www.london-marathon.co.uk

Sunday 26 April 2009

The London Marathon is one of the top five international marathons run over the traditional distance of 42.195 km (26 miles and 385 yards) and is a large, celebratory sporting festival.  An unusual feature of this marathon is the very large amounts of money raised for charity, much more than other marathon. According to the race organisers, it is now the largest annual fund raising event in the world.

 Whilst it is a serious athletic event, with large prize money attracting elite athletes, public perception of the race is dominated by club and fun runners. This race actually closes the center of London and draws crowds of half a million onto the streets…

My London Marathon Experience (42.2km/26.2miles):

I arrived at my RED start in Greenwich Park extra early in time to soak up the atmosphere (the London Marathon is divided into three different starting areas; Red-Golden Bond Runners, Blue-Ballot Runners, Green-Celebrities).  As the start time grew nearer, so did my nerves! 

The sun was shining, the weather beautiful and warm.  I stunk out a portaloo…with my deep heat cream (of course, what else would you be thinking?!) rubbing it into places that I couldn’t do in public (ie: the glutes!) and checked-in my baggage.  How they manage to keep over 35,000 bags in exact numerical order I will never know, but surely there must be an exact science to it!!!

I entered my pen (5) twenty minutes before the start.  I considered running with the 9min/mile pace group, but decided against it last minute, figuring it was better to run my own race listening to my own body. As the start grew nearer, the pen grew busier.  As 9.45am approached, the tapes separating the pens were released and we all crowded as one gigantic mass.

I did not hear the start gun fire…and it took well over five minutes of slowly shuffling forward for what felt like a great distance before the start line came into sight. As soon as I crossed that line, I was off and running!!

MILES 1 - 3 The first mile was difficult, taking a while to warm up and get into the swing of running.  The course was thick with runners and there was certainly no easy way to get past so many people with wings.  I decided to stick to the side of the road which turned out to be a great idea, running directly past the crowds in costume meant loads and loads of encouragement…  ‘Go Bumble Bee Go!’.

Descending a hill just before mile 3, the view ahead was a blur of mass runners with the RED course meeting  the BLUE/GREEN course. There was a huge amount of good natured and well chorused booing as we merged and ran a half mile along side each other separated by barriers.

MILES 4 - 9 The next few miles sped past so quickly as I enjoyed the feeling of being a part of an event so huge. The spectators were phenomenal!!!  The children offering lollies to runners and had their hands out for high fives. I was surprised at how many ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi’ I heard from the crowd and  almost thought I had time warped back home!

At Mile 6.5 we bottle necked and came to a very slow jog as we squashed around the Cutty Sark on the narrow course.  I didn’t even realise where I was until I ran past the Greenwich foot tunnel, which has been a major mile marker in my training runs.  The crowds were incredible…I think the entire 12 million population of London must have been lining the streets, as in many places they were ten deep on both sides of the road…all shouting with banners, balloons and clappers.

I had my own personal cheer squad at Canada Water Mile 9 to look forward to. I kept a good eye out, afraid I was going to miss them as the spectators were packed like sardines…however their bright orange Sense shirts and wigs caught my attention just in time to flash a smile and wave. 

Not long after passing, I caught up with a 9min/mile pace group and wondered how they got ahead when I had been running under 9min/miles!!!  Never mind that, I wasn’t going to spend too much time analysing, instead I weaved on ahead leaving them to eat my dust (*wink wink*)

By this stage I had mastered the skill of seizing gaps and nipping between people with my wings.  With a little twist of the shoulder I pushed one wing through two runners and with another quick flick and twist of the other shoulder, the second wing would pop through!

MILES 10 - 13 After seeing my cheer squad at Mile 9, I powered on, working my way to the next major London site…Tower Bridge! I knew I was crossing Tower Bridge, but I can’t recall what any of it looked liked, as I was so focused on making it through each mile. I do remember thinking ‘I am not even halfway yet!!’

MILES 14 - 15 If I thought the crowds were huge before, they were even bigger on this side of the river!!  As we ran through mile 14 heading towards the Canary Wharf, we cheered for the couple of elite men and a wheel chair athlete passing by in the opposite direction, having already reached mile 21 themselves.  I was still feeling relatively good myself, so it wasn’t at all demotivating watching them pass.  I knew I’d get my turn, as soon as I ran my tour around the Isle of Dogs.

