I've started my report... will finish it later, after work. Here's part 1
On Saturday I woke up thinking it was marathon day, and instantly felt panic, because I didn't feel ready. I can't tell you how relieved I felt when I realised what day it was.
It was totally different though, when I woke up yesterday morning, I woke about 20 minutes before my alarm was due to go off, I knew it was marathon day and I felt calm and ready for it.
The only thing that was slightly worrying me was getting to the start, I'd been given 3 different sets of instructions and was totally confused. So my plan was to have breakfast, get ready nice and early and then just hang around in the hotel lobby with the intention of following other runners.
I hung around for some time, but everyone seemed to have it all figured out in their own time scale... not mine. I wandered out of the hotel to look for and signs of which direction I needed to take but the streets were deserted.
"Get a grip Trinity" I told myself, and went back to reception and asked which way to the metro... how simple was that! I even had a little map to follow As I was walking down the still deserted street, a French couple came running up to me, looking lost and stressed. Like me, they had also been told that the busses would be running, but found that they weren't so with the aid of my little map I directed them to the metro
I got to the Sporthallen and it was heaving with runners going in all directions. I found some free lockers, which you access via a machine... you type in your pin number and it allocates a locker to you. gratis! And it can only be accessed by your pin number...cool
Everything was just falling into place...I seemed to hit everything just at the right time. I started to feel a bit concerned about how calm I was, I'd never felt like this on the morning of a marathon before.
Soon enough it was time to head over to the Olympic Stadium for the start. When I got there I couldn't resist going up into the stands to have a look... it was immense! The track was packed with runners, the stands were packed with supporters, the atmosphere was incredible and I couldn't wait to be a part of it. I ran back down the stairs and got myself where I needed to be... within the pink band of sub 3.30.. The start.
So, I was stood at the start, untied and re-tied my laces...as you do, and at last I started to feel some adrenalin...my body was preparing to race
A guy next to me said hi... he was from Cheltenham! Small world innit We had a chat, it was his first marathon and he was going for 3.15, wonder if he made it.
It was 10.30 and we were off... the Kenyans and speedy guys were already leaving the stadium by the time I got across the start line! We went half way round the track and then out... the crowd cheering as we left the stadium was amazing, I can't describe the feeling it gave me. But I was conscious that I had to keep the pace down for the first few miles while I settled in. With the support, it was so easy to run fast without even feeling it, so I kept checking my garmin... the fastest it got up to was 7.52, and I dropped right off that pace as soon as I realised.
I had my garmin set to give me my average pace throughout the race and I settled into a relaxed easy running pace, breathing nice and easy, at 7.56's.
The kilometres ticked over... past 5k... 10k... 15k...all on course for sub 3.30.
At about 18k I got that old familier feeling in my right leg. At first I tried to convince myself that I was imagining it, and if I didn't think about it, it'd go away. But it didn't go away, it got steadily worse... it starts like a vague ache and then gets stronger and stronger.. like having a bad toothache in your leg (kinda). My CPN was being pi$$d off and I knew what that meant. Please..not now, not here... SH!T!!! Gutted!!! My mind was racing...trying to figure out what to do, while all the time the pain was getting worse and worse.
The choice was stop and run/walk it, or DNF. Not much of a choice.
Still holding the pace... pain still getting worse...
I decided I couldn't bare to do a run/walk for over 13 miles and finish with a 4.30 instead of the 3.30.. I'd be totally gutted.
Still holding on to the pace... pain getting almost intolerable...
So I considered dropping out... sh!t, I can't drop out... I've worked so hard for this, I have to finish it at least, I don't care in what state.
I got to the 20k chip mat, my pace was still 7.57's
I started to feel sick and dizzy with the pain... my whole body kinda started to tingle...weird feeling. I had to really focus on the road ahead because the dizziness was getting worse. My leg momentarily buckled... "This is it" I thought, "my leg is not going to take much more". I can't begin to describe the pain I was feeling, let alone the dispair.
