From LonDONE to Liverpool
Well one week has gone by already and I still haven’t blogged about my VLM 2011.
I guess in part because I have seen so many of you and probably bored you all silly by now, but also in part because for me the week after a marathon is a bit like your first week as a new mum. You are elated, proud and relieved, you want to talk about it to everyone you meet but at the same time the blues creep in, your hunger rages, some days you can’t remember your own name and most of all, all you really want to do is sleep!
So to VLM 2011, how was it for me. It has to be said it was hot, I don’t think quite as hot as the year I did Edinburgh but none the less it was hot.
I had a relaxed trip down and was in bed asleep at 8.30pm on the Friday. Saturday morning I went to Brockwell parkrun with Vikki, Kara and John. Vikki and I both purposely left our Garmin at the hotel wanting to just have a steady run. I refueled in the outdoor-poolside cafe with a breakfast smoothie and wonderfully fresh made blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, an easy trip back to the hotel and relaxed watching TV, when Nicky got back from her shopping trip we had pasta and fruit for lunch, then spent time getting our race kit ready and packing our kit bags, popped down to see Liz when the Jones arrived, then a quick change before going for Pizza and salad for tea. We had seen this place that had the biggest meringues and cakes and pastries for pudding so we all gathered there for pudding! I asked everyone how they were feeling – excited-nervous-ok- were amongst the replies my word - STUFFED!
We were back at the hotel and in bed before 10. I had a poor night sleep, the Traffic in London never stops! But this didn’t bother me, I have read several times that it is the night before the night before your race that is important in terms of sleep! So I spent the time going over my race day plan, thinking about my pacing, trying to visualise crossing the finish line, but as I visualised my race my mind kept wondering to different things, who said they would be where. How generous everyone had been in supporting my fundraising, wonder who will win the cake, must make that call when i get into work on Tuesday, still haven’t done Adele passport, how lovely that the taxi driver from the train station gave me £5 towards my fundraising, must remember it’s Dans birthday next Sunday, I wonder if Vikki is managing to sleep, and how is Harp, hope I see her in the morning. I do hope the kids have remembered to go feed Oscar. Now what is it I have got to do tomorrow . . oh yes run a Marathon . .wonder if I will notice Buckingham Palace and Big Ben (the clock not Nicola husband) this year. Hope my hip holds out, is feeling much easier but . . .now about that pacing . . . .
And so when my alarm went off at 6 to get up, I didn’t, well not at first, it took a while. I had to sing rather loudly and probably very badly as I showered to wake myself and (the rest of the floor) up. Now I think this may have been a new way that my nerves were showing because I wasn’t really feeling nervous. I was a wee bit late down stairs but there was time for a quick photo with Vikki and Nicky and good luck hugs from John and Kara all round (Liz and Chris were running a little late so were going to follow on) and off the 3 of us set with our kit bags slung over our shoulders to meet Harp. Vikki and I just managed to jump on to a train but were squeezed in like sardines and hand to stand, at one point the train came to a sudden stop and I fell backwards sitting on a very nice young mans lap, I apologised blushed and told him he had made my day!
Eventually with sweat already dripping down our backs we were off the train and walked together for a while till the path for the green start and red start split and i was on my own. But that was ok, I’d done this before, i was an old hand and i took in the excitement of those around me. Have to say it was a long uphill walk to the red start but i got there eventually, I arrived with over an hour to wait and wondered what to do, 2min queue for porta loo, eat banana, sort my bag, deposit my bag (this is a critical point because you cant get your bag back after it is on the baggage truck) Think might just try the loo again only the queue was now so long it took over 30 min to get to the front, I chatted to an American couple both dressed in bright orange. Then as I left the portaloo I saw someone I knew and we chatted for a while before i headed to the back of the start, as i made me way through the thousands of people, Liz Jones walked straight up to me, brilliant we could keep one another company as we waited for the start and then walked for 20min before we crossed the line.
