Story
Last updated: Monday 19/10/2009 - I DID IT! - see event section below for the update - thanks to all sponsors so far!
So... why is Wilkinson pestering me in aid of a good cause this time around, I hear you ask...
Well, now that I've shifted 55 kilos and as a result am a shadow of my former self (a picture of which I've just about managed to squeeze onto this page), I'm attempting to move on to greater achievements, and to that end, I'm running my first ever marathon in support of Sport Relief.
Not being content with just doing a marathon though, between the time of writing, Friday 18th September, and Sunday 18th October, I will be running in a total of 4 different events - see below - and I will be attempting to set a new personal best time over each distance. I'll be updating my progress on this page as I go.
For each personal best (or "PB") that I set, I will donate the equivalent amount in pounds as the number of kilometres in that race - so for example, if I get a PB in the half-marathon, I will donate £21 to the total raised (the half-marathon is run over approximately 21km).
As I've never run a marathon before, I've set myself a target of four hours. If I manage this - and believe me when I say that running a four hour marathon at the first attempt is recognised as a extremely decent achievement - I'll probably be in total agony but I will also be over the moon and won't mind coughing up £50!
*The events*
1. Saturday 19th September - 5K run in the "Tree-athlon" - RACE COMPLETED & NEW PERSONAL BEST!
Old PB: 23m 11s (The Fix UK 5K Run Clapham, May 09)
New PB: 21m 33s
I was trying to shake off a cold at the end of the week preceding this race and didn't feel great on the morning of the event - I was expecting to struggle to finish below 23 minutes. However, the adrenalin must have kicked in on the start line... I turned the last corner of the course and, with around 250m to go, was fairly surprised to see that the race clock suspended above the finish line said 21 minutes something... that was all the motivation I needed to throw everything I had into a sprint down to the finishing line!
So, I've contributed another £5 to the total... bring on the half-marathon on Sunday! 1h 45m has to be a realistic target.
2. Sunday 27th September: "Run to the Beat" Half-marathon, Greenwich - RACE COMPLETED & NEW PERSONAL BEST!
Old PB: 1h 50m 54s (Great West Run, Exeter, May 09)
New PB: 1h 42m 41s
9000 runners took part in this well-organised event - plenty of spectator support and the autumnal sunshine contributed to make for a great atmosphere. I didn't cross the start line until 7 minutes after the starting pistol had been fired, such were the numbers queued up ahead - your starting position is given to you on the basis of your predicted race time, and given the state of some runners that I dodged around in the first few miles (some were walking after only a mile!), I think some people completely underestimated their times.
I finished in 915th place out of 9000 runners, and in the process I've cost myself another £21 contribution to my sponsorship total by running a new personal best of 1h 42m 41s, beating my old PB from May by over 8 minutes! The four hour marathon might yet be a possibility!
There's a rather short video on this page of the moment I crossed the finish line - yes, the clock above says 1:49:40, but that is the time elapsed from the moment the starting pistol was fired, and I didn't get to cross the start line for another 7 minutes because of the queue! Click on my time for this race above to check the results if you don't believe it!
3. Sunday 11th October: Royal Parks Half-marathon, Central London
Race time: 1h 47m 34s (race number 9408)
The week leading up to this race was depressing. I found out that I had been unsuccessful in the general ballot to enter the London Marathon in 2010, but more importantly my knee was starting to exhibit symptoms that were all too familiar from last year, when similar pain (which I stupidly decided to ignore) eventually heralded an injury that prevented me from running at all for around a month and a half.
I did no training at all for three days midweek - probably the first time in around three or four months that I had done no exercise in any given three-day period. It seemed strange not to be training. I did some weights and spent some time on the rowing machine and exercise bike in the gym on the Friday to see if it would react, and it seemed OK. I was nervous on the Saturday night before the race - would my knee break down completely the next day and ruin 3 months of preparation?
As it turned out, the knee was fine - the main problem was that I could not stop myself from running too quickly.
The Royal Parks Half is a great race - I'd recommend it. Around 10000 people running around a very flat course in Central London - definitely has PB potential if you could navigate the crowds. My plan had been to run at "marathon-pace", which meant I should have run about 1h 55m. I managed to run the first mile in exactly 9 minutes, which was about right - I got bored of the slow pace, and started to push on. I had a fair bit left in reserve at the end, which bodes well.
As disappointing as it is not to get into the London Marathon, I've decided to enter the Paris Marathon next April - but I'll wait until I've done the Amsterdam Marathon first!
The knee feels OK, and I now have a few days to stuff myself full of pasta before...
4. Sunday 18th October: The 2009 Amsterdam Marathon - RACE COMPLETED!
Weather conditions in Amsterdam were ideal for the start of the race - it was fairly cold, but the autumn sun had the sky to itself, and there was very little wind. Around 7000 of us lined up on the track in the 1924 Olympic Stadium awaiting the starting pistol.
