(Yes I really do
expect you to all sing/hum that in your head now whilst reading my latest
musings J)
So here we are with
‘M-Day’ on the horizon… and in spite of recent events leaving me heavily
subdued I still remain a mixture of nerves and excitement! Just a thought, but
does that mean you are all now ‘M People’? …in which case…what have you done
lately to make me feel proud? Quite a lot as it turns out!…
Firstly let’s start with the sheer fact you sponsored me and
this is nothing to be scoffed at. I won’t be the only person tapping you for
money no doubt and I obviously won’t be the last. I am so thankful to each and
every one of you though, it’s hard raising money, but nothing is harder than
knowing some people ‘really’ can’t always afford to donate and yet they somehow
have. Please know it’s meant a lot to me
and taken the pressure off of me and allowed me to concentrate on the job at
hand – running on the day!
Then there has been the immense support from you all in the
lead up. Reading my blogs, pretending to like them ;o) and daring to ask how my
training is going when you see me (as we
all know that THAT is a scary question to ask!). I don’t know what it’s
like to train for the Marathon without raising money and just going through the
ballot as motivationally that would be hard for me. I suppose it ‘would’ mean
though that I’m a real runner and not this temporary version! It’s nice though,
people rooting for you…so can I just tell you all of the general ‘life events’
that I’m upto this coming year post-Marathon and perhaps you can keep on
rooting for me as I’ll miss it?
10 years ago I finished the Marathon and said ‘never again’ which as you all now know was
swiftly followed by ‘if I ever do this
again’ and ‘WHEN I do this again’
and here we now are with me actually doing it once more! I didn’t intend for it
to be 10 years later when I said that, crikey I tried getting through the
ballot the first few years (in the hope of getting the guaranteed slot that
comes after I think 5 attempts of trying?) and then forgot to enter one year
and that was that! Children came along and life changed further and further and
I feel un-recognisable to the me of 10 years ago in so many ways. I would have
to have an extraordinarily good reason now to want to run the Marathon and
everything it entails again.
That reason is Stephen x and John x
The Marathon is an inspirational race, full of people
running ‘just like me’ for all kinds of good causes, it brings out the very
best in people from all walks of life and backgrounds. It’s why it’s such a great, fantastic and
uplifting day out for anyone that comes along to watch. It’s also why what
happened at Boston was beyond incomprehensible and downright disgusting.
On Sunday you’ll not help but be moved by the masses of
people, pain etched across their faces for the most part struggling on past
you. The elite runners will pass you by early and you’ll feel pleased to see
them no doubt, especially so if you get a glimpse of Mo Farrah along the way
and you may even spot the odd celebrity going past you too of which Mo Farrah
is now one as well obviously! BUT it will be the masses of ordinary people that
will move you, draw your support and get you shouting their names and handing
them jelly babies (yes please DO bring jelly sweets with you and have them
ready to hand out!).
For me running the race amongst all of these people is
something I can’t adequately conjure up for you all (unless of course you’ve
done it yourself). It’s extraordinary to be a part of. The mood, however, will be somewhat different
this year sadly. Although, I rather suspect that the utter ‘defiance’ that will
be demonstrated by Londoners will turn a nasty negative into a positive. I
shall be wearing a black ribbon alongside many others to demonstrate my support
for those affected by Boston. You will see this camaraderie demonstrated
amongst the runners if you are coming to watch on Sunday and it’s yet another
reason to be moved by those running London.
This time around I will be travelling to the start line
alone which is going to odd in itself, however
I absolutely know that I will be talking to strangers all day and loving
it. I will be talking to them on the central line no doubt (and hey that’s no
mean feat) and I will be talking to them on the DLR too.
On a lighter note, I am sooo looking forward to seeing the
funny Marathon signs along the route as well. Some of my favourites in recent
years have been “staying up all night
making this sign was hard too” (that’s
the sort of sign I’d expect from my supporting crowd) and “Pain now, Beer later” although in my
case it will be a glass of wine – large please? These signs, people cheering
your name, children handing you sweeties, various live music along the entire
course and some of the most hilarious costumes ever are some of the reasons why
I’ll be having FUN, yes I did say fun….on Marathon Day. You’re not shitting on my parade whoever you
are – do you hear me?
And then there is my little ‘M People’ J Those of you coming
along to watch the Marathon on Sunday, a lot of you all together like one
extended family and others spread out at various other iconic parts of the
course. Not only do I expect you to have a flipping great day, I defy you not
to… but do know you’ll all be playing an integral part of my performance too.
Every runner breaks the course down into ways they can cope with to get them
through – seeing friends and family is a high incentive for many. The thing is, you’ll only get to see me for a
matter of mere minutes (this is going to
shock my kids when they realise this!) but just running ‘towards’ you all
knowing you’re out there is the best way to start my race and keep me going.
And when I HAVE seen you all, that will lift my spirits and take me through the
next vital miles happier J
So whilst you may think it’s just me out there ‘doing this’
on Sunday, know it’s you doing it with me too, every single painful,
blister-filled, dog-tired step that I take! Ouch – sorry!
My ‘tapering period’ (from
hereon not so fondly remembered as the two weeks Tricia lost the plot
completely) did not go as it should have with me picking up a last minute
injury of the ‘worst kind’ in the groin as opposed to the ‘not so worse kind’…
and I’ll be honest, there have been shed loads of tears from me and everyone
has been treading on ice around me, whilst I apply ice to myself. Then this week I pulled my back ‘doing
absolutely NOTHING’. On the plus side (as I have to find one) I will now be
able to tell you first-hand about the benefits of ‘Kinesio taping’ that my
Osteopath, Bruce has been using on me. Don’t know what that is? Well it’s not
to gag me that’s for sure, although I imagine Jamie has mulled over the idea.
It’s those strips of tape that you see in different colours appearing on
various parts of the body of top athletes. Aha! I hear you say.
So this will be my last ‘real’ blog now until after the
Marathon at which point I hope to regale you with tales of how I effortlessly
finished in a sub 4 hour run without any injury issue. Yet we know it’s more
likely to be how I crawled across the finish line at sub 6 hours screaming “how
the hell did you let me do this Jamie?” as anyone who knows me knows I blame
everything I can’t control on my Husband J
One last word, if you are WITH my Husband on the day…please
be kind to him, he will be stressed. Buy him a beer …but not too many as he
needs to collect me at the finish line and shake his hand and wish him luck for
later as he has ME to then deal with.
Over and out all – BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!
x
x
No comments:
Post a Comment