On Saturday I woke up thinking it was marathon day, and instantly felt panic, because I didn't feel ready. I can't tell you how relieved I felt when I realised what day it was.
It was totally different though, when I woke up yesterday morning, I woke about 20 minutes before my alarm was due to go off, I knew it was marathon day and I felt calm and ready for it.
The only thing that was slightly worrying me was getting to the start, I'd been given 3 different sets of instructions and was totally confused. So my plan was to have breakfast, get ready nice and early and then just hang around in the hotel lobby with the intention of following other runners.
I hung around for some time, but everyone seemed to have it all figured out in their own time scale... not mine. I wandered out of the hotel to look for and signs of which direction I needed to take but the streets were deserted.
"Get a grip Trinity" I told myself, and went back to reception and asked which way to the metro... how simple was that! I even had a little map to follow As I was walking down the still deserted street, a French couple came running up to me, looking lost and stressed. Like me, they had also been told that the busses would be running, but found that they weren't so with the aid of my little map I directed them to the metro
I got to the Sporthallen and it was heaving with runners going in all directions. I found some free lockers, which you access via a machine... you type in your pin number and it allocates a locker to you. gratis! And it can only be accessed by your pin number...cool
Everything was just falling into place...I seemed to hit everything just at the right time. I started to feel a bit concerned about how calm I was, I'd never felt like this on the morning of a marathon before.
Soon enough it was time to head over to the Olympic Stadium for the start. When I got there I couldn't resist going up into the stands to have a look... it was immense! The track was packed with runners, the stands were packed with supporters, the atmosphere was incredible and I couldn't wait to be a part of it. I ran back down the stairs and got myself where I needed to be... within the pink band of sub 3.30.. The start.
So, I was stood at the start, untied and re-tied my laces...as you do, and at last I started to feel some adrenalin...my body was preparing to race
A guy next to me said hi... he was from Cheltenham! Small world innit We had a chat, it was his first marathon and he was going for 3.15, wonder if he made it.
It was 10.30 and we were off... the Kenyans and speedy guys were already leaving the stadium by the time I got across the start line! We went half way round the track and then out... the crowd cheering as we left the stadium was amazing, I can't describe the feeling it gave me. But I was conscious that I had to keep the pace down for the first few miles while I settled in. With the support, it was so easy to run fast without even feeling it, so I kept checking my garmin... the fastest it got up to was 7.52, and I dropped right off that pace as soon as I realised.
I had my garmin set to give me my average pace throughout the race and I settled into a relaxed easy running pace, breathing nice and easy, at 7.56's.
The kilometres ticked over... past 5k... 10k... 15k...all on course for sub 3.30.
At about 18k I got that old familier feeling in my right leg. At first I tried to convince myself that I was imagining it, and if I didn't think about it, it'd go away. But it didn't go away, it got steadily worse... it starts like a vague ache and then gets stronger and stronger.. like having a bad toothache in your leg (kinda). My CPN was being pi$$d off and I knew what that meant. Please..not now, not here... SH!T!!! Gutted!!! My mind was racing...trying to figure out what to do, while all the time the pain was getting worse and worse.
The choice was stop and run/walk it, or DNF. Not much of a choice.
Still holding the pace... pain still getting worse...
I decided I couldn't bare to do a run/walk for over 13 miles and finish with a 4.30 instead of the 3.30.. I'd be totally gutted.
Still holding on to the pace... pain getting almost intolerable...
So I considered dropping out... sh!t, I can't drop out... I've worked so hard for this, I have to finish it at least, I don't care in what state.
I got to the 20k chip mat, my pace was still 7.57's
I started to feel sick and dizzy with the pain... my whole body kinda started to tingle...weird feeling. I had to really focus on the road ahead because the dizziness was getting worse. My leg momentarily buckled... "This is it" I thought, "my leg is not going to take much more". I can't begin to describe the pain I was feeling, let alone the dispair.