At this point I would say the weather was not too hot in fact it felt near perfect for running. I don’t remember much about the first few miles I just tried to keep my pace steady.
For those of you that don’t know, there are several different starts for the VLM but they all merge into one, Liz and I started in red and Harp and Nicky were in blue and as the roads merged I deducted that Harp and Nicky were probably already in front of me, I couldn’t help myself, I tried not to but I started to pick up the pace to see if I could catch them . . .I never did!
I felt I ran quite well the first half, I sipped my water and took my gels as planned, I felt a slight need for the loo but as all the portaloos had long queues I pushed on. But the weather started to get warmer and I felt I needed to drink slightly more but I knew before I could put more fluid in I needed to let some out and as I passed an embankment I saw several figures squatting in the trees and made a quick dash to join them. I struggled to get back into my stride after this. My foot twinged a bit then eased off but started to ache again, I thought this might be because i had over tightened my lace before the start. Ahead of me I could see Gill Jones from ERR stood at the side of the railing, I stopped to adjust my trainer and have a chat, we set off again together. Now at some point around here my body said I’m hot and started to slow and wanted to walk. I reached London Bridge and as I felt there would be TV cameras here and I knew TSR was watching for me I was determined to keep running, there was a camel behind me and I fought hard not to let it pass me but it did. And when I’d reached the other side I stopped to have a little stretch. Last year I found the next part of the course very frustrating as it narrows and people just stop running in front of you and I had to weave in and out to keep running, but this year when someone in front of me stopped running and had a walk, I did to, this I know on a long run is fatal for me as my hip starts to seize up and when I try to run again it just aches. I checked my Garmin and felt a PB was gone and so I concentrated on just enjoying the run and looking out for people I knew were running and supporting. I must have broken the record for the number of people I saw and fortunately I continued with my run walk strategy and fortunately was running as I saw everyone I knew, dashing over to spectators demanding they give me a hug regardless of how sweaty I was. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the run, yes it was hard work, yes it was hot, yes i walked, quiet a bit, yes i struggled with chafing, but I did see Big Ben and noticed Buckingham Palace and sprinted my little (or as Dan calls them) my melon legs, off in the finish straight, passing loads of people struggling more than me. I have to say I don’t look half as bad in my finishing photo this year as i did last and I may even consider buying it.
So there you go, I trained hard for 16 weeks, there was a fall, there was blood, tears, tantrums, screams, there was weight gain, there was exhaustion and elation, I had some fantastic training runs, kept injury free and mostly germ free, I had a total of ½ larger and two glasses of wine, I made new running friends and enjoyed running with old running friends (ones I have known longer). I completed Jantastic, Febulous and Marchevllous with a 100% consistency score I even pulled out a 29.19 for my Marchevllous timed run. I took part and completed my first winterswim finishing ranked 15. I did early morning runs and clocked up more mileage than I ever have before. I PB at Trimpell 20. I had regular sports massage, though I have been told off for not stretched as much as I should and my nutrition still has a lot of room for improvement!
So all in all I was in a good place, I had trained for a PB the stats men would probably have predicted it and several of them did in the cake competition. Ok I know on the day it was hot and I hadn’t slept as much as I had hoped but the truth is and I knew this on the start line . .
. . . .I just didn’t want it enough!
I had a great weekend, a fantastic day, I ran with some 34000 determined athletes, I got to support and was supported by some special friends, I have helped to raise over a thousand pounds for age uk.
My time for those of you who don’t already know was 5:19:01
The winner of the Carrot Cake was in fact TSR who put the slowest predicted time of 5:02:00.
I will be back in London One Day to give it another go!
In the meantime I am planning for a PB at The Liverpool Marathon on the 9th October 2011 and I will be using my learning from the VLM to help me reach my goals.
So what is the most important thing I have learnt from VLM 2011 that I can share with all you runners out there?
When you go for a wee on a grassy embankment never never never ever place your water bottle down-flow !
