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!

#runtoryrun
#50before50
#7down
#43togo
#RTTS

"Carry on Running.........Eddie" unofficial 26.6 miles

“Carry on Running…….Eddie”

Unofficial Marathon 26.6  miles

Sat 19th March 2016

Medway Towns, Kent.

The Road is Long
I met up with my training buddy Jodie on an average, overcast Saturday in Medway for an 18-20 mile run, this was to be the final stage of our training for the Paris Marathon.
We had started back in November and battled through many issues such as flu, chest infections, ankle strains and a hectic Christmas in retail, all of which generally resulted in both of us being utterly tired out but committed to the training schedule and determined to complete Paris in one piece!
We started off as usual, chatty, happy and focused and soon we were up to mile 5. However by mile 8, flump foot had turned up! Now this is not the pet name for an annoying or troublesome fellow runner, more of a nickname for the numbness in Jodie’s left foot that had plagued her since Nov. Although the flump foot pain was tedious she battled on through the fizzy foot stage and by using a walk/run method we reached 12 miles! Thankfully it subsided and we managed to get back into a comfortable pace, this was helped by lots of flat terrain, a few down hills and a bit of singing!
We eagerly turned back onto Rochester Esplanade and realised that we had completed 17 miles, with just 1 mile to go it was an amazing achievement, Jodie’s longest run to date! We jogged the last mile back to HQ (my house), reminiscing about all the training runs we had done, time had indeed flown by and now we were a mere 2 weeks away from the Paris Marathon.
Arriving at my house, Jodie picked up her bag and made her way home for a bath and some food. She had worked really hard in the last 5 months but now needed to rest and mentally prepare herself for the next stage.

Born to Run
I had a quick toilet break and a few minutes of refuelling, but for some reason instead of collapsing on the sofa or running a bath, I was itching to get back out there. Why, I hear you scream, is 18 miles not enough for you?!
Well, I shall tell you why dear reader……..
I had been avidly following my comedy hero Eddie Izzard on his quest to 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa for Sports relief on the BBC. He had now completed 25 and was set to do a double marathon the following day. A large part of me wanted to pay homage to him and his amazing determination, but what could I do?
Without a second thought, I flew out of the front door and started to run! My feet began to pound the pavement, I felt a wave of excitement! I could just try to do another 10km? That was doable, right?
With that thought and with a smile on my face I set off to do just that!
I was buzzing and alive and I almost didn’t register that I had already run 18 miles and been on my feet for 3.5 hours.

Eddie Izzards 27 marathons in 27 days.

My thoughts turned to Eddie and how tired and broken he must be feeling, running in high temperatures day after day would’ve have taken its toll. I thought about why he was doing it, not only to raise money for Sport Relief but to pay his respects to late Nelson Mandela and the 27 years he was imprisoned in South Africa.
I wanted to support Sport Relief and had donated the night before after watching a harrowing film about children that lived on a rubbish dump in Sierra Leone. I felt lucky, but also embarrassed to have so much in my life, my girlfriend, my family, a house, a car, a job and food! We forget how easy we have it sometimes.

Run Tory Run
After an hour I glanced at my phone and squealed with excitement! I had reached 23.5 miles and it was only at this point that I thought out loud “ Shall I push on for 3 more miles and make this a marathon distance run?” What better way to salute Eddie than by completing my very own 26.2?
My pace was good, as was my posture and I felt fitter than I usually do in the last few miles of a marathon. I was determined to finish strong and so I pushed myself ever forward, whilst still remembering why this run was so important.
Feeling happy, proud and accomplished I finally turned onto my road and walked up to the steps to my front door. I had done it, 26.6 miles! *
There were no cheering supporters, no medal, no goody bag but there was a huge sense of achievement and the satisfaction of finishing this special marathon far outweighed any bling or chocolate reward!

The training run that turned out to be a marathon.

My girlfriend opened the front door and was astonished as to what I had just done and as I waffled on about why and how, she just hugged me!
Wow, it had been an amazing day.  What started as a routine training run with Jodie had turned into an epic inspired marathon, with Eddie’s grit and determination encouraging me all the way .
Eddie’s courage and honour had driven him on to 25 marathons and the very next day he went on to complete the double marathon and achieve 27 marathons in 27 days! What a legend! He was now not only my comedy hero, but my marathon hero too!

My thoughts turned to not only how incredible the human body is, but how determined our minds can become during the marathon process.
Sometimes it’s not just the physical training that makes it possible to run a marathon, sometimes it's what's inside that counts.
The heart and the head make the impossible, possible!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, tune in next time for Paris Marathon #7
#50before50 #runtoryrun

*This is not an official marathon for the following reasons.
 1.It was not an officially timed event
 2.It was not an officially measured route
Therefore it does not count towards one of my 50 before 50.

