A WEEK ON AND I AM STILL A MARATHON RUNNER!

A week on from successfully completing my first marathon, the Virgin Money London Marathon 2015, and I'm still just as happy as I was a week ago.  This really will be something that lives with me all my life.  I did have about 5 seconds after when I thought “not again” but I soon dropped that nonsense and am eagerly awaiting the outcome of the 2016 ballot to try all over again!

The weeks up to the big day started with nicely controlled “tapering” as run mileage and intensity both reduced and I worked on recovery and energy stores.  In the last week, though, I seemed to encounter just about everyone with a cold as the famous pre marathon paranoia, or “maranoia”, really kicked in as the nerves built and I, like many others, worried constantly about something going wrong in the last few days – especially illness or injury!  What was at risk was 565 miles of relentless, self-focused, hard graft training…many say that the marathon is the hard bit, it isn’t, it is the “Glory Day” when you get back what you put in.  As long as you enjoy it too.

Early start 0616 train from Basingstoke packed with runners and supporters. Time for the iPod and some personal space.  Another train to Blackheath and I was there…umm, into grey, cold drizzle!  Rats!  But, I was lucky as, thanks to the great folks from Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, L&LR, I could join their pre-race do and have food, drinks, warmth and great loos!

All too soon, it was time to hit the Blue start assembly area, drop my bag and await the start in a fetching combo of old throw away tee shirt and a see through L&LR disposable poncho.  Yep, I cut a fine style in the portaloo queue…but I wasn’t alone.  Indeed, some 38,000 of us were doing the same thing, and we watched the big screens as the elites and wheelchairs made their early starts at amazing speeds, then queued in our particular start pens ready for the 10:10 start.  I’d thought that with so many people it may take 10-20 to get across the start line….but at 10:18:22 I was off and trying to remember all the advice.  Mainly to (1) NOT go out too fast and to pace it right, (2) keep my head up – take in the event fully – and enjoy it! and, (3) get my form right and use my arms to reset tempo making sure my hips and pelvis were level.

To be honest, all three worked and I pretty well kept to them although my pace and form slipped a little on miles 25 and 26 down the Embankment that just seemed to go on and on and on!  I was very fortunate that my club mate, Adrian, who was pacing for Runners World, caught me and shouted at me in Birdcage Walk which jolted me back to life for the big finish.  I had been aiming for 4 hours 10-15 mins and was and still am delighted with 4:12:57 with the potential to now tweak some things and improve stamina / form for the last 6.2 miles to go under 4 hours in future.

During the run, I really had enjoyed the whole thing and probably made it all look a big too easy at my cheering points at 11.5 and 23.3 miles where I not only accelerated to be far faster than targets for those miles but went by smiling and waving to show I was OK.  At both, I was very lucky to have two cheering groups…first my own dedicated “cheering crew” of my wonderful Debs who has had to live every day of my relentless training, plus Julia, Heather, Sophie, Danielle, Amy and her friend.  Easy to spot in bright yellow L&LR tee-shirts, they were what I was aiming for at each point and gave me a fantastic lift.  Then, at each place, just down the road were the supporters from running club, SPR, who gave me another lift. Did I make it look “easy” or “comfortable” by managing pace and the race mile by mile?  Yes, I probably did!  I now really do understand why people say the event is the easy bit…it is the utter dedication and determination in the training that is the hard bit with lovely 18 mile wet, cold, at times very lonely Sunday long runs.

I wanted to finish as the priority, I did and in a time I am very happy with for a first time running over 20 miles.  There is a great medal, tee shirt and goody bag but even more valuable are the memories as I was delighted that many of the people dearest to me could be there and share it with me…or, me share it with them?

By running for L&LR I not only benefitted from pre-event support and coaching but a post run celebration at Central Halls where, after a massive cheer that I just hadn’t expected,  some food, a very welcome 20 mins leg massage and an even more welcome beer.  Oh, and a wonderful feeling walking on carpet with no shoes or socks on!

A fantastic event and experience that couldn’t have been possible without a great group of people that each played a big role in the preparation and the day, who I trust with each aspect.  There were my constant “running buddies”, Amy and Libby, some guys from the Club, especially Jonathan, Nick D & Adrian, my coach Ben from Full Potential, all the team at L&LR, Gary Turner...and my brill sports physio, Vicki at The Body Reset Clinic.

In an earlier blog I said “…just eight weeks to go to VMLM2015, and I absolutely can’t wait!”  Well, I wasn’t wrong, I loved it, and absolutely can’t wait to VMLM2016!”.  I know what it will take now with the kind of dedication, focus and sacrifice needed for “the hard bit” the training!  Things will be different now as, before 2016, my “A” race schedule has a run of “firsts” this Summer:

·         24 hour solo endurance trail run, Endure24

·         50km Trail Ultra, the Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1

·         Berlin Marathon

In my next blog I’ll talk about the recovery and the weeks after the marathon. Cheers, Mark

DRAWING ON INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE

In lots of what I do in life, especially the bonkers stuff, I draw on combinations of some influential and inspirational people.  There are historical ones such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel who I admire for his ground breaking work and sheer drive and “can do” approach.  Then contemporary key ones that fall into two categories:

First family:
My Dad, a still active 93 year old living in his own bungalow and mentally as “sharp as a pin”, whilst having angina and heart attacks since he was 68!  Years before being a production director in the automotive industry he spent 5 years as a prisoner of war, primarily in Stalag 8B in Lamsdorf in Poland.  He escaped three times, eventually successfully and making his own way across Europe to hitch a lift back to blighty in the back of a Lancaster bomber, from France to be greeted by a WAAF with a DDT spray!

My two teenage, UNI attending daughters who are a daily source of pride, with my youngest being the artist behind this portrait of Dad.

And, my partner Debs, who has brought a whole new life and amazingly selfless levels of support in all my bonkers stuff (bar getting her wellies muddy at Endure24!)

Then, running related, including:
My running club (Sherfield Park Runners) and its great and growing membership from who I have drawn so much energy.  Some have had profound effect on me in many ways.

The SPR runners at VLM2014 where Debs and I went to support 5 club members and had an emotional and life changing day.  I had always said “... I’m not going to run a marathon” whist secretly watching and learning from their prep during the early months of 2014.  So, my first marathon is due in spring 2015, hopefully in London.

Gary Turner, 13 times World Champion in various fight formats, and now an evidence based hypnotherapist, weight and nutrition guru and an ultra runner with his two huskies.

And, Ira Rainey and his book “Fat Man To Green Man” about his path to his first Ultra that just grabbed and inspired me in my holiday reading some weeks ago.

So, put all that with my bonkers approach to getting on in life and making things happen and you have my drive for new challenges developing into getting ready to run a first marathon quickly followed by a first ultra marathon and bonkers moves to ultrabonkers to reshape my life.  And, no doubt, the lives of my nearest and dearest!