Sunday, 21 April 2013

The Fall of Rome.

As followers of this Blog are well aware, after failing to crack the holy grail of a sub-3 hour marathon in Rome last year, missing the target with 03:00:30  it was back to the drawing board this year with a new schedule & a couple of new training partners, both of whom had Championship starting places in London. Right, the good news is that I finished! Hurrah!! There now follows a short partially demented analysis of the race...


This year I was on the red 'good for age' start. After observing a 30 second silence in memory of those who suffered at last weeks Boston Marathon, the race started. My game plan was to try to run at an even 6:45/mi pace, which would have given me a 2:56:58 finishing time. However, being surrounded by faster club runners, I found myself getting dragged along far too fast and from thereon in I struggled to get a firm control over my pacing. In other words, I struggled to slow up until pain and cramp made me do so...

Passing so many sights is one thing - Greenwich, Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge etc. but what the pictures on the television can't convey is the cacophony of sound that, with the exception of the area around Billingsgate Fish Market, follows you for every step of the way; people cheering, banging thunder sticks, music blasting out, loud hailers, bands playing en route, it's just immense. I had my name printed on the front of my club vest and was, consequently, being name checked by all and sundry.

I felt good, almost too good and I passed the halfway in 1:24, however, by the time I passed the 17 mile mark and because of the early turn of speed I could feel my legs starting to stiffen and my feet were starting to hurt, presumably swelling in my shoes. I then began to have my very own 'Battle of Canary Wharf' as I battle both mental and physical pain. My mind was somewhat befuddled as I desperately tried to work out split times & paces in my mind, but I struggled on, doing the best that I could, and was only able to start to make a good guess at my finishing time, based on current pace and distance left, once I passed the 20 mile marker at 12:04pm - 6.2 miles at roughly 7:30(ish)./mi pace would take me about 50 minutes. Time to dig in and keep moving forward no matter how much it hurt. I jogged on along Embankment, focusing on reaching Big Ben where I knew that I would turn right & head down Birdcage Walk. Try as I might though, I just couldn't get my legs to turn over any quicker. In front of Buckingham Palace, where this time I had the presence of mind, unlike in 2007, to actually look at the place just before I turned right and headed down The Mall, finally crossing the finish line in 791st place with a time of 2:54:22, putting me in the top 2.5% of finishers!!!

My daughter sent me a text to say that she'd seen me finish on the telly & that I looked like I was going to cry. Just to let her know - I did shed a little tear, and with good reason too. It took a great deal of work to get where I now am and I am still amazed that I managed it...

After collecting my finishers medal, goody bag, and my personal belongings, I dug my mobile phone out of my bag and ignoring all the text messages for a moment, as promised, one of the first people I rang was Jaykee Boy to give him the good news. Within minutes I had met with both him and MattEll, and their respective partners, offspring etc, on the grass, in the shade, under some trees for a catch-up and to share news etc. before MrsC joined us to complete our little gathering. After that, it was back to our hotel for a well earned rest and recuperation session...

Of course, the only way for me to celebrate is the same way that I did in Rome. Pizza & beer. First, a pizza & quick beer with MrsC then a celebratory beer or three with fellow club runners Fee & Mikee in Green Park.

No matter what I achieve in the remainder of my running career, this one will be forever in my memory...
The fall of Rome and the glory of London...
The end of the road and, alas, the end of my training blogs...
La fine.







 
 
 

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