dial M for marathon! race report - virgin london marathon, 2011

Here is my race report for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon!  In true Phil style, no detail is spared!!  Get a snack, get a drink, divert your phone to voicemail and make yourself comfortable :)

The preamble:


Finally, the day was here!!

The night before, I had painstakingly put out my kit, made a list of everything I would need to do in the morning, eaten pasta for dinner (I don't want to see a piece of penne or linguine for a long time, thank you very much!) and watched my favourite running movie, Run Fatboy Run.  It's set in London too, so made it all seem a bit more real!  My mum and dad rang just as we were about to go to bed to wish me luck.  We went to bed just before midnight, read for a little while, and then we were out like lights.  I was awake about 5am, and lay there for a while, resting, listening to the birds.  The alarm finally went off at 6:15 and I was straight up and into the shower.

I had eaten very well the day before, with no appetite problems, but trying to eat anything for breakfast this morning proved to be a bit of an ordeal.  I decided to have two bagels with jam, a cup of tea and some orange juice, as well as Lucozade.  I nibbled half-heartedly at the bagels, feeling sick with every bite.  Read a few messages I'd got from friends in Australia overnight and started crying at one of them - I couldn't believe how calm I'd been the night before and now I was a mess!  Eventually I abandoned the food and just got my kit ready, got dressed, put my Aussie flag fake tattoos on, triple checked everything and then carried my plate and glass through to the kitchen.  I drank another orange juice and forced myself to have one more bite of bagel.  Big mistake.

No sooner had I swallowed it I was overwhelmed with nausea.  It was also time for us to leave!  But there was no way I could get on the tube feeling like this! The air in the flat felt very claustrophobic so I ran outside to breathe some fresh air.  Tom, very concerned, came out to make sure I was ok and found me dry retching into a pile of leaves.  Eventually I threw up just the orange juice and the last bite of bagel.  I felt better instantly!!  Was it nerves?  Or had I just eaten one bite too many?  Who knows! 

Once that ordeal was over, we locked the house and headed to the tube station to get to London Bridge.  Marathoners get to travel free on London transport on race day, so I didn't have to bring my oyster card!

Considering I had just thrown up I was feeling fantastic!! :)  We waited about 15 minutes for the tube, and more and more people with numbers and red bags were arriving by the minute!

Tom calls me Hilippa when he sees this picture! :P

When we got off at Green Park to get our connecting train to London Bridge, lots of people in my carriage said "good luck!" as I got up.  It was so nice! :)

We got our overland train to Greenwich at London Bridge very easily.  There were 3 start waves - the blue, the green and the red, all at different points in the same area of London, which merge together after a few miles and then everyone follows the same course.  My red start was in Greenwich Park.  I had no worries about getting lost because there was a stampede of runners alighting at Greenwich and walking to the park.  There were also marshalls at the station and along the road to direct us. 

The park was throbbing with people; runners, spectators and supporters alike.  There was a red blimp hovering above the area saying "Red Start" so there was no confusion!   Tom decided it would be best to let me go to the assembly start myself, as it was a runners only area so we said goodbye at the bottom of the park.  Then I strode up the hill to the start, with a bottle of Lucozade, a banana and sunglasses in my hand.  

It was like being at the circus!  Lots of people dressed as animals - rhinos, tigers, giraffes - and banana peels everywhere!  The lines for the toilets weren't long, so I joined them.  There was also a strong astringent smell in the air which I later realised was Vaseline!  How many tubs did the marathoners get through I wonder?!  People were very friendly and shared everything with each other, and chatted while we were waiting, whether it was for the loos or in the starting pen.  A girl started chatting to me in the toilet line about how nervous she was and she thought she was going to be sick.

"Well, I've already done that today and now I feel fine," I replied! 

The wait for the loo was very quick, to my surprise, and then I wandered around some more, ate my banana (I didn't feel queasy anymore!), drank some more, and then thought I'd better go and find a spot in my start zone.

There were 9 different start zones within the red start, based on the time you give the organisers that you anticipate finishing the marathon, similar to how the Reading half marathon was organised.  I was in number 9.  In amongst Mr Blobby, a few rhinos, a man with a washing machine on his back (he did a fridge last year), and a guy running the whole thing barefoot. Incredible.

