I thought long and hard as to whether I should leave writing my blog for a few more days as I'm struggling to recount my experiences. However, I've decided to proceed with a draft and figure if anything I can add things in as I go along and hopefully recounting some things will jog my memory.
A short journey to Ferrybridge services on Friday 23rd April marked the start of an epic moment in my life - Sophie text me whilst we were still in the car to wish me luck and I replied that we were nearing Ferrybridge services and she replied that we would be coming upon her work place and now had experienced her car journey each day. We all waved frantically as we passed close by her office building! She text again to say she had missed us! So loading our luggage onto the coach the apprehension didn't seem to be lifting but I tried to turn my thoughts elsewhere as we made our way to the very back of the coach, the only seats left as we were the final pick up. The journey wasn't too bad and in no time at all we arrived at Excell for me to register and pick up my number. We were a little rushed and didn't have enough time to look round thoroughly but I managed to pick up a few freebies and a goody bag, also purchased a bargain Runner's World rucksack containing lots of running related treats and paraphernalia.
Back on the coach we headed off for our hotel. On arrival we were chaperoned into a side room to be checked in. Rules and regulations, meal times etc were relayed to us, then came the bombshell, our tour operator announced that they had been informed that the road outside the hotel was going to be closed for the race, therefore, they would not be able to get the coaches down to take us to the start of the race and runners would, therefore, have to find alternative means of transport to get there under their own steam. I was shell shocked, I would be on my own since the other 5 members of our party were all non-runners. Panic set in. Issued with our keys we were allowed to our rooms, very comfortable they were too. Spectacular views over Canary Wharfe with the London Eye on the horizon and a birdseye view of the Docklands Light Railway and lots of tall glass buildings made it feel like we were somewhere like New York!
Dinner in the dining room at 7.30 was a welcome relief from hunger pangs, and delicious it was too, as were the rest of the meals provided during our stay. Plenty of carb loading reassured me that I had put the finishing touches to the final phase of the last few months of preparation which was now complete, I felt confident that I had done all I could to ensure that I had put in what I expected to get out. Time would tell.......
Back in the room after dinner I proceeded to root through the goody bags, men's deodorant, milk shake, Mars drink (I don't drink milk by the way), London Pride beer, green tea - was there going to be anything I liked, not much was the answer to that, granola bars were a welcome sight!
I didn't sleep too well Friday night, strange bed, apprehension, too warm, too cold, dreaming about running a marathon, you name it, I was disturbed all night.
A trip on the Thames Clipper to The Embankment, souvenir shopping, street entertainers and a flight on the London Eye proved a valuable distraction for much of the day on Saturday, though Sunday was still at the forefront of my thoughts, my head was in turmoil and it showed as Martin kept trying to reassure me that I would be fine - it wasn't working.
Back at the Hotel after another pleasant trip on the Thames Clipper we put on the TV and snoozed on the bed, a welcome hour or so's rest and down for dinner we went. Helen, Don, Sharon & Gill joined us at our table for six by the window looking out onto Canary Wharfe, idyllic, spoiled by thoughts of the following day, at this point I resolved to come back next year and enjoy being a tourist for the whole weekend and letting others do the running! I felt like a spoilt child as I knew the fear was being portrayed on my face but I couldn't do anything about it, the thought of finding my way to the start line next morning was horrifying. Sharon & Gill were volunteering at the baggage trucks before the race and so they retired to bed early, closely followed by the remaining four of us. I was prepared for a sleepless night and by some miracle apart from waking once at 2 am and checking I had not missed the alarm, I slept quite well. No wonder since getting up at 5 am didn't leave me too many hours to actually be sleepless!
