Hobbling Dave’s London Marathon

I never thought I would hear myself say this but I am contemplating running a marathon again! The London Marathon last week gave me such a buzz and sense of achievement that the thought of doing it all over again is actually quite exciting!

I was nervous in the week beforehand- I had struggled with shin splints since Christmas and only managed up to 16 miles in training so the thought of the additional 10 miles was a little daunting!

There were so many runners at the start zone in Greenwich Park that it took me 25 minutes just to get across the line. Once up and running I settled into a rhythm and tried to take in as much as I could. The atmosphere was brilliant- I wasn’t expecting so many people cheering on at the side of the road even in the early stages. I had friends and family supporting at miles 1, 6, 12, 15, 18, 23 and then dotted along the last 3 miles which gave me a tremendous boost each time- almost too much because I would speed up and end up paying for it half a mile later!

I went past the 16 mile mark on the Isle of Dogs and still felt good for the next 3 miles on through Canary Wharf. Then it got very difficult. The people I spoke to before the Marathon had said that the main battle was all in the mind- they were so right! At mile 19 I felt I had very little left in my legs and all I could think was that there was 7 and a half miles to go which practically stopped me in my tracks! For the next 3 miles I walked about a quarter of each mile to try and conserve my legs and re-energise.

I came into Tower Hill at 23 miles and it suddenly got easier- I saw Sarah and her cheering team which I didn’t expect and that gave me a big lift for the final few miles. The crowds and bands along embankment were incredible, mostly 3 or 4 deep all the way back to Big Ben.  At Parliament Square I passed Sir Richard Branson dressed as a butterfly…  Very satisfying to beat him in his own event!!

I completed it in 4hrs 42mins which I was delighted with and headed straight to the Kings Arms in Waterloo to rehydrate with the FTFE team!

It was an amazing experience. I would recommend it to anyone- The highlights of  the day itself, the supporters, the eating-as- much-as-you-like and still losing weight whilst training massively out weigh the lows of the winter training, the niggling leg injuries and apres Marathon stiffness and blisters!

And the most importantly, my running has helped to raise a substantial amount of money for the FTFE charity and I would like to thank all those who have sponsored me and the Sweat Teams for their amazing generosity.

Yours

Hobbling Dave

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