MILES 16 - 20 The Isle of Dogs! I lived here for 18 months and have done many training runs around this area, so it was all familiar teritory.  Mile 16 began getting tougher and I had to keep a closer eye on my training watch.  As soon as my pace crept up to 9min/miles (which at this stage it seemed to do more often) I had to fight hard and demand my legs run faster to pick the pace back up.

My marathon mantra was “Looking Good, Feeling Good” ,”Looking Good, Feeling Good” over and over.  I knew that from watching previous marathons from the 18 Mile marker, that it is during this section when the dreaded wall can creep up upon unsuspecting runners!!

I pushed myself on, knowing that my cheering squad would have made a marathon dash themselves across London, fighting the overcrowded public transport system, to give me the boost I needed.  And there they were at Mile 18!!! My cheer squad had also grown in size.  I dashed across, flashed another quick grin and wave, before continuing onto the switchbacks at Canary Wharf.

I don’t think Canary Wharf has ever held so many people before, despite the large number of multistorey tower blocks!!  The course narrowed again in places, making it difficult to hold pace in some areas.  By this stage I was willing myself onto Mile 20…when I could then take a tiny bit of pleasure in knowing there would only be 10km remaining.  When I did finally hit the Mile 20 marker, I remembered thinking…’you are now half way’! 

It was also about here that I started to calculate my finish time.  Desperate to run a 4 hour marathon time or under, and knowing it was possible if I could hold pace, I began planning out my timings….(3 miles at 9min per mile is 27 mins. 4hr minus 27 mins is 3hr 33min.) therefore I knew I had to pass the mile 23 at no later than 3hr 33min to achieve my 4hr.

MILES 21 - 23 I now had a goal!  Reach mile 23 before my watch struck 3hr 33min!!!  At this stage in the marathon, mentally breaking down the last sections was a mental tactic and a trick for the brain, as it is always easier to push yourself harder knowing there is a finish point nearby.

It was somewhere along this point that I overtook celebrity Gordon Ramsay.  I don’t recall seeing him, but I do remember the spectators were no longer shouting ‘Go Bumble Bee Go’ and instead I started hearing ‘Go Chef’!  The words registered for a brief few seconds, but my mind was on a one way focus! Had I of been a little more alert, after registering those words I would have taken a look around me!!!!  Gutted I didn’t!  I kept on running - focused on reaching Mile 23.

My time had also come.  I was now passing the runners at the back of the pack, who had only just crossed Tower Bridge and were at Mile 13.  I did not envy them one bit!!!  Running past Tower Bridge along the river, I also ran past the Tower of London - but did not even realise it until I later watched the re-runs on telly that night.

I finally reached my Mile 23 at approximately 3hr 23mins…with a spare 10mins.  Three more miles and I’d be home.  I knew I could do it!!

Miles 24 - 26  The desire to walk was increasing with every step.  I discarded my last sports gel as I was begining to feel sick from the combination of sweet gels mixed with sweet lucozade.  I took water at every station now and poured it over my shoulders and body in effort to keep cool.  Amazingly and only by pure luck, I managed to spot Aaron at the last second in the crowds.  I was fairly zoned out and was no longer looking like the ‘happy go-lucky bee’ that started the race hours ago.

The Home Stretch I was delighted when I finally saw Big Ben pop into view directly in front of me, but as I turned the corner I knew there was still some distance yet to go as I still had to run the length of St James Park!  I pushed on.  I remember being approached by a Realbuzzer in this last section, she said hi and all I could manage in return was a grunt.  She asked if I was okay and again I could only grunt!  There was no energy left, everything I had was being redirected straight to the legs, I needed that finish line!

As we prepared to turn the corner again, I remember seeing the 600m sign and looking at my watch. 3hr 49mins it read and I had the delusional thought that I could aim for a 3hr 50min time.  I tried to speed up and realised that 600m was still over half a km and that would take me a few minutes…not a few seconds!!!  Past Buckingham Palace I ran, again completely oblivious to this terrific London sight.

The finish line on The Mall was now dead ahead and my legs weren’t stopping for nobody!!! I tried to push harder but there was nothing left in the tank…the legs were already on fast forward. I crossed the finish line with an official time of 3hr 52min 41sec…and I even remembered to keep my arms out of the way of my running number, so that I could get my offical finisher’s photograph!

Finally having that long desired medal placed around my neck really made me feel like a winner!  I placed 8,414 out of 35,206 marathon finishers and managed to shave 1min 8sec off my last years marathon time.  The day was perfect and there is nothing I could have done differently.  I am well chuffed!!!

Click here to view the race course.