So let’s start with the good news, I completed it! I got the medal. 🥳🥳🥳
It was an extremely tough day out there for me.
I had a dreadful night sleep the night before, I was expecting it to be bad but I woke up with an excruciating bad head at 2am and was up for over 2 hours. On the way to the start I felt fine though.
It was a long wait to get going, I arrived at Greenwich about an hour and 40 before my start time, most of which was in the rain and right towards the end I got really cold.
I was so glad to get started, I’d been saying the whole week before I just want to start ticking off the miles!
The plan was to get half way EASILY(!!!!) and then see how hard it got! But at mile 4 I felt rubbish, yes you read that right, MILE 4! I felt chesty and full of cold, I then lost my head! I started over thinking and worrying! By mile 8 my heart rate was sky high, Garmin was proverbially shouting at me, saying it was in the “Maximum”. I know technology can have a negative effect but I just didn’t feel right.
I was perfectly on my casual race pace plan so was very frustrated! I knew I had to slow down earlier than I’d have liked.
Crossing Tower Bridge was great but after it, you see others coming back at what I thought was mile 20 (actually 22) that was tough, I had a long way to go! I chipped away, I thought let’s just tick off the next 7 miles.
I’ve only ever had bleeding nipples once before this, on my 18 miler a few weeks before but this was extreme, it felt like my safety pin was flicking it every stride at one point (the horizontal bar not the sharp bit I must add!)
The atmosphere after Canary Wharf was brilliant, a few pubs, churches and the rainbow row lifted me a bit.
It literally was a street party to Sweet Caroline, I think I heard it 3 times, the London crowds really do give it more than at other races, at one point it felt like the Tour de France with people encroaching onto the course.
Basically I felt I had to dig in from a long way out, a lot of walking. I tried to run for the first bit after each mile marker and then picked out signs or traffic lights to jog to. There were 3 times I remember thinking giving up, about 8 miles, 15ish and even as late as 23 it crossed my mind! Doing it for charity really helps that!
I did say never again during and the rest of Sunday, but that faded daily and by the Thursday I’d gone into ballot for next year. I’d like to do it again but without the pressure, stress and anxiety to just go and enjoy it!
So it got DONE. The elation arrived, and a few days later I couldn’t stop punching the air (luckily I was working from home 🤣🤣)
A huge thank you to Melissa James and Dad for coming up and being the best supporters, I know it’s a tough day (they hit 10 miles walking 👍👏) I needed you out there, and to Sharon and mum for looking after the boyo’s.
Blown away by all the support so a huge thank you again to those who sponsored me, it will be matched funding so I’ll hit nearly £4,600 raised! Running for Young Lives vs Cancer is a brilliant experience, the meet-up after was so good.
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