Not 100% sure should be doing it. Hip been hurting (following falling over at this marathon in August). Had physio in week. Hurt even more. But given go ahead to try the race and see how it goes. So...
Traveled down from Newcastle on Friday night. Went to bed late and got up at 6. Not hungry, so made small bowl of porridge. Realised used out of date milk, so started again. Began again by using the same out of date milk. Started again. Third time lucky.
Traveled by a train, a tube, and a train to the start. Unusually for a bad day, or any day for that matter, public transport went according to plan. Flat white coffee - rocket fuel might help the tiredness!
Walked to start. Started to rain. Checked in. Rain stopped. Went outside and ate a banana. Don't like very hard non-bananary bananas, nor very soft too-bananary bananas. This one too non-bananary. Didn't eat it all.
I chose the wrong queue for the loo and made it to the start with 2 minutes to spare. Bagpipes playing Chariots of Fire. Yeah! "I'll show you universe" I thought! Nothing can stop me!
Started off running other way to the last time I did the race. Realised haven't checked course map. At least it's essentially a straight line, although in which direction the straight line goes is uncertain at this point. Felt good (i.e: nothing) for 2 miles, then the feeling in my hip returned, as usual, and stayed, alternating at random between not very much, and pretty downright painful for the next 24 miles.
I was hungry (as usual) almost straight away. Therefore, logically, I didn't get any food at the first aid station, for no other reason I can explain except that I don't usually have anything at the first stop. Made it to the second aid station at about 8 miles and ate two jelly babies and grabbed a vanilla bean energy gel for the road.
Attempted to eat vanilla bean energy gel while running. There are many, all of them good, reasons why I hate gels, and all of them illustrated by the next few minutes, which in summary were spent battling to open the packet, gel explosion over face/ top/ both hands/ water bottle, small amount of gel left to actually eat, horrid taste, internal (mostly) swearing, and the realisation that after all that I had consumed approx 25 calories, which would get me through approx 1/4 of a mile. Arrived at next station with energy levels hovering somewhere just beneath the floor. Ate a brownie bite too fast, which made me feel sick.
I overtook a man. Less than one minute later he re-overtook me. OK, fine. We're about 11 miles in. In my head, I know, I should ignore what other people are doing and run my own race. Also, far too early to start doing fast bits. But seriously? He has now slowed down again, and I'm having to slow down to stay behind him. So, I decide to overtake again. THEN! One minute later he's back in front! And then slows down again! What is his point?! Two can play at this. This happens FIVE times! Before finally he must get bored.
Next few miles approaching Putney interesting. Boat race on today. Hundreds, no, thousands of people rowing, and their teams on the banks shouting and doing boaty stuff, which mostly seems to involve shouting and waving arms a lot. Got to Putney. Chaos. Rowers carrying boats from the boat houses to the river and back, people carrying oars over their shoulders and taking people out with them as they walk around, cars backing up with boats on the back, dogs, bikes..... And the race went slap bang right through the middle of it all. AND THEN, after the half way point had to turn straight round and come back through it again. A rowing team taking their boat out of the water looked right at me as I was about to nip across in front of them, and then continued to walk right in my path. Thanks guys, thanks a lot. Ran around the back of them and their boat, put my foot without thinking on the slippery slope down to the river and ended up on the floor. Again. This race is cursed. I suppose it's the other leg and I landed on my bum, so it was a soft landing at least. And a runner stopped to check I was OK, which was nice of him and cheered me up a bit.
Felt very angry for a few miles. Not enjoying it. Dodgy hip hurts, now other leg hurts too. Both quads starting to cramp up. Feeling lightheaded from being hungry. Sat on sunglasses and getting headache from the sun. Have blisters. Know am slowing down. I had 3 aims today 1) not make hip worse 2) not fall over 3) run an OK time. Have failed in first two and the only one left to achieve is the last one, and if I can't do that might as well give up now. Get anxious when I think of times and targets when running races, and feel breathless/ tight chest when get stressed about things.
I spent the second half mostly in this state. At least running by self mostly so no one else has to experience my most negative aspects. Constantly checking my watch for times, pace, distance left. 13 miles is a looooong way when checking every 0.01 miles.....
Eventually a man wearing a medal who had already finished called out there was only 150 m to the end. Then I heard the bagpipes. Then I saw Andrew. Taking photos. Seriously?! In this state? NO ONE is seeing this! Got overtaken in the last few minutes which completely demoralised me, as that's usually what I like to do to other people. What goes around comes around I guess.
Stumbled over finish line in a pile of blood sweat and tears. All parts of body hurt. Which I suppose confirms that nothing has fallen off during the course of the race, which is something.
Andrew sends to have sports massage. Not open to considering this at this point, but too weak to protest. It hurts, but then everything hurts, so what's a bit more. The physio said I had a very high pain threshold, which I'm quite proud of.
Tried to have shower. Unisex showers. Hmmm. Tentatively open door. Fortunately no naked men around. Fashion bikini out of sports underwear in case said men should enter. All going well until water stops while hair conditioning and body is shower gelled.
I think it will be best to give up for today right here.
Let's look for positives. I finished in 3:50:15 which is less than 2 minutes slower than the August run, when I had a good run (apart from the falling over part), and on reflection, I think shows a greater mental achievement. I finished 17th in the ladies - exactly the same position as August. It was my 21st marathon. Andrew did his first half marathon since his injury in 1:55 and is back running! So not all bad :-)
I will end by passing on the wisdom that I have learnt (in theory, although clearly not in practice) from doing 21 marathons: rest well, eat properly beforehand, eat what you know works during, run your own race, enjoy the fact that you are out there doing it, don't obsess about times, make sure you have all the right kit with you, get new trainers before blisters encourage you to do this, try to stay upright.
And my hair was well conditioned by the time I got home.
Ah not one of the better races!!! Maybe, in hindsight, it would have been best not to have started it but hindsight is a wonderful thing!! Whats more you survived and did an excellent time!! Much more of an achievement in lots of ways than doing a run when everything goes well. Very well done, I'm very proud of you for having the guts to keep going.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if the hip is telling you it doesn't like running you are just going to have to turn into a long distance walker. Eating whilst walking is much easier than eating while running!!!!
Now about dad and this running!!!! (Just seen the comment on the earlier blog.) That sounds very like a delaying tactic to me! I could suggest he goes out in the evenings when it's dark then he won't be seen (or is that being mean).
Mum xxx