London Marathon 2014 - the post mortem

So it's done and dusted and I am now post-marathon and reflecting on that fickle mistress, the London Marathon. So let's get the main issue out of the way - no, I did not get my sub 4. In fact I completed the race in 4h 6mins, still not bad but definitely not what I know I can achieve. A few weeks before the race I was having a lot of problems with my left leg, from an inflamed achilles, to very tight hamstring and glutes. One look at my bank balance will confirm that I paid numerous visits to my sports massage therapist (including an emergency, 11th hour visit where she kindly put her children infront of the TV which she released my hamstring for the umpteenth time!), my osteopath and my podiatrist.


 Any other race and I would probably have just run more carefully and not pushed my hamstring, but this was the marathon, everything I had trained for and focused on over the last 18 weeks of my life, those hours and hours pounding the trails and streets, the practice races, braving the torrential downpours and long, lonely, Sunday morning runs, there was no way I was not going to try and reach my goal, gammy leg or not!

 I felt great on the starting line, I was in pen 4 of the mass start so reasonably close to the front. Mentally I had split the race into three parts, the first section was miles 1 - 8 , through less familiar territory where I knew I had to get my pacing right. I had written my target times for 10k, 10 mille, half way and 20 mile points on my arm together with my pace, 8:25 minute miles.

 I went off too fast though, it's inevitable in London, the adrenaline pumping, some lovely downhill stretches, it's tough to get into a rhythm. I felt good as I approached half marathon point, I was determined not to see this as half way, knowing that the real work would come at the end, in my mind I was focusing on mile 9 to 20, taking me around Docklands to Canary Wharf, drawing energy from the crowds and focusing on my pace. But it was at this point where the pain in my left glute and hamstring was starting to affect my pace - I actually saw my lovely Sports Massage Therapist in the crowds on the Docklands loop and resisted the urge to run over to her for a quick treatment! The heat was starting to get to me to and it's clear looking at my official split times that I was just slowing down more and more, still on target for a sub 4 but not as strong as in the first part of the race.

 I had visualised Canary Wharf as being the start of the last bit of my race, the springboard where I would power along more familiar streets, passing the supporters from my running club at Shadwell and racing to the finish. My mind was in a great place, my legs were not, they felt heavy, like they were cased in concrete, not only was my hamstring and glute playing up I was hitting the infamous wall. I forced myself to take on a gel but could only manage half of it.

 I knew when I rounded the corner at Birdcage Walk that the sub 4 was out of my grasp, but then entering the home strait I got the best boost ever and the thing that put it all into perspective, there was my little girl, Daisy, in the grandstands (on a platform especially constructed for her so she could see me thanks to the brilliant Virgin Money London Marathon Team), blowing kisses and waving to me, and do you know what, getting a sub 4 didn't matter any more. Daisy didn't care about my time, she was just happy that mummy had run a marathon, just for her!

 I managed to raise over £2,000 for my charity, ShootingStar-Chase, I fitted in hours of training with the most hectic and time-limited life and I ran the London Marathon in a decent time, finishing in the top quarter of women finishers and according to the stats I was ahead of about 55% of the male runners. The London Marathon is an amazing experience, it is like no other, the crowds are incredible, the camaraderie among the runners inspirational and the organisation that goes into such huge event in one of the biggest cities in the world is a sight to behold. I couldn't resist, when the ballot opened for next year's race, I entered - well I do still have that sub 4 monkey on my back after all!