So as we know this year has been full of cancellations and postponements for races. For someone who likes to enter races throughout the year it has been disappointing. Thus when the opportunity to enter the virtual London marathon came along I jumped at the chance. It was two weeks after my middle distance race, that should be training enough right?
Oh Hilary.
I planned a run down the Thames path, which was nice and flat, and using the route planner I figured I had to run from my house to the Oxo building and back to get to finish at Woolwich.
The weather report was pretty grim, so I set myself up for the morning with a gilet and arm warmers. I also had my husband put physio tape round my arms where it had rubbed two weeks before and hadn't healed quite yet.
I planned to leave at 7am and I think I was a couple of minutes late. Out the door into the rain for a very very long day.
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| Ready to go out |
The first bit of my run down the hill I felt warm and wondered if I'd over layered. That was the only time I felt warm. It may have been early but there were already others out there. I saw one lady who was going to Grove Park and two Danson runners before I turned off towards Galleons Reach. I was glad that I had done a recce the week before so I knew the way to the Thames path. I ran past the statues and wondered how long it would be before I saw them again. Out of Woolwich, down past the old Siemens buildings and the climbing wall, then on past the Thames barrier. Lots of faster runners were coming past me by this stage. The wind was really strong and the rain was just coming down.
The route onto the peninsula began with several very large puddles. It was either attempt to climb around them or just wade through them. I just waded through, my feet getting soaked. The path was very narrow so I had to let runners and cyclists go by me. On went the wind and the rain. I knew that my husband was waiting for me at the O2 which pushed me on. Poor Stuart couldn't use his umbrella because of the wind. Finally I saw him. I was about 10 minutes late at this stage. I grabbed some water and coke and carried on. It was such a nice surprise to go past Ed's group of runners on my way round the peninsula to Greenwich. On went the wind and rain, through the puddles on through the narrow Thames path to Greenwich. Greenwich was a hive of activity and runners despite the rain and I got lots of cheers on my way through.
Out of Greenwich, through Deptford and past an old friend's flat in Rotherhithe. At this point my phone starts going a bit mad (because of the rain) and decided on its own to call the emergency number. Suddenly I'm being asked if I need an ambulance. I felt so bad for the misdial. On went the wind and rain. The Thames path goes a bit fiddly at this stage, but I was joined by fellow Triton Ruth who showed me the straighter route. Thanks to Ruth, who sadly left me to get some drink, I managed to find the end of the run I used to do from work to Canada Water. Now I was on more familiar ground, I ran through Rotherhithe, past Tom and Rachel which was lovely, and on through the wind and the rain until I got to Tower Bridge. I tried at this point to get my phone out to send a message to my husband but it was wet and the touchscreen wasn’t working properly. After several futile attempts, I managed to send him a message that said “London beDGE3”. I meant London Bridge, although I hadn’t got there yet. There were lots of other runners and walkers in ponchos all doing the marathon as well, it was amazing with the weather.
Finally I got to London Bridge, and I saw Ruth coming the other way. She’d managed to pass me somewhere where the path goes close to the river while she did the more straight version. She told me I didn’t have far to go to get to the OXO tower, where I’d arranged to meet Stuart. Everything was hurting by that stage. I was wet, cold, miserable, and wondering why I’d got myself into this. Past the Tate building and the Millennium bridge, oh London it’s been a long time. Finally, there was the OXO building and Stuart waiting in the shelter. I’m not ashamed to say I burst into tears when I saw him. It was so utterly miserable, my body was starting to hurt badly, and I just wanted to go home and stop torturing myself. Stuart gently reminded me that I could do this, that I was doing it for charity, and that I’d hate myself if I gave up. So, I pulled myself together, grabbed another glug of coke, filled up my water bottles clumsily with slightly frozen hands, and started the hobble back to Greenwich.
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| Over half way, cold, wet, fed up |
When I say hobble I mean it. My hip has always given me gyp when I do longer distances and because I hadn’t trained for the marathon it was particularly bad. I’d given myself a walk/run schedule, but my shuffle back was more limp/walk rather than run/walk. I shuffled back the way I’d came, passing Ed and her merry group of runners which was another cheering moment, but also by a guy who shouted at me “Stop running! You’re going to give yourself a stroke!” which was a concerning moment! I was messaging my friend Thea and husband when I got a chance, but because my phone had gone bonkers all I could send was messages in CAPITAL LETTERS so I’m sorry about all the shouting… Luckily I’d taken a spare charger in a plastic case and my phone hadn’t got to the “I’m too wet to charge” state yet so I could charge my phone while I ran/walked/hobbled. On went the wind and the rain, the other runners and walkers coming past me. Finally I got to Greenwich. I was wildly later than I said I would be (because I was hobbling) so my poor husband was waiting super patiently back at the O2. I’d also wildly overestimated my distance so I was nearly at 40km when I got to Greenwich. Back out of Greenwich I went, through the puddles, chatting to some random runner who wasn’t doing the marathon but was still running in the horrendous weather (why???). I hobbled on, unable to run now, getting to the O2, but it always seemed to never get any closer. I was in a LOT of pain by this stage, every step was torture. Past the golfing range (all the golfers tucked under a nice roof!), and there was the O2. Step by painful step I got there, and there was my poor saturated husband who had been waiting some time for me to turn up. I literally had maybe half a kilometre to go before I’d done the marathon distance. However, looking at the marathon app, it seemed to think I had at least a mile. Stuart agreed to walk with me to my friend Thea who was waiting for me nearer the Thames Barrier. So I had to continue, step by agonising step, finishing the marathon, and then carrying on walking towards the Thames Barrier. I just wanted to go home. I’d had enough of the wind, the rain, the pain, I wanted to get dry and warm again. But it was so lovely to see Thea who’d made a special effort to come out and cheer me on. Plus the extra distance I did meant that the app thought I’d finished the marathon as well, although about 20 minutes later than I actually had.
I swore I would never enter another marathon again. And, nearly a month later, I’m still dealing with the after effects of running at least 10km on an injured IT band.
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| Finally finished! |
It took a month for my medal to arrive, which was weird when I got the medal and you’re not sweaty and horrible.
