Considering it is now Friday and my legs/feet/knees/shoulder/just about everywhere is feeling completely normal again, I think it’s is safe to say I had an amazing time on Sunday! I can’t believe it’s all over (but am also slightly relieved!).
I was pretty nervous heading to the start line in Greenwich on Sunday morning, as I was walking to the tube station with my running number pinned to my top, people were stopping their cars and saying good luck to me or putting their thumbs up which was very strange and surreal. I was expecting a really hot day so was pretty shocked when it started raining as I got off the tube. I couldn’t believe the amount of people at the start line- you literally couldn’t move getting off the tube and walking through the park to the different starts took ages.
I was really surprised how fast everyone got started at 9.45, I had told my friends and parents that although the start time for the race was 9.45 I probably wouldn’t start for at least a half hour after that because there would be so many people but I was wrong. At about 9.52 I started running my first ever marathon!
The first 16 miles were really fun! There were so many people along the route I couldn’t believe it. One pub along the way was decorated as a pirate ship and had loads of people outside all dressed up as pirates, there were also lots of bands and live music which took my mind off the miles.
Unfortunately, just after I hit 16 miles I turned around to check what mile I had just passed and as I turned back around, managed to pull something/trap something in my left shoulder and the rest of the race became not so enjoyable...
I ended up having to run supporting my left arm in front of me as it was the only way I could position my arm without it being sore This new and slightly strange style of running managed to slow me down a lot and earn me a few funny looks from spectators and fellow runners! The pain became quite intense and I have to admit, I was on the verge of tears from mile 20. Seeing my parents and flatmates at miles 22 and 23 really did help though! Massive thank you to them for coming to support me!!!
As I got to the final few miles, I had expected I would feel quite relieved but in reality, this wasn’t the case. Instead of saying to myself ‘Yess, only two miles to go’, it was more like ‘TWO MORE MILES?? THAT’S LIKE TWENTY MINUTES MORE, I CAN’T RUN FOR ANOTHER TWENTY MINUTES!’. I can remember telling myself ‘never again’, at least 5 times in those last few miles!
But... I made it! I crossed the finish line 4 hours and 54minutes after I started- not quite the time I had hoped for but I finished!
I managed to embarrasses myself completely on the finish line by bursting into tears (half because of the pain in my shoulder/half because I was so pleased it was over). A man standing nearby came over and asked if I was ok- further embarrassment when I realised this man, was Richard Branson! It being the Virgin London Marathon and all, he managed to get someone to come and check out my shoulder. After saying a quick congratulations, he was whisked away into a little tent, leaving me to get my arm put into a sling and collect my goody bag!
Turning up to meet my parents crying, with my arm in a sling, probably wasn’t the high point of the day- neither was fainting in the tube station afterwards! However, I have decided to try and remember the more fun parts of the day. Hopefully, these memories will encourage me to run another marathon next year- I’m crossing my fingers for Paris!
I would just like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who sponsored me and donated to READ! I managed to raise over £1000, which is really, really great and I definitely couldn’t have done it without my family and friends so thank you guys!!
I definitely wouldn’t have got through the marathon without all the help I had from Jacinta at Qmotion so thank you very much to her as well!
Also big thanks to Sarah, Shelly, everyone at the union and at READ for giving me this amazing opportunity, fabulous memories (and a meeting with Richard Branson) that I will never forget!!