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Finishing Time: 4:00:51
(Average pace 9:11/mile)
(Target - 4 hours - 9:10/mile)
 Position: 12,263 out of 32,572 finishers (top 38%)
Money Raised for NSPCC: £1043.25
The days before
In the run up to the race I was getting more and more excited. Not
really nervous at all, only a little concerned about how my legs would
hold up to 26 miles of running. On the Saturday there was registration
at the London Arena - time to pick up my running number and look around
the marathon exhibition that was going on at the same time. The highlight
was popping in to both the NSPCC and Justgiving stands and being instantly
recognised from the photo on my web site. I also got to see minor UK celebrity
Chris Chittell who plays Eric Pollard in the ITV soap Emmerdale.
Sunday - Pre-race build-up
I had a reasonable night's sleep until I woke at around 5am and couldn't
get back to sleep. Just a light breakfast with a bottle of water, and then
I thankfully managed to go to the toilet (regular readers will remember
my concern after reading an advert for a well known brand of diarrhoea
tablet, referring to the messy-sounding 'Runners Trots').
I eventually made it to the start about an hour and a half before the
scheduled start time of 9:45am. It was a great atmosphere with so many
people around and so much going on. I managed to take on a little more
water before handing in my kit bag (which would then be taken to the finish)
and beginning to queue for the toilets to get rid of any excess fluids.
It took 12 minutes to reach the front of the toilet queue, but it was
considerably better than being a female in that situation as their queues
were moving nowhere. So I relieved myself and then made it over to the
start line with about 30 minutes to go. This is when the picture above
was taken (the smile reveals the fact that it was taken at the start and
not the finish). As you can see I had written my name on the front of my
vest, and it was also on the back too - designed to elicit encouraging
cheers of "Go on Craig!" and "Oooh, you have sexy legs Craig!" from the
crowds along the route.
The start
The weather was ideal for running - around 14 degrees with the sun
shining and a cooling breeze. I was at the blue start, which seemed to
be a good place to be compared with the red start where the majority of
runners are placed.
I was quite a way down the line at the start, and we all realised that
the race had actually begun when we saw and heard fireworks going off.
The crowd then slowly shuffled towards the start line, and I almost hit
'the wall' considerably earlier than I expected - it was in the form of
an ice cream van parked at the side of the road. Anyway, there was just
about 8 minutes on the clock by the time we reached the actual start line
- timing chips attached to our trainers made sure that our individual start
times were adjusted accordingly.
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My Split Times
|
Mile
|
Split
|
Total
|
Avg Pace
|
|
1
|
10:01
|
10:01
|
10:01 |
2 |
9:23 |
19:24 |
9:42 |
3 |
9:21 |
28:45 |
9:35 |
4 |
9:09 |
37:54 |
9:29 |
5 |
9:15 |
47:09 |
9:26 |
6 |
9:02 |
56:12 |
9:22 |
7 |
9:10 |
1:05:21 |
9:20 |
8 |
8:56 |
1:14:17 |
9:17 |
9 |
9:08 |
1:23:25 |
9:16 |
10 |
9:09 |
1:32:34 |
9:15 |
11 |
8:54 |
1:41:28 |
9:13 |
12 |
8:57 |
1:50:25 |
9:12 |
13 |
8:50 |
1:59:15 |
9:10 |
14 |
9:13 |
2:08:28 |
9:11 |
15 |
9:03 |
2:17:31 |
9:10 |
16 |
9:13 |
2:26:44 |
9:10 |
17 |
9:14 |
2:35:57 |
9:10 |
18 |
9:03 |
2:45:00 |
9:10 |
19 |
9:28 |
2:54:28 |
9:11 |
20 |
9:33 |
3:04:01 |
9:12 |
21 |
9:23 |
3:13:24 |
9:13 |
22 |
9:11 |
3:22:35 |
9:13 |
23 |
9:12 |
3:31:47 |
9:12 |
24 |
8:59 |
3:40:46 |
9:12 |
25 |
8:50 |
3:49:36 |
9:11 |
26 |
9:01 |
3:58:37 |
9:11 |
Finish |
|
4:00:51 |
9:11 |
Race Statistics
Time |
Finishers |
% |
Total % |
2:00 - 2:30 |
66 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
2:30 - 3:00 |
1104 |
3.4 |
3.6 |
3:00 - 3:30 |
3694 |
11.3 |
14.9 |
3:30 - 4:01 |
7443 |
22.9 |
37.8 |
4:01 - 4:30 |
7266 |
22.3 |
60.1 |
4:30 - 5:00 |
6721 |
20.6 |
80.7 |
5:00 - 5:30 |
3451 |
10.7 |
91.4 |
5:30 - 6:00 |
1758 |
5.4 |
96.8 |
6:00 - 6:30 |
728 |
2.2 |
99.0 |
6:30 + |
341 |
1.0 |
100 |
|
Miles 1 - 4
Only just after the start line was there enough room to break into
a little jog, which gradually became faster over the first mile. The first
thing that struck me was how weird it seemed to be running with so many
people. Compared with my lonely and isolated runs in training this was
a different experience altogether. The sound of thousands of feet pounding
the streets in unison was really striking, as were the cheers from the
crowds at the side of the road.