I had made the decision not to run with an iPod because I really wanted to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy it.  People I knew were also going to be on the course cheering me on, and I didn't want to miss them! Just in case of emergencies, when only Toss the Feathers or Don't Stop Me Now would get me through, I had a fully charged tiny shuffle in my arm band, along with my phone, two bags of sports beans, and a spare hair tie.  A third bag of sports beans was in my shirt zip pocket.  For some reason, I held on to this tiny pair of sport sunglasses in my left hand.  With the forecast of a sunny day I didn't want to be caught out running into the blazing sun, but I didn't end up wearing them at all!  It was comforting holding something in my hand though, like I usually do with my keys on my early morning starts!

We heard the cannon blast at 9:45am, signalling the official start of the race, and everyone cheered.  Then it was a slow shuffle to the start line.  I got talking to the girl next to me, who had climbed Sugarloaf Mountain a few weeks before as part of her training.  We ended up running the first 10 miles together, it was great fun.  

Finally we crossed the start line at around 10:10am.  Everyone whooped and cheered as we went through!  I deliberately started out slowly, knowing there was a good 5 hours of running ahead of me!  I felt fantastic though.  It was such a happy atmosphere, everyone was in great spirits and chatting to each other, spurring each other on.  Before too long we were out of the park and on to the road, which was lined with local residents cheering us on.  No stretch of road was without spectators, it was fantastic!

Mile 1: went by very quickly, and everyone cheered when we saw the marker! "Only 25 to go!" everyone was saying.  I remember thinking, oh this will be easy! 

Mile 2: we went past a church and all the priests were outside, sprinkling holy water on us as we passed!  It was very cool!  A little further down there was a fabulous pub called The Haunted House and everyone in it was in Halloween costumes, showering confetti on the runners.  One ghoulish looking fellow was holding up a tombstone-shaped sign with "R.I.P" on it!  

Mile 3: we were now merging with the blue and green starters but because we were at the back of the red pack I didn't really notice!  This part of London is called Woolwich, where my grandmother was born.  The house she was born in was torn down in the 1960s, so lord knows where it was, but it was lovely seeing the area with my own eyes for the first time and looking at the buildings and old pubs, wondering where her parents might have hung out :) 

Mile 4: there were loads of great bands out in the streets playing, kids lined up at the side of the road to high five us, pubs and churches with their front gardens full, spilling out on the streets to cheer us on.  My running buddy Chantel called out "whoo hoo! S.A!" every time she saw a South African flag (there were lots of them! Where were all the Aussies?!)  - she was definitely in the party spirit!

Mile 5:  I heard someone calling out "go Phil!" and the voice sounded familiar so I looked over to my left and there was my friend Lisa!  I felt my face explode in a grin! I was on a bit of a roll so I waved and blew her a kiss and kept going.  It's so wonderful to have people you know in the crowd cheering you on!  Lots of strangers too called out "good job Philippa, keep going!"  - it was such a boost.  Have your name on your shirt if you ever do a big race, it makes such a difference!

When we went under the Greenwich flyover there was a group of Taiko drummers thumping out some fantastic beats which you could hear for ages as you approached, and they were amazing! Who needs an iPod with this kind of entertainment?!

Mile 6: powering through Greenwich where the crowds were thick and noisy.  Happy with the pace, felt strong as I ploughed along.  Coach Julia had told me to fuel at 10km, 20km and 30km, so I picked open my first packet of sports jelly beans and ate one at a time for the next mile.  Why oh why do the orange ones always outnumber the yummier raspberry ones?! :P

Fuelwise I had also made the decision to drink Lucozade over water where possible, because I would be getting carbs and fuel with it as well as hydration.  Because it was now getting rather hot, I did stop for water a few times as well, only because my mouth felt a bit dry, particularly later on in the race in the heat of the day!  To keep my lips hydrated I also had a little tub of Vaseline that attached to my watch with a tiny hair tie that I picked up at the Expo - very clever, and an absolute lifesaver!!

Miles 7-9: Still going strong, expected to see Tom and our mate Jamie at Mile 9 but couldn't see them anywhere.  Phone rang and it was them.  "I'm getting to Mile 10 now," I panted, "so I'll see you at Mile 11 instead!"

