A Day Out at the Seaside

I had been looking forward to The Brighton Marathon for many months. It is one of the biggest marathons in the UK and with around 18,000 runners there was a good chance that for once I wouldn’t be at the very tail end of the race. Brighton would be my 7^th marathon so far and my 2^nd in two weeks. Physically I felt ok, a little dehydrated from a brief bout of sickness a few days earlier and tired from too little sleep but otherwise fine. I was up at just after 4,00am trying to eat porridge with golden syrup and drinking about a litre of water followed by a bottle of energy drink. I spent most of the next hour back and forward to the toilet but at least I knew I was hydrated and ready for the 26.2 miles ahead. My wife and son were coming with me so it was an early start for all of us and a short drive to the train station which would take us to the race.

I had planned everything and all was going well until we arrived at the station. We arrived 20 minutes early but found out about 10 minutes before our train was due that it had been cancelled with no replacement train or bus service arranged. Thank you so much Network Rail. There were many runners stranded at the station wondering what to do. The next train was over an hour away and would arrive too late for the start of the race. In the end we opted to drive up to Worthing and try to catch a connection there. We made the train with about 5 minutes to spare and got to Preston Park around half an hour before the start of the race. Our delayed arrival stopped me meeting a lot of people who I had hoped to say hello to and one lovely lady Alma who had offered to run a few miles with me. In the end it wasn’t the best preparation but I lined up in the green section with all the slower runners ready for the start. I was next to a man in a big furry badger costume and another dressed as a bear!! It was a little chilly but I was sure that after a few miles they would be sweating and regretting their choice of costume!

It took about 15 minutes from the official start of the race until I took my first steps over the starting line. As I looked around I could see there were indeed runners of all abilities here. Some wore the latest gear, while others looked like they had turned up for a school PE lesson with a complete mishmash of clothing and shoes that were more suited to cleaning the car than running. Past experience has taught me that despite this lack of gear these runners are the ones who usually speed past me leaving me in their wake at about mile 3. The start of the race was quite tough as the first section of the race involved running up hill to the highest point on the course. There was a lot of puffing and panting and you could see a few worried faces who were feeling the strain before the first mile was completed. At the top of the hill was a sign saying ‘Only 26 miles to go’ which meant we had only completed 0 .2 miles so far. I think I heard a few thousand people groan as we passed this point. As we ran downhill a lot of runners broke ranks to pee in the bushes including a number of women who didn’t seem shy of doing a Paula Radcliffe while a few thousand runners passed by. Good luck to them.

The early stages of the race were great as I was passed by a lot of people who knew of my 25 marathon challenge or had read it on my shirt as they passed by. Everyone was so friendly and supportive. Meeting even for fleeting seconds people I knew through Twitter or the running community was fantastic and made me feel part of a big happy family. I saw a few other Breakthrough Breast Cancer runners and we all exchanged greetings and stories which helped take my mind of the miles ahead. I ran for a short while with a guy raising funds for epilepsy and another running for Help For Heroes which was pretty humbling. The best part of running a marathon and indeed of being a back of the pack runner is actually meeting people and hearing their stories. It is really heart warming hearing other people’s reasons for running and it really motivates you to complete your own personal challenge.

Cancer has hit my own family quite hard. After losing my Mum to Breast Cancer I also lost a couple of Uncles to the disease which makes the run very personal. Even as a young child my Granddad lost a fight against the disease. I also lost a good friend a few years ago and it is these people that keep me going and keep me focused on why  I am out here. I am running this year for The Bobby Moore Fund and Breakthrough Breast Cancer two of the best charities I know and both charities close to my heart. My Mum suffered with Bowel Cancer before losing the fight after a long battle with Breast Cancer so these particular charities are extremely important to me.

I have to point out that I am not a strong runner so choosing to run marathons is a very tough challenge. Extremely tough. I have to date completed 6 marathons with Brighton being my 7^th and have been at the back of the field every time. I am plagued with self-doubts but running for charity is really the only thing that pulls me through the 26 or so miles. One of the reasons for choosing to run here was the large field of runners who I hoped would carry me through. I may not be the best runner but I have a big heart and a huge determination to succeed whatever the cost. I am stubborn which I guess helps but I am also frustrated that I can’t run faster and take so long to complete each race.

Only 2 weeks previously I had completed my last marathon. Now at about mile 8 I was really feeling it. I was running uphill at this stage and by chance met a bunch of lads who would inspire me to run and give me one of the best marathon experiences I have ever had. Gaz, Lloyd and Andy would help me through the next 18 miles and together we would laugh, share the pain and joy of running a marathon. They were all on a journey to complete their first marathons and I for once was an old hand and a veteran of 6 marathons! We were quite well matched for pace and so with good conversation and some good running weather we opted to stay together to the end. I was in no mood to rush off and chase a fast time and to be honest at this early stage my last marathon was starting to make itself felt in my legs. We shared stories about our reasons to run and became a Band of Brothers or more likely The Old Fartz Club! We shared a determination to get through and a desire to show people that although outwardly we did not resemble marathon runners, inside we had enough courage to tackle what is one of the hardest physical activities that the average man or woman would face in their lifetime.