For the first 3 miles there was quite a lot of congestion which made
it tough to keep on my target pace as you can see from my initial split
times. There was quite a lot of dodging in and out of the crowds to find
a little space to run at a decent pace. This is where my training on the
Felixstowe front came into play, as I was an old hand at avoiding stray
dogs and tourists.
As I mentioned before, I had been concerned about 'runners trots' affecting
me during the race, but I do not think that they have yet invented a tablet
that can protect you from other people's runners' trots. I was right behind
a tall, gaunt looking bearded man after about two miles, and he let rip
some of the loudest farts I have ever heard - quite a feat considering
I was surrounded by thousands of other runners and a noisy crowd along
the streets. What made things worse was that it sounded like there could
have been some messy follow through taking place. A few seconds later an
almighty cloud of what was the most toxic smelling gas I have ever come
across reached my nostrils and momentarily I was disoriented. I was not
going to stick around to see what else was going to happen, so I deftly
weaved in and out of the crowd and made it a safe distance upstream from
the man.
Early on I felt like I could do with a bit of a wee to relieve myself,
but having had experience at holding it in for 3 hours before I wasn't
too concerned. Many others obviously were, however, as the queues for the
toilets even over the first few miles was quite astounding. To avoid the
queues people were finding discrete places to piss against walls or trees,
proving yet another advantage of being male in this situation. Perhaps
the most bizarre sight was at the 2 or 3 mile stage where there was a row
of guys doing their business up against a wall, and in the middle of them
was a guy dressed in a massive Womble costume.
The 3rd mile mark gave rise to the first water station. I had read the
advice not to dive for the first table as they stretch for 200m each so
there is plenty of opportunity to pick up one of the small bottles of water.
However, I did get caught in the cross fire with several people diving
across the front of me at the last minute to grab a bottle. I managed to
move out a little then sneak back in towards the end of the water station
to pick up a little refreshment. |
I considered swilling the contents of it over my head like you see the
professionals doing, but figured it was a bit early to be using those kind
of tactics. So I just took a few sips for the next half-mile, and tossed
the half-full bottle over to the side of the road to join the thousands
of others piling up there. There would be water stations at every mile
from now until the finish.
Miles 5 - 13
At the 5 mile mark came the first 'special drinks' station, providing
'Lucozade Sport' to those who wanted it. I had decided to take some towards
the end of the run to see if it perked me up when I was flagging in the
latter miles, so ignored this first station. It proved to be more hazardous
than the water stations though as the floor was littered with the little
caps from the foil pouches (all the water bottles already had their caps
removed but these things didn't). The other thing was that quite soon the
floor became completely covered with this sticky orange liquid, so it now
sounded like there were thousands of feet running on the sticky floor of
a men's toilets in some seedy nightclub. Of course with everyone's feet
now thoroughly soaked in the Lucozade Sport this sound went on for the
next mile or so.
At the 6th mile we went passed the Cutty Sark which made for a pretty
sharp bend. It was the first real London landmark we had been passed and
it was absolutely full of supporters so that helped me to pick up the pace
a little. Up until the 12 mile point there wasn't too much sightseeing
to do as we were mainly running though residential areas. This gave me
chance to concentrate on slowly making up the time I had lost in the crowded
first few miles. It also gave me the opportunity to look around at some
of the other runners and see how they were handling things. At this point
everyone was looking reasonably good. I was overtaking quite a lot of people,
and quite a lot of people were overtaking me as everyone was now managing
to establish the pace that they wanted after the exciting first hour or
so.