The Good, The Bad and the down right Ugly! Marathon number 6

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Marathon.

Sunday 21st February 2016

Betteshanger Country park, Deal, Kent.

The Good
It was an early start on a chilly winter's morning in the car, myself and my girlfriend were making our way through deserted roads down to the Betteshanger Country Park in Deal, Kent, for my next challenge, marathon number 6.
The wind was already blowing a gale but thankfully it wasn't raining and I had a really good feeling about the race ahead of me, little did I know that the English coastal weather had it in for me, again!
I no longer felt nervous or anxious at these events, they are always superbly organised by Traviss Willcox and Rachel Smith. The Saxons, Vikings and Normans (SVN) Marathons and timed challenges have become a firm favourite with me and so I smiled and greeted the friendly faces of fellow runners around me at the extremely chilled out head quarters.
I collected my number and 13 hair bands, this is lap counting technology at its finest!
 I was ready to take on marathon number 6 of my 50 before 50 challenge.
The route consisted of one loop of 2.02 miles around the cycle track of the country park, all on Tarmac, repeated 13 times, each lap you gave a hair band back in and on the last lap you got to carry a St George's flag. But, wait I'm getting ahead of myself talking about the last lap and flags! Rewind!
The SVN crew had set up their infamous aid/cake station halfway around the course and you could smell the goodies from the start line. My other half Caz had cleverly located herself there too, out of the wind and near cakey goodness!!
A friendly face had spotted me, a Facebook running buddy called Tracy who was lined up for her first marathon and feeling rather nervous. We had a good catch up and realised our pace/time would be similar, so decided to start the run together and see how it panned out. We both eagerly awaited the off, feeling excited and a bit giddy.

The Bad(ish)
Tracy and I chatted away happily for the first few laps as we tried to ignore the increasing wind on the last half mile of each loop, but by lap 6 the howling wind was so strong it stopped us in our tracks! We both gave up running and walked for 10 mins until we turned back out of the wind and were on the home straight.
The mental toughness I had started with was dwindling fast and I started to lose motivation by lap 7-8 but just as I began to unravel the best little support crew turned up!
One of my best friends Ronnie and her daughter appeared just in the nick of time, Abby was full of smiles and had made a huge banner with the words “Run Tory Run” on it, making me feel like an athlete competing for my country and not just a recreational runner.

my number 1 fan, Abby.

I stopped for hugs and ate some homemade fudge with Cadbury’s Creme eggs crammed in it and decided to get my mojo back! Powered on by confectionery and my number 1 fan, I was even more determined to beat the windy conditions and finish in under 5 hours.

The Down Right Ugly!
There was no wall at mile 18, just a great big pile of self-inflicted pain!
Everything had started to hurt and I just wanted to stop.
My left knee and It-Band were uncomfortable, my right hip flexor ached and I was fairly sure that most of the toes on my right foot were either covered in blisters or had fallen off completely!
I had made the rookie error of changing my tried and tested Asics socks for Cep calf compression sleeves and now I was paying for it!
We were both still running and walking the same parts of the course but it hurt like hell and the winds were just getting tougher and stronger.
We chucked our last hair band in the bucket and picked up a flag, sadly at this point Tracy and I parted company. I felt bad but I wanted to get the last lap done and I had just enough in my legs to blast around the track one more time.
I switched off my brain and mentally slapped myself around the face a few times!!
 I chanted to myself “You can do this Vix, you can do this!” and so I did.
 I ran and I ran and I ran! I clutched the flag in my fist as if my life depended on it and as my tired little legs crossed the finish line, a huge smile took over my face and all the pain disappeared!
The last lap was my 2nd fastest and I finished in 4.48, not my best time, but not my worst either and, considering the wind had added at least an extra 20 mins on, I wasn't too far off my pb.
This was also nothing compared to the torturous Dymchurch (number 5) back in Nov!
Tracy had also been spurred on by the supporters and made it back in under 5 hours, not far behind me. We were both elated and hugged each other.

Myself and Tracy. Happy, but slightly wind swept.

The Amazing
The medal was the best to date, depicting a scene from the film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Traviss and Rachel had also supplied the best God damned goodie bag in town, with everything that a post marathon runner could desire! Chocolate, crisps, cider and of course the ever sought after chocolate orange!
As usual, my mental state was a mixture of euphoria and exhaustion and so, with legs of jelly I made my way to the cafe to sit down and have a rest. I ate some food and enjoyed a hot chocolate with Caz, Ronnie and my number 1 fan, Abby.

