UPDATE: 31/05/13

Enjoy it, they said. Soak up the atmosphere; milk the crowds. Yeah right. The only enjoyable part of my maiden marathon was the end – and that wasn’t particularly pleasant.

But it could have been worse and a smattering of cloud cover came to the rescue of several thousand runners last Sunday. The race itself began fairly innocuously and I’m pretty sure the majority of people lining the streets of Edinburgh in support had done so on the premise they’d get a carton of milk and the morning paper afterwards.

It wasn’t until mile 19 that things took a real turn for the worse and I started feeling sick. Really sick. I’m guessing this was the infamous “wall” – only mine was more like Berlin and lasted a full 7.2 miles until the finish line. I’d been dedicated in my preparation but no amount of training can prepare you for that.

From mile 23, there were almost as many walking as there were still running. The lad with the “Jesus is running with me” T-shirt was becoming increasingly popular and the distance between mile markers began to stretch.

It was unnerving to see so many throw in the towel so near to the end but stopping for a break sounds all the more appealing when your mates are doing it and I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.

But I’d never have forgiven myself. I wasn’t sponsored to walk a marathon – I was sponsored to run (or try to, at least).

And it’s just as well I did. My legs seized up completely post-race and there’s no way I’d have started again had I stopped.

You always want more, but I can safely say I couldn’t have gone any faster. My stomach was doing somersaults and hampered by screaming hamstrings, I’m satisfied I ran to my best ability on the day.

So there we have it. Another thing to cross off the bucket list and a heartfelt thank you to all who sponsored me. 

I really am humbled by the generosity of friends and family. Your encouragement and a prosperous Stroke Association were the foremost factors in a respectable (I hope), if not spectacular 3hrs 55mins.

Learning to walk, learning to talk and battling the inner demons that go hand in hand with stroke recovery are all far more challenging than anything the majority of us will ever need face. But there is always hope.

Running a marathon is a test of mental, not physical strength. Getting your body in shape is important, but riding inevitable self-doubt and having the willpower to plough on is what separates relative success from failure.

Thanks for your generosity and taking the time to visit my JustGiving page..