I began to notice that several runners had brought along mobile phones
with them. I found it quite amazing at first, why anyone would want to
bring a phone with them. It was particularly amusing to hear someone answer
his phone and then say "Erm, do you mind if I call you back a bit later?
It's just that I'm in the middle of a marathon at the moment." I think
some were using the phones to keep in touch with friends and relatives
and to find out where they were planning to be cheering from on the course.
The good sign for me now was that my thigh strain was not troubling
me at all. Although when it started last Sunday the timing seemed pretty
bad, I think the fact that I had plenty of rest days planned for that last
week really helped it to recover. I thought that 10 miles or so could have
caused it a problem, but everything was fine and I didn't really have any
problems at all at this stage, other than weaving through the crowds.
Just before the halfway point came Tower Bridge which was nice to see
at that point. Again there were loads of crowds all along the bridge and
it really speeded me up to complete that 13th mile in good style. At the
halfway mark I had clawed back my average pace to my target time and I
felt reasonably comfortable.
Miles 14 - 18
The first part of this stretch was again through a lot of unexciting
residential areas. The atmosphere was still good though with people lining
the streets and live bands playing outside several pubs. There was also
a big NSPCC cheering point early on in this section and the supporters
there gave me a good cheer to lift my spirits.
The mile markers were starting to annoy me a little now, as the distance
between each one seemed to be getting longer and longer. In my training
I knew the overall distance I was running, but never really paid attention
to the individual miles I was running. But with the huge signs along the
course there was no way to escape it, and it did seem to emphasise how
much was still left in front of me.
My legs were now beginning to feel a little weary, and I almost fell
at one point as someone behind me accidentally clipped my heals. I was
taking a bottle from every other water station and having a few sips as
I ran along to keep hydrated. With the sun still shining it did get hot
at times although there was still the cool breeze. Along the course there
were around 3 or 4 'shower stations' that were basically fine sprays of
cold water that you could run through. I avoided the first one or two but
then went through the next one in the hope of some invigoration to help
me continue.
I am not sure whether 'invigoration' would be the right word, but it
certainly gave me a shock to have the icy water all over my body. It didn't
take long for me to warm up again though as the water soon evaporated away.
The route continued though to the Canary Wharf business district which
was full of supporters on the sidelines again. I took a lot of encouragement
from all the cheers for my name, but still waited for someone to comment
on my sexy legs. I thought my luck was finally in when a lot of wolf whistles
started to come my way, until I realised that I was running next to a man
dressed up in a bikini and waving a fairy's wand.
Miles 19 - 21
This was a very tough section. Not only was I becoming extremely exhausted,
but the road became very narrow in places and therefore very crowded. I
couldn't keep the pace I wanted to maintain, as much as I tried dodging
in and out of the other runners. I resigned myself to losing a little time,
but thought that at least I would have a little extra energy left for the
final few miles.
Miles 22 - 24
I was now going passed the Tower of London on the cobbled streets.
I had heard tales of how the cobbles really hurt to run over at this late
stage, but my legs were pretty much numb by now so it didn't cause too
much of a problem. There was a small carpeted route over the cobbles but
unsurprisingly it was pretty packed so I stuck to the outside and made
some good progress.
At this stage there were many people walking, having obviously set off
at too quick a pace in the beginning. Although not wanting others to suffer,
it was still nice to be passing people in this kind of state while I was
pretty confident that I could keep on going. One of the walkers I had the
satisfaction of passing was former British Heavyweight boxing champion
Frank Bruno. Looking at the finishers' results I notice that he passed
the halfway mark in 1:54 but ended up finishing in 4:47. I considered stopping
to explain the merits of maintaining a steady pace, but his huge muscular
build and the fact that he gave Mike Tyson a reasonable run for his money
made me think twice.
Mile 25 - Finish
The last mile or so now, and I tried to make up as much time as possible.
I knew I had lost quite a bit of time in the narrow winding streets earlier,
and figured this was the last chance I would have to make it up and get
as close as possible to my 4 hour target time.
Running alongside the river Thames with Big Ben in front of me showed
that the end was almost there. Somehow the 26th mile seemed to last an
eternity, and I was really at the end of my physical and mental resources.
