I have added a narrative of the day below my motivation... enjoy! (I met all 3 of my goals!!) 

Motivation

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

15 years ago I ran the London Marathon in 1999 and I swore - never again!! Well here I am - going for it again - my goals are (a) to finish (b) avoid hitting the wall this time and (c) try to beat my last time!! 

I'm raising money for Cancer Research because everybody knows someone impacted by this disease and hopefully, one day, they will find a cure. 

Diane Donaldson is my primary inspiration - a truly remarkable person whom I had the privilege to know as a good friend and who sadly lost her brave battle last year. 

Anyone who has friends or family impacted by Cancer will know that the journey is long and hard - all we can do is keep battling and never ever give up!!

26.2 miles is a walk in the park in comparison but please give generously. 

The Day as it Happened ...  

For all the kind people that sposored me, I think I owe you an update on the London Marathon. 

The day started with a 06:00 alarm call. Porridge and prep before I set off to catch the 07:19  train in order to get to the start without stress. I arrived at the Blackheath for 08:30 and with the start at 10:00, it was time for breakfast #2 - more carbs. 

The sun was shining, so sun-tan on, toilet stop, outer layers off, bag on the truck and off to the start we headed at 09:30. 30 minutes of nervous banter, where I did confess that a half marathon was the furthest that I had run in training. I was surrounded by people in zone 6 - all gunning for the magical sub 4h time. Me? I was just hoping to finish ... anything 4h to 4h 30m would be amazing. 

10:00 and we start, or rather we don't, but amazingly we cross the start line after only 5m 23s and we are straight into a run. 

The first section to Cutty Sark is fun - lots of high spirits and high fives, the odd band playing and we all settle into our pace, the Garmin watch symphony is playing as each km and mile passes by and we all check our GPS to see how we are doing. I am deliberatly on 5m 40s per km - exactly 4h pace - we will see how it goes, I dare not bank any time for fearing of expiring! 

At 6 miles, the Cutty Sark is slow and crowded but we wave to the TV cameras and off we set for Surrey Quays and my first spectator spot. As we turn by Tesco my spirits are high but a sea of faces and a mass of runners means spotting Tinnie will be hard. Alas I miss him and Jane at 15km as I am busy refuelling on jelly beans and I am on the wrong side of the road. Never mind, off to Tower Bridge and half way. 

At this stage red-headed twins wearing Spiderman outfits pass me, locked in step - am I seeing double? I think I should stay with them but they are bounding along above my pace so I retire gracefully to run my own race. 

I go through the half way marker at 2h 00 50s - almost bang on time but I know deep down 4h is beyond me .... or is it? Can I run a negative split? I feel good .... 

We bunch up through Narrow Street, so called because it is ... narrow ... and I see the 3h 56m pacer - wow could I be on for sub 4h? The mind thinks so but as they stretch their legs down Westferry Road, I lose sight of them and hope fades as reality kicks in. 

The next mile marker is 15 miles, but appears as 16!! Whoops, how did I miss a mile? Oh well it's in my favour, another mile gone. Next is Dave, a sight to behold as he runs the marathon to huge cheers in just a blue thong. I can't stay behind Dave for long and I ease past him to try to erase the view that I have imprinted on my mind from behind. I cant help wonder how he attached his number to his torso?

19 miles looms large as this where I hit the wall last time but I keep running and reach 20 miles in decent shape but runners are now dropping and treatment is adminstered at the side of the road. The knees are now officially sore and legs getting heavy but if I can push on to 21 miles - just 5 to go. 

I am relieved to see 21 miles but now I am willing every mile marker to appear. The watch is now just an observational tool to record how slow I am going - I am now the wrong side of 6 minutes per km but still running - that's good. 

All charities that use the same colour balloons as the mile markers should be shot, as I dream that a mile marker is due but it does not appear - just another charity. I now start calculating in km where the next mile marker will be and my distance checks have shortened. Along the embankment I resort to checking every 250m !!! 

Through the inspirational tunnel - mind doing weird things, runners in the gutter and yet with every mile, I am almost there. I miss a water station (they are huge but I am in a zone somewhere) and as my name is called out I raised a weary arm but no longer look - I just stare at the piece of tarmac ahead of my shoes. The right shin is chatting away - on the verge of being nasty to me but the K-Tape seems to be holding firm. 

And so we cross 25 miles - almost there - we head up Birdcage, I have run this so many times, just one more KM and then I see 600m to go. At this stage someone crosses the road, I almost collide with him as I don't have a body swerve in my reppetoire at this late stage. 

400m to go - kick! ... nothing .... 200m - kick! ... a mild change in pace occurs and arms aloft I enter the finishing zone and cross the line in 4h 12m 39s. 

As soon as I stop, my neck hurts - I have been hunched and stressed for the last 10km but I did it. My timing chip is removed and I get a well done and a nice lady puts a huge medal around my neck which I instantly remove as it's too heavy. I collect my bag, almost drop it and someone has filled it with lead (I swear it wasn't that heavy when I handed it in) and I dig through the bag to find my phone to confirm to the nation that I am still alive. 

So for the meet up and drinks - I wander aimlessly through Horseguards which is not the right way to the pub but I am little past clarity of thought and I just keep moving in order to not seize up. 

And so to reflection, I have a pint of water in tandem with a beer and apply ice packs to the most painful parts of my body - neck, shin, knees ... I run out of ice packs :) 

As mad as it sounds, I enjoyed the day, it was a great experience and yes I would do it again! Not right now, but one day. I awake Monday to some aches but I have no training plan for the first time in 6 months !!! What am I going to do???? ..... somewhere, I think I own a set of golf clubs .... 

2015 Ballot opens April 22 ... I wouldn't ... would I?