Done and Dusted

With all the sponsorship money collected, I took a trip to Cranstock and handed over a cheque for £761.40.


Passing on the Sponsor money. 

I'm sure they will put it to great use, and that it will have some good effect on all who attend the centre.

Blogging off

So thats it really, my diary's done.

I'll update it again to add some photo's (when I learn how), that way I'll have a full record of the last 4months.

If all the sponsorship pledges are upheld I hope to have raised in the region of £500 for Cranstock,
"a daycare centre for adults with learning disabilities located in Woking, Surrey",
which my handicapped brother attends 5 days a week.

Good luck and god bless,
Andy.M.

Never again.....

Well I don't say that about anything, but I have to admit it doesn't really appeal to me at the moment for several reasons.

Firstly, has to be the way it consumes your life for months, your energy, time, family life, any other interests you follow all get shelved for months.
Secondly, I can't believe that any marathon experience could ever top that.

So as I sit here I can actually feel the warm ache in my thighs (I can walk upstairs without clinging to both handrails now) and honestly say that I won't.

Although.....
I'd love to try and do a half marathon in under 2hrs.
Now there's a thought.

Anyone else fancy giving that a go?

The Crowd

Truely amazing.

I can't believe I'll ever experience anything like that again.
26.2m of energetic, enthusiastic supporters lining every inch of the course.
I't made me feel guilty when I walked, especially at 7m when I felt great.
The effort they put into cheering the last few thousands of runners like myself, was all very humbling.
Without a doubt having my name on the front of my vest, enabling the 'personal' support (there were plenty of Andys out there), gave me a tremendous boost and definitely spured me on to keep going.

My Time

4:56 with a smile (or the best I could manage).

The official time web site is brilliant, you can analyse how your suffering effected your splits. Masochistic or what.

Splits.
10 KM 1:07:56
20 KM 2:18:37
30 KM 3:30:33
40 KM 4:41:31

Half 2:26:12
Full 4:56:08

I managed to run a steady pace for the whole race!
3 walking breaks, 7m, 14m and about 21m 'ish' where you go under those tunnels/bridges.

If I didn't know any better, I could assume I was in full control all the way.
None of this reflects the fact that I nearly collapsed at the 14m point, feeling sick, dizzy and with a cold sweat.
If I had of stopped then I would not have re-started.

I noticed from Michelles blog (one of the many that have helped me on my way) that we ran identical splits to the half way point, almost to the second.
I makes you wonder how many other bloggers ran side by side without even knowing.

Post before I forget

I'm going to write down/list everything I can about the day while its still fresh in my head.
In a couple of days when its all sunken in I'll post again to reflect on it all.
So here goes......

Before the race.
1) Restless nights sleep, as expected.
2) Up at 05:30 feeling pretty good and ready for it.
3) 05:55 spend 5mins scraping ice of the car, go back in the house to round up hat, gloves and anything else I might need for a cold run.
4) Drive to Staines, catch the 06:37 train to Waterloo. Already meeting up with other runners.
5) Walk to Waterloo east to catch train to Blackheath blue start - runners everywhere - arrive about 08:00.
6) Blackheath fills up very quickly, massive queues for toilets, free tea and coffee's a nice touch. Glorious sitting in the sun, on the grass relaxing with a cup of tea.
7) Change into running gear - no hat or gloves needed - load bag on lorry.
8) Go to pen 8 at about 09:20, sit down waiting to start.
9) When the hooter goes we're so far from the front I don't even hear it.
10) Start walking to line, after 10mins stop for another wee.
11) Cross the line after about 15mins or so.

The Race
1) Set of at a steady jog, crowds fantastic.
2) Cross the 5m at just under 55mins - everything going according to plan
3) Decide to walk for 2mins at 7m still feeling good - crowd amazing
4) Cross tower bridge on target time
5) 14m.....oh dear, feel very sick, light headed and dizzy, cold and clammy. Start to walk, other runners start to ask if I'm OK (must have looked like shit). Wash myself with water and walk for awhile then start gently jogging again.
6) 15m, back into the swing of things, feeling not to bad. Can't work out what pace I'm doing so forget about it and just plod on, soaking up the atmosphere.
7) 16m, only 10m to go registers very distinctly in my head, I feel happy and comfortable that I'll finish.
8) 20m, in my key pocket I have 6 joosters for the last 6 mile posts. The first one tastes great.
9) Last 6 miles, crowd support still amazing me - I wrote Andy on the front of my vest and the 'personalised' cheers are really great. Somewhere in the last few miles there was a couple of long tunnels, no crowds, so I walk through them.
10) 3 or 4m to go, still feeling ok but tired. Pass Tony Cottee who's wearing a West Ham top, as a life long West Ham fan he's always been an idol of mine.
11) Last 2m my legs are really tired now and my knees are getting sore but - I know I should break 5hrs, I haven't hit 'the wall', and I'm really enjoying the experience and trying to take in as much as I can.
12) Cross the line, smile and wave for the photo, stop my watch at 4:56.

After
1) Tag on shoe is removed, all the helpers are smiling, happy and supportive. Collect medal, then have a photo taken wearing it.
2) Retrieve bag, then get stuck in a big hold up to get away to the changing area. While I'm waiting I eat everything I can get my hands on.
3) Once changed I try to get back to Waterloo. Decided to walk rather than Tube, which gives me a chance to watch others finishing, and gently keep my legs moving. A long walk as it turned out as you couldn't cross the course to get to Westminister bridge. Loads of runners working and struggling along the last few miles, I stopped and supported several times.
4) Snooze on the train. A quick chat to a few other runners at Staines stn, and then drive back to Camberley arriving home just after 18:00.
5) Greeted at the door by my daughter and training partner who has watched every second of the race coverage on TV.