I was so pleased I'd decided not to run with an iPod.  With all the bands playing in the streets, the crowds of people cheering, and some of the runners in funny costumes, the whole atmosphere was like one big carnival!  There were even girls running while hoola-hooping!  It was humbling to watch these incredible people doing some quite difficult and outrageous things all for a good cause.  Equally humbling was seeing pictures of loved ones taped to runners' shirts - children, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends - the memory of whom was inspiring this gruelling race.  There was also a couple running together, and their shirts announced that it was their 40th wedding anniversary that day! Well done Keith and Sue! :)

Miles 10-11: I had lost my buddy Chantel at this stage, so kept going ahead on my own.  Scanned the crowds for Tom and Jamie at Mile 11, still no sign of them!  I rang Tom and said to go straight to mile 18 as we'd arranged.  Ringing was far easier than texting, and thanks to my little arm pocket, I had it within easy reach!

Tower Bridge pic courtesy of The Telegraph

Mile 12: Tower Bridge!  This was one of the highlights of the race!  Not a spare piece of pavement to be seen, the streets were crowded with throngs of supporters, waving banners and cheering.  This is a rather iconic stage of the Marathon, the bit that gets shown on TV! The atmosphere is electric.  I felt quite euphoric to be nearly halfway!  I was still feeling great.  

Mile 13: Halfway!  It was now getting rather hot.  Checked my watch and saw that I was a bit slower than my PB for a half marathon - in fact, quite a bit slower, but I decided not to let it bother me.  Originally I had been hoping for a sub 5, but I knew it probably wasn't going to happen at this point.  I still had to do the whole distance I'd just done again and it was all about stamina and pace and getting through it and, more to the point, enjoying the whole experience.  Speed can come later! :)  

Mile 14:  There was my buddy Ali!!  With her sign saying "RUN PHIL RUN"!!  I was ready for a little stop, so I bounded over to her and hugged her, chatted for a few seconds and then off I went again.  What a boost!

Mile 15: The road was sticky with gels people had partially eaten and then thrown down, you could feel your shoes sticking to it as you ran.  Ugh!  The sun was very hot now and I was very, very glad I had a hat and had put on my industrial strength Coles brand sunscreen (sent over by my loving parents) that morning.  My face felt very hot and I was worried I was still going to get burned.  I got myself a Lucozade from the fuel stand (they were roughly every 4-5 miles, whereas water was available at every mile) and then the course went off into a tunnel where it was a lot cooler.  I took this opportunity to stop and walk for a few minutes while I drank.

My knees and ankles were starting to hurt at this point.  I hadn't injured myself, this was just the fatigue setting in.  I started to get a bit tired and thought "ugh, this sucks! I'm never doing this again!".  I had been hoping to get to mile 16 without stopping to walk, but knowing that there was still 11 miles to go I knew I had to think of the big picture and what kind of finish I wanted to have.  I wanted to try and run the last 3 miles without stopping, knowing that that was where the biggest crowds were and hopefully Tom and Jamie would be there too, so I had to take a break so that I could have the energy later on for the finish I wanted.  I kept my eye on my watch and once I'd done 5 minutes of walking, that was it - I was off again!

Mile 16: A lot of people were walking at this stage and I dove in and out between them, which was a bit exhausting, particularly as it was getting very hot.  I remember there being some showers and running gleefully underneath them.  The cold water on the hot body was incredible!!  Lots of barbecues out in the streets, the locals were making a real day of it!  Eventually I had to stop and walk again to get my breath back.  More sports beans for fuel.  And then I realised someone was jogging slowly up next to me.  I looked over.  It was Maxi, the girl who had run with me at the Kingston race!  What were the odds of that?! What a wonderful surprise! "It was fate!" she laughed as we walked along together.  She was glad of a walking break because her knee was playing up as well.  We decided we would run again once we saw the Mile 17 marker.

Mile 17: And off we went!  This was a nice quick mile in the end, it went very fast with a friend to chat to. 

