Wow… What an experience!!!
So, it’s done… After months and months of training, worrying and preparing, I have completed my first marathon, and without a shadow of a doubt, it was one of the toughest experiences of my life.
Marathon season in the UK is usually between March and May, with big events such as London and Manchester typically taking place on the last Sunday in April.
A marathon training programme commences 16 weeks or so out from the marathon date itself, meaning that I found myself running in the dark, in rain, often in freezing temperatures, all of which left me feeling battle hardened and ready to go out and hit all my targets on marathon day. Therefore, imagine my “joy” when the weather forecast for marathon day was for bright sunshine and a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius… Not exactly what I had in mind, I have to be honest!
Marathon weekend
Marathon weekend saw my close friend and co-runner Emma and I travel up to Manchester on the Saturday afternoon. We arrived, tried to force as many last-minute carbohydrates as possible into our bodies and headed off to bed for an early night. After a night of waking up every half an hour in fear of missing our alarms, marathon morning arrived!
After forcing ourselves to eat some much-needed running fuel at breakfast, we left our hotel at 9 am and headed to the marathon start site in Trafford Arch. It was already clear that I didn’t need my pre-race training gear with the heat already out in force. If only I knew that Manchester would turn into mid-summer Madrid on marathon Sundays!
And we’re off
10:30 am, and we were off, pacing through a city I knew very little about with incredible support from the crowd. I was so excited to meet a fundraiser for Young Lives Vs Cancer at mile 2; we laughed about what an easy run it was going to be and wished each other luck for the remainder of the race.
By mile 3, the heat was already affecting many, with people already resorting to walking to try and ensure that they could get to the finish line in the conditions. I, however, was feeling strong, and as we passed the half-marathon point, I was completely on track for my target time.
Over halfway
Come mile 16, the relentless heat and shadeless sunshine were starting to take hold, with the paramedics supporting people as they collapsed around the track. With my own heart rate hitting 200 BPM due to the extra exertion and onset of dehydration, it became clear to me that finishing and fulfilling my goal of completing this marathon for Young Lives Vs Cancer had to be the priority above my reconsidered time targets.
Reaching the end point, I felt mixed emotions of disappointment about not hitting my time targets, and pride of getting over the finish line of my first marathon, and more importantly, at achieving my financial target of raising over £1,000 for this amazing charity! (The time can come next year!)
So, for now, my weekends can return to being a mother and wife, enjoying an Aperol Spritz or two in the sunshine and relaxing for the summer. I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me for their fantastic support!
