Chapter 38 - One Day Like This

Well – I did it.  It was bloomin’ hard, and bloomin’ hot, but I did it anyway.  What’s more, I’ve not ruled out doing it again sometime.  Who knows what will happen when the ballot opens later this month?

All in all, it was a great experience.  Running for Age UK was a real help – not only did they have cheerers along the route, they also provided a place to meet afterwards, with massage, free food and free drink.  Much easier than last year’s awful 30 minutes trying to find Chris in the meet-and-greet area.  They also gave me a massive round of applause when I walked in the pub.  What’s not to like?

The run itself is a bit blurred.  I was treating the first six miles as a warm-up, so I wasn’t really paying attention to my watch/heart monitor.  It was a bit of a shock, therefore, to find myself pumping along at more than 180bpm, when I’d never got much above 160 during long runs in training (including the two 20 mile races).  At 12 miles, when I was still practically fibrillating, I decided to walk for a bit, and that’s how it went from then on in.  Run a bit, walk a bit, jog a bit.  At 24 miles, I realised that if I legged it, I could get under 5:30, so that’s what I did.  Heart monitor ignored – 200 bpm clocked up, and a feeling of genuine elation as I crossed the line.  Go, me.

Everyone says the crowds are amazing – and they’re right.  I was helped at various stages by firemen with hoses, and spectators with oranges, sweets, and (joy of joys) cucumber, but particularly by the small child who gave me a cheese sandwich.  After all the sweet stuff, it was truly manna from heaven.  The crisps from her sister weren’t bad either.

I didn’t spot as many people in the crowd as I had hoped, but that’s partly because a) I had the iPod on, and b) I was practically comatose.  Fortunately, it didn’t stop me seeing Dave and Jan when I was beginning to flag, and it certainly didn’t stop me seeing Chris, Judith and Gerry at mile 25, when I was beginning to feel that I could do it.  The final mile up Birdcage Walk and into the Mall was terrific, and made the previous 25 seem OK after all.

Three days later and I can almost walk normally.  I even managed to stay awake all day today, and I’m planning to stay up late (or at least into double figures).  I can get up from a chair without yelping, and I can come downstairs without the handrail.  How cool is that?

London Marathon conquered in 5:28:35.  One day like this a year will see me right.