The first 7km comprised a small loop around the south-west of the city including a view of the Rijksmuseum (which we were to pass again at around the 24 mile mark) - after this, the course sent us down the Amstel river, before turning back towards the city at approximately the half-way.
I ran the first-half of the race really well (perhaps too well), going through the half-way mark faster than I ran the Royal Parks half-marathon the previous week! I had passed the pace setter for those wishing to run a 3:45 marathon, and I felt good... unfortunately I was to pay big-time for not taking on board enough water in the first 10 miles of the race, and at about 28km (18 miles) the quadriceps started to cramp.
I had to stop to walk 5 or 6 times between 18 and 24 miles - at each hydration stop, I drank two cups of energy drink, two of water, and scarfed a banana and some orange segments - basically everthing that was on offer - I was in a world of trouble. At the last checkpoint, I realised that any chance of doing the marathon in under 4 hours was slipping away with every pace taken at anything less than a jog speed.
I had to cover 1-and-a-half miles in under 17 minutes - with fresh legs this would not take much more than about 11 minutes, but with legs that felt like concrete, it was going to be mind over matter. I considered the fact that I had trained for 3 months to compete in this race - to come away with a sub-4 hour marathon was the prize for which I had trained.
The finish line was back in the Olympic Stadium - the crowd cheered the runners as we ran onto the track - I stayed as close to the inside line as I could - I didn't want to run a metre further than I needed to!
In the end I managed
3h 56m 28s
Under 4 hours but only just!
Here's a video of my painful crossing of the finish line - keep an eye out for a blue shirt in the second lane from the right - at the bottom of the video it shows the number of seconds remaining until I hobble across the line!
Video... you have to endure a Dutch running magazine advert first :(
Click here for results, other pictures and videos from the race - search the "Marathon Men - ..34" category using my race number: 1962
So that's it - the four races are done, with three personal bests thrown in. I now need something else to do... next year I'm thinking about the Paris Marathon in April, and if I can shift another few kilos, maybe the Snowdon race in July.
Thanks to everyone who sponsored me - it's been three months (and three years if the weight-shedding is included) in the making, and every step has been worth it. Now for a well deserved beer...
So... why is Wilkinson pestering me in aid of a good cause this time around, I hear you ask...
Well, now that I've shifted 55 kilos and as a result am a shadow of my former self (a picture of which I've just about managed to squeeze onto this page), I'm attempting to move on to greater achievements, and to that end, I'm running my first ever marathon in support of Sport Relief.
Not being content with just doing a marathon though, between the time of writing, Friday 18th September, and Sunday 18th October, I will be running in a total of 4 different events - see below - and I will be attempting to set a new personal best time over each distance. I'll be updating my progress on this page as I go.
For each personal best (or "PB") that I set, I will donate the equivalent amount in pounds as the number of kilometres in that race - so for example, if I get a PB in the half-marathon, I will donate £21 to the total raised (the half-marathon is run over approximately 21km).
As I've never run a marathon before, I've set myself a target of four hours. If I manage this - and believe me when I say that running a four hour marathon at the first attempt is recognised as a extremely decent achievement - I'll probably be in total agony but I will also be over the moon and won't mind coughing up £50!
*The events*
1. Saturday 19th September - 5K run in the "Tree-athlon" - RACE COMPLETED & NEW PERSONAL BEST!
Old PB: 23m 11s (The Fix UK 5K Run Clapham, May 09)
New PB: 21m 33s
I was trying to shake off a cold at the end of the week preceding this race and didn't feel great on the morning of the event - I was expecting to struggle to finish below 23 minutes. However, the adrenalin must have kicked in on the start line... I turned the last corner of the course and, with around 250m to go, was fairly surprised to see that the race clock suspended above the finish line said 21 minutes something... that was all the motivation I needed to throw everything I had into a sprint down to the finishing line!
So, I've contributed another £5 to the total... bring on the half-marathon on Sunday! 1h 45m has to be a realistic target.
2. Sunday 27th September: "Run to the Beat" Half-marathon, Greenwich - RACE COMPLETED & NEW PERSONAL BEST!
Old PB: 1h 50m 54s (Great West Run, Exeter, May 09)
New PB: 1h 42m 41s
9000 runners took part in this well-organised event - plenty of spectator support and the autumnal sunshine contributed to make for a great atmosphere. I didn't cross the start line until 7 minutes after the starting pistol had been fired, such were the numbers queued up ahead - your starting position is given to you on the basis of your predicted race time, and given the state of some runners that I dodged around in the first few miles (some were walking after only a mile!), I think some people completely underestimated their times.
I finished in 915th place out of 9000 runners, and in the process I've cost myself another £21 contribution to my sponsorship total by running a new personal best of 1h 42m 41s, beating my old PB from May by over 8 minutes! The four hour marathon might yet be a possibility!
