London Marathon

After missing out on a ballot place I was lucky enough to get a club place for the London Marathon.  After months of training and high ideals for a good time I managed to pick up an injury in the last three weeks and was told by the physio not to run for the next few weeks and was then knocked out by a sickness bug the week before.  After much humming and hawing about whether to defer – I decided to just go for it and if nothing else do a bit of sightseeing.

At about 6 miles I did think that maybe I had made the wrong decision and was wondering whether or not I would even make it to the half way mark.  I was then on a countdown to the Lucozade station at mile 10 for a much needed carbo and energy boost.  The heat was begining to really build too and I think I poured as much water over me as I drank.  By mile 13 I gave into the temptation to walk and decided that if I was indeed going to finish I would have to switch to the walk/run scenario.  This kept me going for the next few miles, by mile 20 I was giving myself a mental bashing and decided that I needed to try and run the last few miles.  From mile 21 I spent my entire time waiting for the next mile marker and my mantra was “only 5 more miles to run, I can run 5 miles”, then it was 4 miles, 3 miles, 2 miles….. by now the crowds were huge and noise was absoloutely deafening.  Those last 2 miles were the hardest and by the time I reached the 26 mile marker I was desperate for the finish line.  It seemed to take an absoloute age to appear as it is lurking round a corner out of sight!  I dont think I have ever been so happy to see a fiinish line!  

The London Marathon is everything you have ever heard and more.  Superbly organised, great course (although I managed to miss most of the major landmarks including Big Ben and the London eye!), amazing crowds like nothing I have ever experienced before that shout, cheer and will you on. Highlights like coming over Tower Bridge, going through Canary Warf and past the drummers in the underpass will stay with me.  As I crossed the finish line I vowed I would never do another marathon, however today……..

Who is going to be lucky enough to do this next year?