All I could think of was having a huge burger with fries and a massive
glass of Coke. There is not much I remember of the final mile or so, other
than a marshal shouting that we were only 400m from the finish. I didn't
even glance over at Buckingham Palace as the route wound round to The Mall
and I could finally see the finishing line.
I had imagined that I would put in an almighty sprint at the end, but
couldn't seem to alter my pace at all - my legs were just going through
the motions as if I had no control over them anymore. I remember the stands
full of people were all cheering as I passed and then it was over and I
crossed the finish line.
Post-race
I crossed the line and felt the instant relief at having stopped running
and given my legs a well-earned rest. A medal was hung around my neck,
and then a photographer took my picture. I can only imagine how drained
I must have looked and how fake my smile was as I held up the medal to
the camera. Once I receive the picture in the post I will decide whether
it is best to share or burn the evidence.
My official time turned out to be 4:00:51, which I was extremely pleased
with. It was almost bang on my target time, despite the crowded sections
at the beginning and towards the end that slowed me a little. But as I
said they probably helped me to conserve a little energy, and when I crossed
that line I really felt that I had given everything I had.
After the medal and picture we were encouraged to keep walking as we
picked up various bits and pieces - a goody bag (with official finishers'
T-shirt, snacks and magazines), a large bottle of water that I drank within
a minute or so, and also the famous foil 'space blanket'. This was remarkably
effective at keeping some of the warmth in my body, and provided the strange
sight of hundreds of people in front of me all covered in foil. It almost
felt like I was an Astronaut in a bad 1950s B-movie.
Again, I would not wish pain on anyone, but it was good to see how other
people were suffering just a little more than I was. For the last 5 months
I have been the only one with a funny walk, and now I was surrounded by
hundreds of people all looking completely shattered and stumbling around
in various amusing walking styles.
Once the water soaked into my system and I had put on my tracksuit and
coat, I began to feel a little better. As the feeling came back to my legs
I was surprised that I could not feel any specific injuries - just a general
soreness and aching as I had expected. On closer inspection the only real
problem I had was a couple of small blisters on my right foot, which I
could not feel during the race at all anyway.
It turned out that I lost around 3 pounds in weight during the race,
which is a reasonably normal amount and to be expected. On Sunday evening
I set about putting that back on with the burger, fries and Coke that I
had been hallucinating about over that last mile.
Monday and Tuesday
It is now Tuesday and I have spent today and yesterday with my strangest
walk yet. Stairs are proving to be the worst obstacle as it is shear agony
going up or down them. But the good news is that there still do not appear
to be any proper injuries, just the general all round soreness and aching
of my knees and thighs.
Final Words
The whole marathon experience has been terrific, with a great atmosphere
on the day, and smooth organisation all the way through. I am so pleased
to have made it round in just over 4 hours, and also to have raised over
£900 for the NSPCC. Will I ever do it again? Not in the near future.
For me it was the months of training that were the hardest part - all those
runs day after day, often in the dark and in the middle of winter. Ah,
the memories, the memories….
 Thanks to:
my girlfriend Dawn for support over the last 5 months of training and for
taking good care of me before and after the race; my family and friends
for all of their support; everyone who sponsored me; everyone at the NSPCC
for their assistance before the race and their cheers during it; all those
who lined the streets of London on Sunday and gave their applause and encouragement
(didn't any of you find my legs sexy?); and finally the people at Justgiving
for creating an easy way to collect sponsorship and for sharing the trials
and tribulations of my training with a wider audience.
Training Statistics
Over the last 5 months of training I have...
run 420 miles in around 62 hours which is an average pace of 8:49/mile
thought about sex 31,783 times whilst running
had to re-arrange my testicles mid-run 216 times
ran past 200 dogs
had a funny walk for the last 150 days
had 80 post-run showers
exchanged 14 runner's "Hi"s
drank 10 litres of Lucozade Sport
had 10 different injuries
been laughed at 8 times
jogged on the spot 7 times
almost vomited whilst running 4 times
been completely lost 3 times
changed the batteries in my speed monitor twice
drank 2 litres of water from my runners' water bottle
almost been spat on once
almost been hit by bird shit once
stepped in 0 piles of dog shit
Read Full Training Diary
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