There's a rather short video on this page of the moment I crossed the finish line - yes, the clock above says 1:49:40, but that is the time elapsed from the moment the starting pistol was fired, and I didn't get to cross the start line for another 7 minutes because of the queue! Click on my time for this race above to check the results if you don't believe it!
3. Sunday 11th October: Royal Parks Half-marathon, Central London
Race time: 1h 47m 34s (race number 9408)
The week leading up to this race was depressing. I found out that I had been unsuccessful in the general ballot to enter the London Marathon in 2010, but more importantly my knee was starting to exhibit symptoms that were all too familiar from last year, when similar pain (which I stupidly decided to ignore) eventually heralded an injury that prevented me from running at all for around a month and a half.
I did no training at all for three days midweek - probably the first time in around three or four months that I had done no exercise in any given three-day period. It seemed strange not to be training. I did some weights and spent some time on the rowing machine and exercise bike in the gym on the Friday to see if it would react, and it seemed OK. I was nervous on the Saturday night before the race - would my knee break down completely the next day and ruin 3 months of preparation?
As it turned out, the knee was fine - the main problem was that I could not stop myself from running too quickly.
The Royal Parks Half is a great race - I'd recommend it. Around 10000 people running around a very flat course in Central London - definitely has PB potential if you could navigate the crowds. My plan had been to run at "marathon-pace", which meant I should have run about 1h 55m. I managed to run the first mile in exactly 9 minutes, which was about right - I got bored of the slow pace, and started to push on. I had a fair bit left in reserve at the end, which bodes well.
As disappointing as it is not to get into the London Marathon, I've decided to enter the Paris Marathon next April - but I'll wait until I've done the Amsterdam Marathon first!
The knee feels OK, and I now have a few days to stuff myself full of pasta before...
4. Sunday 18th October: The 2009 Amsterdam Marathon - RACE COMPLETED!
Weather conditions in Amsterdam were ideal for the start of the race - it was fairly cold, but the autumn sun had the sky to itself, and there was very little wind. Around 7000 of us lined up on the track in the 1924 Olympic Stadium awaiting the starting pistol.
The first 7km comprised a small loop around the south-west of the city including a view of the Rijksmuseum (which we were to pass again at around the 24 mile mark) - after this, the course sent us down the Amstel river, before turning back towards the city at approximately the half-way.
I ran the first-half of the race really well (perhaps too well), going through the half-way mark faster than I ran the Royal Parks half-marathon the previous week! I had passed the pace setter for those wishing to run a 3:45 marathon, and I felt good... unfortunately I was to pay big-time for not taking on board enough water in the first 10 miles of the race, and at about 28km (18 miles) the quadriceps started to cramp.
I had to stop to walk 5 or 6 times between 18 and 24 miles - at each hydration stop, I drank two cups of energy drink, two of water, and scarfed a banana and some orange segments - basically everthing that was on offer - I was in a world of trouble. At the last checkpoint, I realised that any chance of doing the marathon in under 4 hours was slipping away with every pace taken at anything less than a jog speed.
I had to cover 1-and-a-half miles in under 17 minutes - with fresh legs this would not take much more than about 11 minutes, but with legs that felt like concrete, it was going to be mind over matter. I considered the fact that I had trained for 3 months to compete in this race - to come away with a sub-4 hour marathon was the prize for which I had trained.
The finish line was back in the Olympic Stadium - the crowd cheered the runners as we ran onto the track - I stayed as close to the inside line as I could - I didn't want to run a metre further than I needed to!
In the end I managed
3h 56m 28s
Under 4 hours but only just!
Here's a video of my painful crossing of the finish line - keep an eye out for a blue shirt in the second lane from the right - at the bottom of the video it shows the number of seconds remaining until I hobble across the line!
Video... you have to endure a Dutch running magazine advert first :(
Click here for results, other pictures and videos from the race - search the "Marathon Men - ..34" category using my race number: 1962
So that's it - the four races are done, with three personal bests thrown in. I now need something else to do... next year I'm thinking about the Paris Marathon in April, and if I can shift another few kilos, maybe the Snowdon race in July.
Thanks to everyone who sponsored me - it's been three months (and three years if the weight-shedding is included) in the making, and every step has been worth it. Now for a well deserved beer...
I'm not asking everyone to contribute as much as me (although at the same time I definitely wouldn't discourage you from being so generous!) - even a single donation of £2 would be fantastic.
Sport Relief is a tremendously good cause - if you need reminding about the causes that benefit from the money they raise, please visit their website here: http://www.sportrelief.com/
As a bonus, if I inspire even one person to run the Comic Relief mile next March as a result of my running exploits, I will be very happy... as for me, this is all a warm-up for next year, as I hope to run in the London Marathon in April 2010...
Thanks for reading and keep visiting this page for updates on my progress!
Here's the blurb from JustGiving.com about why you should donate through them:
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.