Race Report: London Marathon 22/04/2012

Sunday morning dawned and so did the fact that I was about to run my 3^rd marathon, even after promising I would never run another marathon again after my dramatic finish to the Crewe déjà-vu. But hey this was London.

Despite my first time ever of preparing my kit the night before, I managed to arrive at
the start without my phone, gels and sunglasses. There a lot to be said about not being organised. Despite the lack of a phone I managed to find Jason, Perry and Steve and at about 09:30 we made our way over to the start pens. I was in pen 6, well I would have been if we had all fitted in, whilst Perry and Steve were in pen 5 and Jason got himself to the front with the elite runners. Not that he supposed to be there but he did an excellent job of getting publicity for the find John campaign whilst he was there.

The race started, not that I knew about this until we slowly started to move forward and suddenly started to move, not running but defiantly moving. Then we crossed the start line and off we went. The crowd was fantastic even the guy who after a couple of minutes of running told us that we only had 25 ½ miles to go.

The next event, apart from the near falls and stumbling that took place at the road humps, it was like the chair the Grand National, was running around the Cutty Sark. The crowds here were deafening. The route then took you around London, I don’t know where because all you could see are crowds on both sides of the road and runners in front and behind you.

Then it was over Tower Bridge and the half way post was a welcome sight. Whilst running this section you can see the faster runners on the other side of the road making their way towards last part of the course with only a couple of miles to go. You can’t wait to get to the next 7 miles done and be on the opposite side of the road, hopefully looking back at some of the fun runners and not the clean up teams.

The next 7 miles, whilst not a walk in the park,  are as full of spectators, bands, pubs with music playing as the rest of the course, which keeps you going and you suddenly become conscious that you are in fact on the other side of the road looking back at the runners approaching half way.

At mile 20 the Coppenhall support team are out in force shouting support and are just what you need when you are starting to flag and so it was on to the mind games part of the run.

For once I had listened to the advice about pace and had managed to stick to a steady speed and at mile 22, I suddenly realised that I had continually run further than I had ever done before and I did not need to go and inspect the hedge line or grass verge with the risk of seeing breakfast again.

The embankment now was in clear view and as I started to run along the riverside, I knew that whilst I was not going to get a PB, I felt fine and was even enjoying the run and being able to remember where I was, although I still cannot remember if we actually ran past Big Ben.

Then the 800 metre sign came into view and I heard a shout of come on Terry from Clare and Catherine, well I nearly got quite emotional, but I managed to keep it in. Then a right turn outside the Palace and there it was the finish line. I knew I had run my best because I could not manage a sprint finish and then over the line I went.  

At our meeting point I was met by Joe, Jason, Clare, Catherine, the Coppenhall clan and then later Steve, Perry and Bob arrived to have the customary Team Photos and  race evaluation.

So after the promise in November 2011 of never running a marathon again, would London change my mind? Well let’s just say that the day the London Marathon ballot opened I was trying to fill out the form at 00:01.

For more information, visit the VLM website.

Terry