Mile 18:  This was where I was supposed to see Tom and Jamie, but again I couldn't see them anywhere!  But I did see my friend Lisa again, which was wonderful!  Maxi had to stop and walk again, so I kept going ahead.  I rang Tom and found out he was closer to Mile 19, so I just had to watch the crowd on the left until I saw him.  I saw the Lucozade team, including Martin Yelling who I'd met on Friday, but I was on such a roll I didn't stop to chat - I didn't want to break the momentum now that I was running again.  I heard some drums as we veered into Canary Wharf.  This place was on fire!  Crowds everywhere, going wild!  I was going past the Canary Wharf tube station and looked to my left, and there were Tom and Jamie!!  I bounded over and threw myself at Tom for a big bear hug!  And then readjusted myself:

  

And had a drink:

And then I was off again!  "See you at Mile 25!" I called!

Stop looking at my bum! :) 

That was such a lovely boost, seeing my wonderful man! I think spectators have it just as bad, dragging themselves all over London all day!  It turned out that poor Tom and Jamie had got stranded at Canada Water (mile 9) because the DLR had caved under the pressure and they had closed the station!  They ended up walking to Bermondsey and taking the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf for Mile 18-19, and then taking that back to Westminster for the finish.  All hail the Jubilee Line!

Mile 19: This one is a bit of a hazy memory, I just remember the smell of the McDonald's that we passed was nauseating - it just smelled like old fat!  I just kept trying to keep smiling, not think about the pain and just do whatever it took to get through another mile.  

Mile 20: I think I stopped and walked a little here.  Things were a bit of a blur and I'd forgotten what mile I was on.  I was convinced the next mile sign was going to say 19 so I was delighted when it said 20!!

Mile 21:  The scenery was starting to look a little more familiar as we headed into the outer reaches of central East London.  I was now on my last packet of sports beans and man was I sick of them!  My mouth felt furry from all the sugar! Grabbed a bottle of water to wash them down with.   Then I saw Ali again!!  Hit the 35km point and thought to myself "ooh, only 7km to go!  That's only two and a bit laps of the park! You can do that!"

Mile 22: Tower Hill!  Nearly on the home stretch now!!  The crowds were thick and noisy and really spurring us on!  A lot of people were walking at this stage, and I was so happy that I was able to keep running.  This was the portion of the race that I really wanted to run, right to the end.  I think the trick was to keep engaged with the crowd, with the surroundings and what was going on around me, which really took my mind off how much it was hurting.  My ankles and knees were taking the brunt of it all, but I just kept breathing, kept the pace as strong as I could and let my mind wander.  There was never a point where I thought "I have to stop, I can't keep going". "The Wall" never happened!  It hurt, yes, but I was expecting it to hurt.  There was a never a point where I didn't think I could push on and just do the next mile.  I remember telling myself "one mile at a time" around this point.  

Mile 23: We really were on the final stretch now.  London Bridge to The Mall.  I have walked that many times so I felt positive that I would get through it.  And I saw my friend Lisa again!  I was amazed that she managed to get herself around the course to see me three times! Thanks again Lisa! :)  It really was such a boost to see familiar faces in the crowd.

Another Lucozade fuel stop - the final one, and I grabbed a bottle, the coolness of it soothing my hot throat, but by God was I sick of the orange flavour now!  I felt like I'd been drinking it all day!!  It was just before Mile 24 that we went into a tunnel, out of the sun, and most people were walking through there, out of the view of the crowds!  I had a tiny walk break, just to get the Lucozade into me, and then kept going.  I ran at a pace I was comfortable at and when I felt the need to walk, I just slowed down.  I didn't walk again.

Mile 24:  A surge of adrenalin as we hit the Embankment!  I saw the National Theatre, Waterloo Bridge and the Eye in the distance!  Oh my God!  I'm nearly there!!  I thought.  This was my London now, the part of the city I know so well, and I knew how far away everything was now. YAY!  I was aching and sore but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

Mile 25:  I passed Embankment station and thought gooey and nostalgic thoughts about Tom, because that was the station we met at for our first date all those years ago (!).  I went under the bridge, and there he was, at the front of the crowd, calling my name!!  I couldn't stop because I was on a roll, but how amazing it was to see my man there, waving and smiling and looking so proud!  It was such a boost!  He said later how everyone around me looked like they were dying (!) but here was I, grinning like a madwoman and ploughing ahead!  I don't know how I did it.  It was just one step at a time at that point!

After passing the marker for 25 miles, I thought about stopping for a minute to walk, just to get enough momentum to do the final mile down Birdcage Walk without stopping and then....and then.... I saw Big Ben.

