The first marathon of my 4 marathon challenge was always going to be hard but I really had no idea just how hard it would be. My training in preparation for the day was not ideal. A virus in early February cut my training miles and resulted in me entering the race less prepared than I would have liked. I felt fine in myself with no injuries but my worry was how I would cope when the race got into its later stages. Running a marathon is hard but the last few miles are where your training kicks in. There are no short cuts if you haven’t done the training then you are going to struggle. So it was with much trepidation that I approached the first part of my challenge for 2011.
The venue was Battle in East Sussex for the inaugural run of The Sussex Marathon. The event was held on Mothering Sunday which was quite poignant as I would be running for my Mum. On the day I woke at 4.00am and prepared for a long drive to Sussex . I was nervous more so because I would be running on my own but also because my wife and son wouldn’t be there to support me. It was strange being without them but getting a 3 year old up so early to stand around while Daddy ran for half the day wasn’t really going to be a good idea.
After a long drive I found myself at the start feeling apprehensive and nervous of the run ahead. My body felt fine, I was hydrated and as ready as I could be for the challenge ahead. The weather on the day was perfect for running, warm but with a cool breeze. I felt good at the start perhaps better than I had felt for the last two months so now it was all down to me. The first few miles were tough but for me this always seems the way. It is as if my body takes a while to adapt to a long run working through early stiffness until I feel comfortable running a steady pace. The first section was quite straighforward running a flat loop around the village of Battle . My pace was good and I was running quite far ahead of schedule. There were lots of people on this part of the course shouting encouragement as I passed which was great to see and really gave me a boost. I was running for the first time with my name on my shirt so hearing people call my name was absolutely fantastic. The scenery was beautiful which helped occupy my mind and the course well signposted so at this stage I had no real worries. I followed a couple of runners who were also running for charity (MS) and we chatted about our reasons for running. Marathon runners are all such friendly people and never fail to encourage one another. Hearing other people’s reasons for running really does help to highlight your own personal reason for being on the road and gives you that extra boost to get through. Sometimes you can get caught up in your own little world and start feeling sorry for yourself but hearing some really heartfelt stories from other runners makes you feel pretty humble.
The second section of the race was an out and back run to Ashburnham and back which you had to complete twice. On paper this section showed about 3 or 4 steep hills which looked pretty challenging. The organisers stressed in all the pre-race literature to save your strength for the later stages as the hills were quite steep. I was quite buoyed by my early times so in my naivety I pushed ahead. This is where running alone is a problem. Previously running with Mike I had someone who would curb my enthusiasm (or stupidity) but this time I had no one. I honestly felt fine at this stage and although I wasn’t breaking any records I was more than happy with the progress I had made. Bear in mind my training had not gone well so stamina was always going to be a problem but so far I could hold my head up high. The early inclines were strength sapping and I could feel each stride taking my energy down a notch. As I ran on towards the 10 mile mark the hills were looming high and long. There is nothing so daunting as running when faced with huge hills which slowly incline over the course of a mile or so. Also I knew that at some point I would have to turn round and face these hills again over the last few miles of the marathon. I could feel my pace slowing dramatically and each stride became an effort that sucked the strength from my body. Even the downhill sections were tough as my legs struggled to keep pace as I sped downhill trying to make up for the time I lost on the uphill section. My toes and the soles of my feet were sore from griping the road surface in an effort to slow me down and my calf muscles were nearly bursting seemingly seconds away from developing into the worst cramps ever.
A marathon as I have said is unforgiving in the later stages. If you have done your training and built up your stamina it will be hard but with a little determination you will get through. If you skip or miss out the training then your stamina will be compromised and the later stages will be much harder. Around about 15 miles into the marathon my stamina waned and combined with my growing list of aches and pains for the first time I genuinely thought about quitting. I still had over 11 miles to run and mentally and physically I was struggling. I tried to focus and reminded myself just what and who I was running for. I felt tears building in my eyes at the thought of failing at the first challenge and letting so many people down. I saw a lot of people dropping out around me and was determined that even if I had to walk the remainder of the race I would complete it.
Entering the hills a second time was psychologically very hard. My body was struggling and knowing the enormity of the hills ahead of me I knew it was going to be tough. I ran all the way but at some points my pace was so slow that I think walking would have been faster. Several of the race marshals and St John’s Ambulance crew encouraged me as I passed them and spurred me on to keep going. I knew as long as I kept moving I would be Ok, but if I stopped I probably wouldn't be able to move again. I had fuelled my body with energy drinks and gels so I was confident I was hydrated enough but waiting for the energy to kick in as I passed through The Wall was tough. I dug deep and dedicated the last few miles to my wife, my son and of course my Mum. The last mile passed in a blur, my legs were so numb with pain and I ached all over but a strange exhilaration came over me as I realised that the finish was in sight. It was fantastic to see so many people cheering me and as I crossed the line I was so proud and relieved that I had passed my biggest test so far.
At the finish people everywhere were telling me this was a tough race. One guy who had ran over 250 marathons said it was the toughest he had ran in which made me feel better. I had struggled and finished over half and hour behind my last time but at least I had got through it. Exhaustion changed to elation as I realised what I had done. It was a very hard run done quite appropriately enough on Mothering Sunday. I am sure my Mum was with me every step of the way and I hope I made her smile and made her proud. I really am not a runner so running is hard work... extremly hard work. I am very slow and not at all built for long distances but I have done it and kept my pledge to Cancer Research UK and The Bobby Moore Fund and to all the kind people who have supported me and sponsored me. This is only the first step but at least I am on my way.
In the days after the race the pain hit me quite hard. Despite having plasters on every toe I ended up with several blisters and also a couple of small but painful bruises on the soles of my feet. I ached all over and was experiencing cramps in my legs which were pretty painful. Luckily all these were superficial and I hadn’t suffered any injury that would affect me going forward. After a couple of days I felt much better and now after a week I feel pretty much 100%. I am enjoying a 2 week break away from running to allow my body to heal. Then it is back out on the road again training for the next marathon in my challenge The South Downs Marathon. This will be new territory for me as this will be my first cross country marathon running from Slindon to Queen Elizabeth Country Park on Saturday 11th June. This will be another hard challenge with lots of hills (again!) and the added complication of running off road. Hopefully this time I will be better prepared and will have a better race strategy so that I will have some energy left at the end!
The response to my run has been fantastic. I have been inundated with messages of support from all over. I did another radio interview on Radio Solent for The Julian Clegg Show which is really helping my fundraising. I have also been talking to some magazines including Your Local, Hampshire Now and The News about further features on my fundraising efforts. I am also hoping I can do something with the Queen Elizabeth Country Park to raise my profile. Every bit helps but it also puts a lot of pressure on you to suceed.
The main thing is that the money is coming in raising much needed funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK and The Bobby Moore Fund which is the point of all these runs. I think I have a strange relationship with running. In some ways I love it but in another I hate it but despite all the blood sweat and tears the exhilaration of facing my demons and raising money for charity really does keep me going.
