2007 London Marathon has begun!
Current mood: energetic

I am running this years London Marathon - yes it's 26 miles and I'm fired up already and lovin' it!

Inspired by my need to run very long distances and by  my friend ( also running this marathon)  who informed  me of this race just two months ago, I couldn't resist.  So, I began to do a little homework. During my research I wanted  to find out what the average finishing times have been to date, and I must say, that is when I decided, that if a certain female athlete finished in 2 hours.34 mintues and another  friend finished his marathon in 6 hours.24 mintues then, I would finish my marathon in - 3 hours 40 mintues! I am truly ready to do this even if my finishing time sounds, a little too ambitious ( don't laugh you lot!) I believe I can. Most importantly it'll be amazing!

I would say it was just  a dare, and I couldn't back down, BUT NO!

I am actually running for my charity FARM AFRICA:http://www.farmafrica.org.uk/

they  work towards helping farmers to produce more food for their families by helping them to create a living for themselves -
to make sure future generations don't have to depend on handouts of aid.

So - lets all get together and please join me and help me to help someone else earn their living.  Or sponsor me because it's amusing for you to see someone run 26 miles!

I FINISHED MY LONDON MARATHON!

It was a strange and amazing experience. I had followed the whole marathon route once before during my training ( in reverse) and had completed the route easily in 3 hours and 45 minutes, well aside from being caught in the freezing rain at the end and realising ( or feeling as if) that in fact ,Blackheath really was in the middle of nowhere, not amusing when it's dark and have just run 26 miles and the body has left for a desert holiday, and so I knew I was prepared for the real thing.

Marathon Day:
It was a solitary and slightly other worldly experience. Thousands of people running in front  behind you and either side of you, thousands more layered the pavements of every street all standing and cheering blowing loud horns as though signalling a war about to explode, or more likely as though a Global celebration was occuring (after all the marathon attracted runners from China to Canada) some enjoying the summer heat some the spectacle mostly just looking amused. Yet,never have I heard less noise than at that point running through those crowds, within my own mind there was complete silence, even as my eyes carefully sometimes hazily jumped around and soaked in those people, their colours and the toddler standing on some pink grass on Salter Road  with her hand out offering sweets as though she were offering a national duty. 

Reaching 18miles I looked at the clock above my head and saw the time: 2hours:19 min. I was so happy as I knew that with just 8miles left I'd be able to finish it in perhaps just under 3 hours, so I became even more excited and continued to run. Alas, a few minutes later my right leg gave way and I was forced to stop with  the most horrible pain in my right knee and from that point onwards it became increasingly difficult to walk. I was forced to stop on many occasions in agony,sometimes unable to continue,it was then that my ears unlocked and let in the sounds of everywhere. I could hear members of the crowd telling me not to stop and cheering loudly as I stood up straight  whenever I managed to get through the pain barrier and force myself to walk or run for a while. I knew I had the option of stopping and letting the many St Johns ambulance services help  me and that if I pulled out now due to my injury, I would automatically be entered into next years race.I could see so many runners injured sitting with the paramedics and every injured runner had the same look of drained dissapointment on their tired face. However for me this idea was even more painful than stopping itself, I was determined to get to the end after all I could walk and I had set myself this challenge and needed to know that I could see it through. I finished after something like 4 hours and a bit,it was worth it! next year I'll see if I can really do it in under 3 hours, I'll be waiting to see the clock again at 18 miles and next time maybe I'll let myself stop and take a sweet from the toddler on the grass. I'll also mention that today I am in agony and it actually is a surprise I didn't think It'd be this bad, I'm smiling though...



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