Many thanks to David C for his report from taking part in the London Marathon:
I was so pleased to get my name pulled out of the hat for the club place and to run the marathon that I have wanted to run for so long and felt honoured to be running for the club. I got a training plan in place and had some great training runs with club members, who I am very grateful to, a special mention to Kev who gave up time to run many of those training runs with me.
Going to the Expo and picking up the race number was a great experience and made it all seem very real, with lots of stands selling merchandise and AI running experiences. I stayed in a hotel near to the start to make the marathon morning easier as I was starting early. I knew it was going to be a warm one so really had to think about my hydration before and during the run. This was not to be a problem as there were so many water stations along the course.
I got to the red start pen in good time and got myself sorted to be ready to start, chatting to other runners. I could see the elite runners begin on the TV screen. Soon we were ushered into my wave start and off we went to the start line. There were so many people and it was already getting warm, but I couldn’t wait to start. The race began and off I went. It was hard to get into a rhythm with so many people, weaving in and out due to all the different start times, but the atmosphere was amazing. It was great seeing Ana at mile 2 looking comfortable with her run.
The support along the way was so good, with family and friends shouting their support and so much encouragement from others along the course which all helps to carry you along.
Ticking the landmarks off along the way, I got to mile 17 and the struggle began, my legs felt heavy and it was getting hotter, I had a bit of a wobble and gave myself a bit of a talking to. I saw so many casualties along the way, so was very grateful that I felt good and knew I could get to the finish.
A highlight was at mile 22, seeing the legend John Barnes giving out lucozade drinks, those that know me well know that I am a big Liverpool fan!
With only 4 miles to go I kept pushing and using the crowds to get me to the finish. It was amazing running past Buckingham Palace and seeing the finish line come into sight.
What an experience and honour and one that I will never forget. I am so grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to finally get to run London Marathon.