Whilst contemplating the blister/loss of toes situation on my right foot, I drifted in and out of conversations and people watching. Friendly runners were comparing their races, talking about past experiences and revealing where their next marathon was going to be.
I am still in awe of how many marathons my fellow runners have completed, 30, 112, 230, 800!
Wow, these chats always encourage me as a beginner and motivate me to achieve more and even though my plan is to complete 50 full marathons before my 50th birthday (7 years to go), I get the sense from the 100 marathon club members that I could end up heading on my own quest towards 100 marathons!
Am I really that crazy? Will my legs hold out? 100 before 50? Surely not!
Hmmm that is food for thought, but for now I will concentrate on the 50 in hand!

The medal was the size of an Ipad!

Thank you for reading my blog, I will be tackling marathon number 7 in Paris on 3rd April and will update you on my progress on my return.

#runtoryrun
#50before50
#6down
#44togo

Brighton Marathon 2014 - My first and last?

BRIGHTON MARATHON 2014

My marathon journey started back in 2014, fresh faced and naively I signed up to The Brighton Marathon after an unsuccessful bid for a ballot place in London. As it turned out it was the worst race of my life and here is what happened …………

Great Expectations
On reflection, my first marathon still feels like a disaster! I have even been putting off writing about it for a while as it’s still tinged with negative feelings. However in writing about the last 4 marathons that I have completed, I have realised that I learnt a great deal from Brighton.
 At first even the thought of running a marathon sent shivers down my spine but I love a challenge and I wanted to raise funds for The Alzheimer's Society having recently found out that my dad's partner Linda had been diagnosed with early onset dementia. 
I purchased a guidebook on how to run a marathon in sub 4.30 hours and I devised a rough plan on how to make it work! I gradually got used to the long runs but I was miserable before, during and after!
I had no one to run with and I hadn’t quite realised how hard it was going to be by myself.
I ate badly with no regard to nutrition and didn’t  include any cross training in my schedule.
However I plodded on with the training and tried to fuel on the go with regular energy gels and soon enough the big day arrived.

Brighton rocks
My friends and family had all made the trip down to Brighton and I felt as ready as I could and lined up with thousands of other runners at the start line. A quick hi-five from my running hero, Paula Radcliffe and I set off.
I started surprisingly well and between mile 1-5 I was bang on target for pace and seemingly enjoying myself. However, I got carried away in the moment and was flying between mile 6-13 but I felt awesome…...I felt less awesome by mile 15! My feet had started to hurt ( I was wearing trainers that were only 1 week old and not been run in before!) and I was hungry, really hungry!
I grabbed and glugged anything on offer so that I could refuel, jelly babies, gels, gatorade, lucozade but it was all too late!
I ran/walked/staggered onto mile 18 and realised I had hit the wall!

Struggling on after hitting the wall.

The Great Wall of Brighton!
I stopped completely at mile 18, I had come so far but couldn’t face the last 8.2 miles feeling so ill but I remembered why I was doing it and didn’t want to let Linda or my family down.
My ITband was on fire but I had no idea what to do, and so I aimlessly taped myself up with some sub standard Kinesio tape! I limped and hobbled through the next 5 miles and became angry that my pace had dropped and every minute that passed meant I was losing sight of my 4.30 hours finish.
At this point all I remember is everyone passing me, rhinos, storm troopers, a man in a diving suit and a man with a tiger on his back! They all whizzed passed unaffected by my state of mind and body, I felt broken and unable to complete my first and maybe even my last marathon.
This girl can.
I called my girlfriend and cried at her! Luckily she was waiting to cheer me on at mile 23 and best of all she had my brother with her ( who may have been on the G & T’s). Caz could see straight away that I was struggling. I gave her my bum bag and my iPod and glugged more fizzy drinks and ate more sugar.
She gave me a pep talk and my brother gave me a hug, it was then that Caz and my brother decided they would both run a mile with me! They were both fully clothed in heavy winter jackets and both had heavy bags, but they were totally committed to supporting me on my marathon quest and so we headed off together.
It was just the boost that I needed. They ran with me to mile 24, where the crowd picked me up! Shouting my name out and cheering me on, they carried me over the finish line much to my relief! The first thing I said to Caz was “ I’m never running a marathon again!”
 I collected my medal and goodie bag. I felt that I had worked really hard for it, but my finish time was 5.47 hours which at the time I saw as a big disappointment, however I now see it as a foundation on which to build my challenge to complete 50 marathons before my 50th birthday.
Thankfully my family and friends saw it as a great achievement which helped me enjoy the moment and as we chatted away on Brighton beach, the rest of my broken body seized up! 