As we ran and approached our first water station we were met with a disturbing sight. A well meaning St John’s Ambulance guy was standing at the side of the road in full uniform. On closer inspection he had a disposable glove covering his outstretched hand with a liberal amount of Vaseline smeared over his middle finger. We all exchanged some very worried looks and were relieved to find the Vaseline was not for some mid-race prostrate examination but for runners to smear on their eyebrows to stop any sweat from getting in your eyes. We all had a great laugh at this more out of relief than anything but it was extremely funny at the time. We refuelled with fluid and tried some energy gel Bloks which were great. So great that we spent the next mile picking discarded ones off the ground to give us energy. We were so tired that cleanliness wasn’t our top priority although we did make sure they were not chewed at least!

As the race progressed and the miles passed we all felt the strain. Parecetamol, Aspirin and Ibruprofen were passed about to null the aches and pains but there was no doubt it was getting tough. Lloyd a 60, year old bus driver from Brighton knew the route and was telling us where all the hills were. We lost track of the number of times he told us that this was the last hill only to turn the corner and face another incline. He took a lot of good natured abuse from us which in truth was not deserved as they weren’t really hills but when you are running a marathon even the slightest incline is not welcome! We passed the 13 mile mark in one piece. A few backs and legs were aching but passing this mark was a milestone as a lot of the lads hadn’t run further than this before. It is also quite a frightening moment for a first time marathoner as your body is aching and craving rest and you realise you are only just passing halfway. As we ran along the seafront the crowds were in force and they really spurred us along. I was getting a lot of attention as I had my name on the front and back of my running vest and this really helped me motivate me to run on. At around mile 14 we passed the Breakthrough Breast Cancer supporters cheering point who gave me the biggest cheer and made me proud to be running in pink for them. After a couple more miles the crowds thinned out and the loneliness and toughest part of the marathon started.

We ran through town past Café Nero, Subway, Burger King, Chinese Takeaways, Indian Takeaways and Kebab shops. All our stomachs were desperate for food. The gel Bloks were nice but real food was what we needed. At this point we met up with the final part of our Magnificent Five. She was a young girl called Nancy who it turned out was getting married next year and running to get fit. She fitted in with us straight away and was on the same wavelength when it came to humour. She was accompanied by another young girl who was struggling with an injury and who soon dropped away. However later in the race she was like a new woman and zoomed past us leaving us to wonder at her powers of recovery!! At about this time, maybe mile 16 we entered a housing estate. There were people out in the streets playing music, having BBQ’s and generally cheering us on. Hearing The Ting Tings blasted out at full volume does make you run faster although the one thing that got our pace up was the mention of cake. Another runner running ahead of us and looping back towards us mentioned that there was cake ahead which became an obsession for us all. For the next half a mile we were frantically searching for cake refusing to believe it might all just be a truly unkind hoax. Suddenly we saw a family with a table full of cakes.  It was like a mirage in the wilderness. Unfortunately it was short lived because as we got closer we found out they were selling them! Utter mercenaries. We were so disappointed and vowed to get some cake when we finished. However a few hundred metres down the road we saw a vision. Another family had baked cakes (a lot of cakes) and were handing small slices out to runners. I think we all took two each and I have to say they were absolutely delicious. I told the lady I could kiss her and before I knew what was happening I was being kissed on the lips mid marathon. So now the truth is out I will do anything for cake. Actually at that moment I would even have kissed Gaz if it meant we got some cake. They were lovely people and it is always the little gestures such as this that make a distinct impression. So from the bottom of our hearts we say a big thank you for the lovely cakes and of course the kiss (Don’t tell the wife!).

As the race progressed and our cake fuelled energy faded the race got harder. I was feeling extremely tired and getting reminders that this was not my only marathon this fortnight with sharp bolts of pain in my legs. My spirits were lifted by seeing an old running friend who I first met over a year ago at the Gosport Half Marathon. Vicky was running Brighton followed by London a week later so this really put my aches in perspective. She was flying and is really turning into a runner which is great to see. I was also really pleased to see a guy called Tom from Twitter who made the effort to come over and say hello. These two people made me smile and gave me the lift I needed to keep moving. We carried on at the same pace facing a very challenging run out to the Power Station knowing all the time we had to run the same route back. The mile markers seemed to slow at this point and every step was hard. My legs were screaming and my feet felt like I had been walking on hot coals. One look around and I could see the determination on the faces of Gaz, Lloyd, Andy and Nancy and I knew we all would make it. Lloyd suffered a couple of times and dropped back but both times he dug deep and came back to catch up with us.

Once we reached the seafront again we knew we were on the home straight. It was a different atmosphere to the crowd filled streets we passed a couple of hours earlier but we were in sight of the finish so it didn’t matter. We all pulled deep for the last mile and crossed the finish line together. Seeing my wife and son at the finish is the best feeling ever and despite my aches I must admit it was one of my best running experiences ever. I am proud to run for my Mum and proud of what I have achieved but I am also proud of the guys who ran with me. It was tough but they all laid down a marker and each and every one of them achieved their dream of completing a marathon with a lot of guts and determination.  I will always cherish the medal as a symbol of the good friends I made. Numbers were exchanged and Facebook details swapped and hopefully some or all of us will be back next year to run again. Marathons are tough but good friends make the long roads shorter. Thanks to Gaz, Lloyd, Andy, Nancy and of course my wife for standing in the cold for 7 hours while her husband went for a wander.  So many good memories of my day in Brighton. A day out at the seaside will never be the same.