Preparation is everything. I had prepared my bag of things to take, I had checked train times, I even prepared my porridge oats the night before. What I did not prepare for was car parking and train tickets. So at 7am after following the worlds slowest driver into Epsom, I zoomed into the NCP carpark opposite Epsom train station, only to zoom back out again minutes later when I saw the £20.00 parking charge. Over to the Ashley Centre, ticket, park, 1/4 mile run around the block across Epsom to the Train Station, Queue up for ticket machine. Why is everyone taking an age to get a ticket? Choose a ticket, pay. Can't pay, machine doesn't take money, arghhhhh, jump over to other machine, get ticket and a pocket full of pound coins. Run for the platform, up the stairs. Wrong platform, back down, up the other stairs. At last, on the train. The train is full of marathoners, its more packed than a normal commuter train, but not as nearly as packed as the Waterloo to Blackheath train!
The Blue starters village is massive, so many toilets, such long queues, everyone milling about last preparations, vaseline, talc, body glide. Gulping down lucozade or water. Stretching, not alot of jogging around going on. Tannoy booming and time passing too quickly. I got my timing chip taped on properly, met and lost Graham (DMVAC runner) and joined Pen 4.Pen 4 is for people who think they will complete the run in 3:30, my target time. Its a stretch of road fenced off with builders temporary mesh fencing. Now I don't know much about 'pen etiquette', but I would have thought that a line of men weeing through the fence was unusual, maybe 'continental', certainly 'alfresco' and a great laugh for the spectators the other side of the fencing as all they could see was a line of willies! I had to join them I am afraid to say. Then worried I was going to get held back I ran forward to catch up with the pen 4 people, but I went too far and looking around I saw pen 2 people. So I found myself going over the start line about 30 seconds after the leaders.
The whole run was crowded, but I always had enough space to run, the occasional 'on your left' helped and care at drinks stations was needed. In the first few miles my mouth was dry and I was getting hot. When the first drinks station came I took the bottle, swigged a gulp and poured the rest over my head. The effect was immediate and I felt cooler. I continued to do this for the whole course, the downside was that my trainers filled up with water but I was cooled. Later on I remembered Andy Fays advice and poured water on the backs of my legs to help the cramping I felt.
After a few miles I was not feeling too good. My head was saying, 'your not going to make it' and 'what excuse could I have for stopping?' Somewhere around 10 miles this changed, I was feeling OK, and my head had stopped thinking of excuses. The crowds were amazing, it was like a wall of clapping and cheering and 'come on Andy shouts'. I looked around and saw someone with Andy on his vest.
Tower Bridge came along and I looked around the sea of faces for my brother but could not see him. A mile later I heard, 'Come on Dorking', looked over to see a familiar face cheering. It's great to hear a cheer like that, I heard the same cheer at least 4 times around the course. A big thank you to all of you that came out and cheered.
Around 14 miles I saw elite women coming back and then the elite men with the timing car out front. A cheer went up for them as they cruised past. We still had to go around the Isle of Dogs! When I came back along that road I sure did not look so good. By this time I had started to feel cramping in my legs, nothing lasting, nothing to stop me, just a quick tight feeling in my leg muscles.
30km came along and then 35km. Now I was reaching the same distance as my longest training runs. This was the time that my legs felt the pain, my hips hurt and my feet felt heavy. Just a few more miles to go. I had used the last of my energy gels and just needed to keep going. Somewhere along here I expected to see Sarah, Oliver and Daniel. I kept listening out and looking into the crowd but did not see them. The 25 mile marker went past and it was now the final mile and some shade as I ran along Birdcage Walk. Round the corner and another cramp. 'Legs don't fail me now'. 200 yards to go, the finish in sight. I had made it, the clock clicked past 3:44 and I sped up to make it before 3:45. There was Sarah and the kids. It was so great to see them, great to share this moment.