That was an image I'd held in my training, for all those months, wondering what it would be like to see Big Ben after those 25 gruelling miles.  That was my moment, the "yes!" moment, where I knew I couldn't stop now.  My eyes filled with tears and I felt my chin wobble a bit.   I didn't stop.  I kept going.  The crowds were going nuts, and I focused my eyes on Big Ben ahead of me, and put one aching foot in front of the other.  Lots of people called out my name - and I managed to either smile, wave or give a thumbs up to everyone who did!  Then I rounded the corner and saw the street I cross every day on the walk to work!  I knew it was so close now!!  I kept running with every ounce of strength I could muster.  And I couldn't stop smiling.

Mile 26: Oh what joy to see this marker!!  "You're nearly there!" "Well done!" came the calls from the crowd.  Everyone running or walking around me looked exhausted but elated.  There were other markers saying "600m to go!" or "400m to go!" and when we got to Buckingham Palace (no one was watching from the balcony! ha ha) there was a sign saying "385 yards to go!".

The finish: I rounded the corner to the right to go up The Mall, and there was that bright red finish line.  Oh lord.  I've never been so pleased to see anything in all my life.  I kept the pace, quickening it as much as I could, and threw my arms up a little bit with joy as I got closer and decided to go through the middle finish box (there were 3 places you go could through the finish line) and ran through it, and then there it was.  My marathon.  Over.  Finished.  Done.  I had done it.

Oh, being able to stop!  At last!  It was wonderful!  The relief, the happiness, the sheer elation and awe at what I had just done, that I once upon a time could never have even entertained, overwhelmed me.  It was quite possibly the proudest moment of my life.  I thought I would burst into tears, but all I felt was pure, unadulterated joy. 

The marshalls were clapping and said congratulations as I walked through a field of St John's ambulance people who were on hand to help anyone who needed it, and then it was time to have the timing chip cut off and get a medal!

"Well done," said the girl who put the medal round my neck.  I noticed her name was Rebekah, the same as my youngest sister :) 

Then I had a finisher's picture taken, got a goody bag and then it was time to go and find Tom and celebrate!!

We had arranged ahead of time to meet at "our" Starbucks, a short walk from the finish, so that was where I headed.   I walked through a very crowded Mall and Trafalgar Square, and lots of people said "well done!" as I passed them, one guy even shook my hand!  I finally got to the Starbucks, and Tom and Jamie were sitting on the pavement outside with drinks, waiting!  Oh that mango passionfruit crush was the best thing I'd tasted for days!!  I showed off my medal:

We chatted to Jamie for a bit, and then he headed off and Tom and I walked to Leicester Square for the Lucozade after party where I got a hero's welcome!  Hugs and champagne galore!

We had some pictures taken (above), which the team put in a special frame for us to take home, and then I was given a key to a hotel room so I could go and have a shower.  Oh that shower was good!  But I could barely walk afterwards :P  I put on some clean, dry clothes and then we went back to the party for food and drink and mingling:

I wasn't very hungry at all, and all I wanted to eat was fruit, so I just got myself a plate of melon, pineapple and blueberries.   It was wonderful to see other runners and find out their stories and experiences of the day.  My mate Gav, who had done the marathon dressed as the Lucozade Bottle, had earned a new World Record for the fastest man dressed as a bottle!  What a star!

I couldn't stop looking at my medal!

Then it was time for a massage, which had kindly been organised for all the runners.  It was quite painful - I hadn't appreciated how tight everything had got, but towards the end it started being a bit more relaxing and less gritting of the teeth :P I think it definitely helped me recover!

After a few more drinks and mingling, we left the party to have dinner - Tom treated me to Wagamama's, which was just what I was in the mood for.  We had dumplings, edamame beans with heaps of salt, and tofu fried rice, which I put a lot of soy sauce on (!):

Oh, and beer!  My first beer for WEEKS! I couldn't finish it though, pretty poor effort there Phil!

I didn't finish my dinner, I got full very quickly!  Eventually we drank the last of the beer (Tom finished mine) and then we headed home.  Originally we thought we would get a cab, but because the roads were still looking rather chaotic we decided we would walk the 3km home.  Tom was of course concerned that I not collapse with exhaustion, but I was sky high on life and didn't mind a walk at all!  In fact, walking has helped keep the soreness at bay, 48 hours later!