Up with the alarm I got ready in my running gear, pinned on my number, posed for photos in the room and off we went down for the 'runner's light breakfast' - in the reception area we met some runners from Driffield Striders and Bridlington Runners, Martin enquired what time etc they would be setting off to the start and would it be ok if I tagged along with them, they were only too happy and a wave of relief came over me! We met at 7 am to catch the Docklands Light Railway to Blackheath, and arrived at the start without a hitch. It was getting better. Some of the group were on the red start, some the green start and four of us made our way to the blue start. It struck me immediately that it was nothing like the Great North Run Start, there wasn't the buzz - there was one big screen relaying interviews with the rich and famous and eventually showing the elite ladies start, the heavens opened and luckily one of the chaps with us handed me a poncho, it kept me relatively dry, we decided to make our way to our respective start zones. Karen, one of the Driffield ladies suggested we try the new 'she wee' before being penned in - her name for the Pee mate introduced this year - aka cardboard female urinals. Ha ha this was going to be fun, I followed her into the tent where lots of ladies were Lent against urinals, one lady promptly gave us instructions, and we carried them out - simple - whoever designed them needs a medal for enabling us to avoid the enormous toilet queues. Thankfully I didn't have long to wait before the start, again non of the hype I had expected, everyone just stood around, no excitement, and everyone started to move forward then stopped, minutes later same again only this time they kept walking then started to speed up, just over 9 minutes and I was over the start line, the first mile marker appeared very quickly, as did successive ones, before I knew it I was at the 8 mile mark and feeling good. Keeping an eye on my minutes per mile pace, before I knew it I was at the half marathon mark and just two minutes outside my pace band time of 4:30 - still feeling great I had left behind Princess Beatrice in the caterpillar run, Sir Richard Branson wearing his butterfly wings and Mark 'Chappers' Chapman from Radio One, the noise from the crowds of supporters was phenomenal - at times unbearable, I have never seen so many people in the same place at the same time, extraordinary.
At around the 16 mile mark I spotted Helen and Don, shouting frantically Helen finally saw me at the last minute, it was great to have spotted familiar faces, reaching the 17 mile mark I had a pounding headache and began to feel light headed, luckily I had put tablets into my bum bag, promptly got them out and took them, 'was this the wall' I asked myself, I didn't know the answer but was worried as to whether I would start to feel worse, thankfully I never did feel any worse nor better either. Perhaps it was due to the weather, one minute the sun was cracking the flags the next it was overcast but very muggy. I didn't realise but looping round I came upon the 18 mile marker outside our hotel and I knew that Martin, Tricia, Neil, Gill & Sharon would be somewhere around here, familiar faces came into view, high fiving Tricia my spirits were lifted once more. I tried not to think about the fact that despite feeling terrible I still had 8 miles to go.
19 miles, 20 miles...... it amazed me how I looked forward to each mile marker, usually I hate seeing them, preferring to be surprised at how far I'd got, not today, each mile was an achievement, I think every piece of advice I'd been given came into play, anyone who gave me any along the way, 'thank you', and believe you me I took it at some stage or another!
Lo and behold, The Embankment, the place we had queued for Thames Clipper tickets the day before, Big Ben, turning the corner the excitement from the crowds was building, I knew I didn't have too much further to go, a left turn and we were running down the Mall, Buckingham Palace stood behind us, I turned to look at it as I had seen pictures of it in the running magazines, tired I read 800m to go, hardly able to make my legs keep going forward I prayed the next sign wasn't 600m to go, it was, then 400m to go - it seemed like an age before I finally spotted the finishing line and lurched towards it, coming up to the line I remembered what Sophie said someone had said to her 'put your arms in the air for the photo you look like you've got energy left' - I raised my arms above my head and crossed the line. Once over I scanned the signs to see what to do next, first up a ramp to have my timing chip cut off, then shepherded to the right to have a photo taken against a background, off to get my goody bag and then to the meet and greet to see my family!
No such thing! We had agreed to meet at XYZ - less congested we were told! It was like a cattle market, I couldn't move, were they 2 feet away and I couldn't see them, I began to feel weary and dejected, I went over to the pavement and sat down, wrapped myself in my foil blanket and waited, I was unable to use my phone 'network busy'. I waited, and waited and waited.............
Way over an hour later Martin finally appeared, I had begun to feel much better and we set off to catch a tube back to the hotel.
Showered and changed I pondered the previous few hours, had I really done it, I was wearing a medal and a 'Londone!' T-shirt, yes I really had......Would I do it again - people kept asking....I doubt it, but stranger things have happened!