Great support from my whole family.

Learning zone.
As time went by I realised that all the mistakes I had made were ones that I could learn from. If I ever ran another marathon again at least I would feel better equipped.
Looking at fuel and hydration, I never use gels and always run with a hydration pack with SOS sachets to supply essential electrolytes and minerals.
I also eat well and on the go but never again will I eat  jelly babies, jelly beans or any other confectionery! I make my own energy balls from dates/almonds/coconut which my stomach has no objection to and I can fuel happily on these for hours.
The way I train as altered as well, I only run 3 times a week when training for a marathon and use cross training on the other days, I also take a full rest day after my long run.
Running with others is best for keeping my motivation up, so I now run all my long runs with friends, it’s an incredible feeling to have their support and often some random singing along the way!
I found with niggles and injuries it is best to get help from experts immediately and I now have a great support team to consult with, as well as regular sports massages to help with my troublesome ITband.

Sugar & spice.
Now the dust has settled and I’ve put pen to paper, Brighton doesn’t seem that bad after all. With everything I had been through on the day and the negative memories I had attached to it, I had forgotten that I had still completed my first marathon and raised over £3,500 for the Alzheimer's Society and for Linda.
I had showed my family and friends what I was made off , they were proud of me and I had achieved something truly awesome! 
This girl is not made of sugar and spice and all things nice, this girl is made of grit, determination and an unfathomable amount of stubbornness! 
Who was I kidding when I said I’d never run another marathon again! #50before50 


Thank you for taking the time to read my blog 😃

London Virgin Marathon 2015 London Calling part 2

LONDON VIRGIN MARATHON 2015

Part 2

The Aftermath.

Meeting with my friends and family was chaotic to say the least, but we eventually found each other amongst the thousands of other people. I’ve never been one to cry after running and this occasion was no different, all I wanted to do was EAT! Whilst my girlfriend and friends sobbed with emotion I was more concerned with eating the entire contents of my rucksack. Soon after this I demanded more food and we made a speedy retreat to Nandos!

Well derserved Nandos.

Runners high.

After fuelling on chicken, chips and coke I finally felt full and for the entire train journey home I felt giddy and happy. I kept looking at my medal and feeling chuffed with what I had achieved.

At home I relaxed in a bath and ordered more food, this time in the form of a pizza.

My body was still running on adrenaline, so I sat and watched the highlights of the day on the BBC. Still thinking at loud “ Wow I’ve done it! I was part of the London Virgin Marathon 2015!

I actually didn’t come down for 3 days!!!

Rest and recovery.

The week after, I learnt the importance of recovery. I rested initially for 2 whole days and to my surprise my legs were not too stiff or painful, Epsom salts in my bath helped and a recovery sports massage was gratefully received.

A few days after, I did an 2-3 mile walk and by the weekend I went out for a 3 mile jog and it all felt great. I kept the mileage low for another week and used a reverse taper to build back up.

I had sustained a few toenail injuries, but other than that I felt amazing.

Sweet charity

My decision to run for Age Uk was based on my relationship with my Dad's partner Linda.

 A few years previous, Linda had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease which had inspired me to run the Brighton Marathon 2014.

I had made a plan of how and where I was going to collect donations and my friends and family had supported me all the way.

At Christmas, I did street collections dressed as an elf, I had raffled a days annual leave, set up a regular fitness class with all money going to my just giving page and basically bombarded social media every week with progress reports and my just giving link! 

To my surprise I surpassed the Age UK minimum donation required and raised a massive £2,500! 

All the training and fundraising had given me an awareness of how vulnerable and lonely some people are and how lucky I was to have such amazing friends and family.

Lucky to have so much support from my family & friends.

Finally…..

My final thought from running The London Virgin Marathon for Age UK was how precious and fast paced our lives have become. We race around, we work hard, we play hard and we get so absorbed in our own daily dramas that we don't make time for a simple phone call home to Mum & Dad. We can’t spend 5 mins talking to our elderly neighbor and we avoid charity collectors in the streets.

 What if we stopped and thought about these minutes and seconds that we save by doing this, it would be minuscule in the grand scheme of things and hardly worth worrying about.

In the bigger picture you know in your heart that your Mum & Dad would love to hear your voice or see you more often, your neighbour would rejoice in a 5 minute conversation about the weather and that charity worker would have a smile on their face for the rest of the day just because you donated a £1 and acknowledged their hard work.

You don’t have to run a marathon to be charitable, you can start today, right now!

Go on, I dare you !