, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying everyone's company.
Finally back at my hotel, I sank into a very hot bubble bath and let my mind wander.
The day had been magnificent and I had enjoyed my first marathon abroad. Despite the highs and lows of getting to the start line, Paris had earnt a special place in my heart and I will never forget the experience. I always feel lucky to run in such beautiful places and grateful that I can share these days with my family and friends.
A marathon not only challenges your physical fitness, but your mental toughness too.
I look back on my marathon journey over the last 2 years and I am amazed at how much I have progressed. But for now this quote by Snoopy creator Charles Schulz sums it up for me.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon”

Le Fin

Thank you for reading my blog.
Next up The Sussex Weald 50km, and training begins for Race to the Stones 100km!

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