Finished. Free medal and free sun tan. 

Back Down to earth
1) Have to ground my boy (aged 7) for a week for swearing at his sister.
2) Its Sunday and school tomorrow, so I have to wait in a queue for the bath.
3) Sun burnt agony on my back and shoulders
4) Work tomorrow - if I can walk.

Carbo loathing

Tomorrows the day then.
I've been trying to rest all day - which in itself is hard work with 3 young children.
Drinking plenty of fluids - no alcohol, booo.
Ate a big bowl of pasta with bread - yuk. I'd rather have an ulster fry or a big steak and kidney pud. Who knows maybe tomorrow I will.

Got to get up at 05:30 to leave the house by 06:00.
I hope everyone running has a successful day, a day to remember.

Good Luck.

Ants in Pants

Finished work for the weekend, got home and was climbing up the wall's.
Very unlike me, I couldn't sit still and was all on edge, so I went out for a nice slow jog.
Just under 3m in 33mins.
Thats my planned pace for Sunday.
11min miles with some walking every 5.
Then again my plans rarely come to fruition.

Thinking back on the last few months I can hardly believe that I've just jogged 3m to relax and calm down, when 4months ago I couldn't have run 1.

I can't wait for it to start.
I can't wait for it to be over.

Numbers up

Picked up my number and registered yesterday. (6808)

A really long day in London, masses of people, plenty of freebies, loads of stuff to tempt you to spend your money and a massive queue for the pasta party.

Some really nice souvenirs, but it seemed a bit odd to buy them before your've actually done the run. I'll get them on the internet after.

Returned home very tired, then went out for the last time and drank too much Guinness.

Thats it I'm ready.

Long time to ponder

Had a nice steady 4 miles again today, thinking about all sorts of stuff - a bit like this.
1)Next week I'll have to take a day off work to get my number - which is a bit inconvenient at the moment.
2)On race day I have to get to London early (obviously), but Camberley is a right pain when it comes to trains so I may have to drive to Virginia Water or Sunningdale to get a mainline train.
I'll have to have a serious look at that.
3) Theres no way I can run 26m. Couch potato to marathon runner in 4 months just doesn't go.
4) I recon a run walk policy will work, as long as I treat it a bit like water intake, ie take it before you need it or its too late.
5) I'd love to get round in under 5 hours.
6) I'd love to smile as I cross the line.
7) I'd love my daughter to be able to come and watch (she's helped in all my training) but thats not going to happen.
8) I wonder what the weather will be like.
9) I wish I had someone I knew with me (just for the hour or so at the start).
And on and on and on.
I suppose I'll have a week of these sort of thoughts.
No real worries though, which is pretty good.

Taper for England

Ok, 5 days with no running - now thats what I call tapering.
Felt really guilty today so did a nice steady 4m.
Will probably do the same again tomorrow and that might be it, I'll see how I feel.

Logan's Run

We (the children and I) do the Logan's run each year, this is the 4th, in Aldershot. Its a 1km fun run or a 4m main run.
Last year I couldn't run the 1km without walking and this year I did the 4m run in 33mins.
My daughter was second girl in the 1km and 5th overall.
How good is that!

I wonder if next year I'll be walking the 1km again?

One things for sure, I need to buy a running vest in case its hot on the 17th, even in a running T shirt today it was stiflingly hot.
'Stiflingly' did I just make that up?
You know what I mean.

Easter Holls

Off work for a week. No blogging so here's a quick summary.

Sun - Rest day (hung over)
Mon - Rest day (british superbikes at brands hatch, great day out)
Tues - Rest day (go to Dover a few days)
Wed - 5.4m in 53mins (running along the sea front and peir, really nice, - and flat!)
Thurs - Swimming with the kids (absolutely knackering)
Fri - Same 5.4m in 53mins (bit boring second time, very hot and humid)
Sat - Rest day (come back home)

The big run

So the plan goes like this.......
last long run, 18m or so then my favourite bit - the taper.
Finally a bit of the training schedule I know I can do.
The taper, I love it.

Sorry, back to the 'big'run. Went over the woods with my two training parteners. Jogged/walked for nearly 3hrs, don't think I covered alot of distance (14m or so) but with all the up and down hills it was pretty good.
I quite enjoyed it, ran to Crowthorn, Bracknel and Bagshot via Swinley forest - thats where if we get the 2012 olympics the mountain bike stuff will take place.
Finished with energy left, a very tired little dog, and a daughter with a saddle sore bum.

Got very drunk Saturday night (start of the taper!)

loosener

Very slow jog (about 2miles) just to get my legs working again.
Very tired but thigh pain seemed to have eased.
This has become a real chore.

Fleet half

This half marathon was only just down the road for me and was pretty flat - what could be better?
So after a short drive and a short walk I'm there, far to early and feeling like billy no mates standing around on my own. The park soon filled up and then we're ready to go.

The first couple of miles included a hill (twice!) and my left thigh was really paining me. I don't know why and it was only really 'can I do this' bad on downhill bits (not many of those though thankfully).

Plodding along at a comfortable pace, missing mileage markers, until the 4m post when I realised I was still doing the same as at Reading, 10min miles.
Tried slowing down and some walking but that was pretty uncomfortable so I just carried on crossing the line in a clock time of 2:11.

Good bits
Great crowd support (including my daughter and neighbour), good country roads/views, flatish course, know what my comfortable/natural pace is, ran with batman and robin for a few miles, beat the bloke carrying 2 oars.

Bad bits
Not fit enough to do my prefered pace for much more than 13m, none the wiser as to a plan for marathon, really painful right thigh muscle for whole race, no goody bag.

I'm sure there's other stuff but I'm tired, come to think about it I'm physically tired all day everyday now.

Is it just me?