So we walked through Trafalgar Square:

and back the way I had come, past the finish line, through St James' Park and over Birdcage Walk, home.  It was surreal, seeing this place again; a place that had been a hive of activity, a site of triumph and joy and elation only hours before, now quiet, being cleared, folded and put away for another year.

Finally we got home, and found a present from Ali on the doorstep (thanks again beautiful!) and then I got online to find out my official finishing time.  From my watch I had guessed 5 hours and 20 minutes, and I was three seconds off that!  My official finishing time was 5 hours, 19 minutes and 57 seconds!

And here's my splits for the running geeks :)

Originally I thought I was faster in the second half but then realised I was looking at the wrong column :P

48 hours later and it all still feels a bit surreal.  I am a marathon runner!  A marathon finisher!  Me!  When I look back to just over five years ago, when just running for 5 minutes continuously was a struggle for me, to say I can't really believe that same person ran a marathon on Sunday is an understatement.

But the marathon really does take you outside of yourself, of what you are achieving, and places you in a broader spectrum.  From the moment I stepped into my starting pen, I was surrounded by incredible people and it stayed that way the entire race.  Not just my fellow runners doing amazing things for charity, or running in memory of someone they loved, or even just running to prove something to themselves, but the people who showed up to cheer us on; who drank and barbecued and hosed us down and handed out lollies and played the guitar and the bagpipes and sang and laughed and shouted until they were hoarse and clapped until their hands were stinging.  The St John's ambulance staff who worked tirelessly to make sure everyone was safe and those who needed help got it.  The marshalls and the people handing out water and Lucozade at every mile were just superb, always smiling.  

Running this marathon reminded me of the importance of community and how, despite the doom-and-gloom the media and politicians would have us believe, it is very much alive in this city.  London shone on this day. It's streets were alive and singing with laughter, support and love.  I have never been more proud to call it my home.  At my race in Silverstone a month or so ago, Tom said to me that he was truly moved by some of the things he saw while watching the race.  "Running really seems to bring out the best in people," he remarked.  And so it does.  Even in the people who aren't running.

Although I knew it would be hard, I also knew it would be one of the most joyous experiences of my life.  I was determined to have fun, I was determined to make it to the end no matter what it took, and (this was the toughest thing, because I'm naturally self critical) I was determined not to make it any harder than it already was going to be.  In my entire 12 weeks of training, I had only missed 2 sessions.  One because I was sick, the other because I was exhausted.  Other than that, I stuck to it like clockwork and was out there, rain, snow or shine, giving it everything I had.  It is true what they say, on marathon day you've already done the hard work!

It was as hard as I expected it to be, but it also wasn't as hard as I thought, if that makes sense.  I was prepared for pain, for fatigue, for exhaustion.  I was prepared for the mental blocks, but they never came.  I was just having too much fun.  I am thinking back to the darker moments of the race, but I honestly can't think of anything that was so bad it is burned in the memory.  There were moments when it hurt like buggery, yes, and my God there were moments where I really wanted it to be over, but I sucked it up and kept going.  Is this the part of a woman's brain that makes her forget pain kicking in?!  In order to continue the human race? ;)

I struggled at times, yes.  But what I was trying to achieve was worth the struggle - as all worthwhile things in life are.

I would do it again tomorrow.

*******

PS: No victory speech is complete without the thank yous!  So thank you to: Lucozade, for giving me this chance and supporting me 100% from the word go; my coach Julia Jones, who somehow was able to read my psyche even though we've never met in person (!) and who reminded me in the value of hard work, commitment and trust, both in myself and in others; my amazing husband Tom, who never complained about his sleep and weekends being disrupted because of my training and races, who put up with my angst and doubt and grumpiness, who always offered a foot rub when I needed one, and who cheered me on at every single race; my friends, particularly Lisa and Ali who came to watch, everyone who took the time to call or send a good luck message, and my pals back in Australia who watched Twitter and Facebook like hawks even though it was the middle of the night; my parents, my sisters and the best in-laws a girl could have; and all of you, my dear readers who I think of more as friends, who have believed in me, supported me and offered so much encouragement - not just with this marathon, but with everything I do.  I don't think I can ever put into words how much it means to me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!