Running the marathon
That has to go down as one of the best days of my life. Mickey Thomas scoring in the last minute of the last game to win us the title at Anfield was ecstatic. If I’m lucky and have kids I hear their birth is pretty good too. But running the marathon will be one of those rare experiences I’ll cherish forever and relive frequently. It was, quite simply, fantastic.I was nervous the week before but in a good mood on the day itself and sat on the tube making friends with fellow runners. This in-it-together atmosphere continued all the way to and in Greenwich Park, though by then my nerves had ramped up and I was feeling apprehensive about what lay ahead.
But when you see four Wombles, three donkeys and a twelve foot nurse called Rob you tend to relax a little. I also didn’t have much time to think because five minutes after being in place the whistle went and we were off. Even if the thousands of people in front meant it took 25 minutes to reach the start.
I felt stiff and in mild pain for the first few miles, though knew it was the kind you run off. The crowds were thin, but even so I started to get a few of the magical things which saw me through to the end – complete strangers cheering my name.
One of the best tips I got was to print my name on my vest. When you do, and if you run close enough to the crowd (as I made sure I did), men, women, kids and grandmas cheer you on. What a feeling that is. What an uplifting, propelling, wonderful feeling to hear random people congratulating me and urging me forward.
The crowd was absolutely fantastic. They didn’t cover every inch but there weren’t many yards that were empty. The cheers were the best bit (and let me say again just how amazing they were), though we also had kids handing out sweets, firemen dousing us with water, bands playing us on, drummers proving a beat, people on balconies with house music backdrops, pubs with MCs shouting out names and other things I’ll probably only remember once I hit Send.
It wasn’t only the complete strangers who propelled me forward either. Mandy and Lily were at mile 7 somewhere near Dom and family. Romi was at mile 8, Mandy moved to Docklands to be at mile 18, Gian, Scott, Rob and Richard were at 22, Dave at 23, Paul at 24 and Natalie opposite Parliament.
Each person, each milestone, gave me something to look forward to. I only actually saw Mandy, Lily, the boys and Paul but knowing they were there was enough. Other things broke down the distance, crossing Tower Bridge, turning for home at Docklands, hitting the 20 mile mark, seeing Charing Cross and going up the mall.
The race itself went by in a bit of a blur. Miles 8-12 were hard in places because I knew the distance still to run, but the Lucozade sport and the cheers saw me through. Parts of Docklands were tough, but sports gels, more Lucozade sport and more cheers saw me through there.
The really tough miles were 20-26. My feet hurt every time they hit the road, legs were heavy and tired, I could barely throw a smile at the people calling my name, every mile took an age to pass and the people walking were very tempting to join.
But I even loved how hard it was because it was so hard. I knew I wasn’t at my limit and if I kept going I’d feel proud. Plus, walk then and I’d be walking till the end. So I gritted my teeth, pushed myself forward and managed to run every step of the way. And I was right, it feels great.
By no means was it all hard, in fact I’d say it was fine most of the time and wonderful as often as tough. There were many times the sheer spectacle of the event gave me goosebumps, I put on headphones for a bit and wanted to bounce for joy and frequently thought this is so great I’ve got to do it again.
I think the heat and my leg and the crowd meant a fast time was an impossibility. But I’m so glad I decided to take it slow and savour as much as I could. I ran past the outstretched hands of kids giving them high fives, grinned at my supporters, ate a few sweets here and there, congratulated other runners, took in the beauty of London and the magnificence of the event.
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