Tuesday 22 November 2011

Marathon Day as it happened

Thoughts and feelings 4-5 weeks on...

4-5 weeks on, its taken that long for me to write about the day, recover mentally, talk to old & new friends online and in person, and generally process everything that happened in the days before, during and after my first marathon run. So much work had gone into (hopefully) around fours hours of running but it was impossible to know how I would feel. It's a race surely, running against others, what could be simpler? Read on - warning this is a long post! :)
If you'd asked me any time in the last 20 years, if I would ever run a marathon, I'd probably say I would love to once but it was beyond me physically -  especially the last 2 years with tendonitis in one heel and mainly I just don't have enough time to do the training programs. Well, hitting one of those birthdays and with a marathon on in my home town Liverpool for the first time in nearly twenty years, if I was going to do it once, 2011 was the perfect opportunity.
Fitness wise if you know me well or especially if you've been reading this blog, you will know I've been training hard for 10 months since November 2010. Originally just to lose a few pounds and get fitter, then for my first half marathon in 3 years in March. Key thing added right at the start, two gym classes for core & body conditioning. As the only man in the room this was a little odd at first but they did & still do make a huge difference. Build a good foundation first and then the rest is sound.. Or so goes my theory.
Anyway, big birthday approaching subconsciously something clicked. So even if only for 30 or 60 minutes was out running Christmas, Boxing & even New Years Day and down the gym doing a tough circuit class just after. Found these circuits were on Sunday mornings too so these got added into weekly schedule. So at least 3-4 gym classes, 20 miles running & a game of football a week just for the half marathon - and fortnightly horse riding. No lie-ins at weekends, weekday nights often out till after 8 pm. Good results and then was really surprised to do the half marathon in under 1hr 40mins, PB only 12 seconds more so a lot faster than expected. So great results, running continued, and thoughts of doing a marathon becoming more realistic.
Cue disaster of a really badly sprained ankle in May... Originally thought this was far worse, maybe ligament damage, or even a torn Achilles. Marathon over before even started? Thankfully not, with lots of physio, icing at night, stretches, slowly was able to run again. Around this time, started going to a chiropractor, my tendonitis in heel was actually simple to cure, left leg 15mm shorter due to a rolled hip. Slowly my sore heel started to sort itself out. Marathon training started on last day of May, more mileage every week from 30 miles upwards, pushing myself really hard to toughen up, getting 8 sessions of personal training off the best instructor (i.e. the toughest!) at the gym. Hard 10mile hill runs, long slow 16-23 mile Saturday runs, 8-11mile recovery runs with Mrs FRC..often doubling up some of these with a gym class. Everything tried, no pain, no gain.
Fast forward to Liverpool Sunday Oct 9th, I was probably in the best shape I'd ever been, really good strong legs and more than 2 stone lost since November. Felt great.
Had always planned to do this for charity, eventually ran it for CheckEm Lads (Testicular Cancer Awareness). Just giving page didn't go up till the week before the marathon but very quickly had raised £600 plus in cash & on-line. Will know exactly how much soon. Lots of lovely good luck wishes from many people and also some unexpected ones, those who had lost friends or relatives to cancer. A few of these I wrote down on little post it notes and stuck in my running belt, to spur me on in times of trouble. Sadly two new friends were unable to run the marathon, hugs to Jo & Gaynor. Really felt for them.
The day before, just enough time to buy a new yellow top and get my name printed on it. To anyone running their first marathon, do this.. It will make a huge difference... You will see why later.

Liverpool marathon course starts nearby on the Wirral then goes through the tunnel to Liverpool. Turned up nice and early at birkenhead park and met a few people off the RW forum, Liverbird, Paul 22, beer&lard (Jeez how big is he!), also a few from work.





After lots of training runs forgetting nearly everything, I had a near perfect check-list for the day. Literally nothing left to chance. End result unlike virtually anything else I've done, I was super relaxed, no panic. Weird. Heart rate literally like I had just got out of bed, 80-90 beats per minute. Annoying delay at start due to cars getting on the course. No difference to me, was still chilled. Talked to a few people and also bumped into Redhead off RW forums. Good time to point out that Liverpool marathon was advertised that headphones were not allowed or covered by event insurance. I've always run with headphones even in races, but did as told, trained my last 3-4 solo runs this way. Lots still wearing headphones, their loss of all the atmosphere and support.
Race finally started by Jamie Carragher 50 mins late. After getting past some slower runners in the wrong pens, into my stride at 1.5-2 miles, right on track and no silly sub 8 minute sprints as some clearly were doing. Bet they suffered later! No sign of Mrs FRC though, probably not enough time. At just after the bridge 2 miles, bumped in new pal Tom aka Judderman off RW. Both of us fine holding around 8.30ish min miles chatted a bit. Also encountered John from work, who was aiming to do 9.30-10 minute miles, but was actually at 8.20 ish so well above pace for 3 miles gone. Wisely he dropped back a bit to save strength for later, my plan also slower paced miles till 10-14 depending on how I felt.
Hamstring tightened up slightly after 4 miles so pulled back 20-30 secs a mile & careful, first aim is always to finish. Mile times still comfortable though, around 8.30-50 mins, heart rate nice and comfortable around 150 bpm. So lots in the tank, and could in theory go a lot faster. Not the plan for a first marathon especially with the slight injury worry. Made sure to do some stretches at 7 miles. First 10 miles in 1hr 28m 30s, pretty good, expected a little faster but with leg muscle tight, very good and sub 4 hrs possible.  Just after this point, saw Mrs FRC for the first time in ages, so ran up and gave her a hug & a salty kiss. 

11 miles is the start of the tunnel, was flowing along nicely, almost effortless even. Downhill for almost a mile, then flat, then uphill for nearly a mile. I seemed to have paced well, going nice 8m30s mile even here.. Whilst others struggled up the incline I was motoring along.. Ran into Joe who I've ran with at work for a long time..a much better runner than me (slight injury), was nice to say hello and quick chat then crack on up the hill leaving  Joe behind. Coming out the Mersey Tunnel was lots of fun, nearly a mile uphill at the end ...growing noise of big groups of drummers coming from outside.
Coming out at Liver buildings was like the tunnel at Wembley match day, bright light, deafening noise, hundreds of people cheering.. Amazing. And soon after this, with first sports drink and narrow streets meant thousands cheering you on close enough to touch & high 5, cow bells clanging, really was like the Tour de France. Couldn't help but get a boost from this. Great atmosphere just when you needed it.
More hills, others struggled up Upper Parliament Street.. I motored up.. briefly saw the Mrs for a second time at mile 16 (2hrs 16m). Actually did a faster second 10 miles than first (1hr 27m 30s), considering there were 2 lots of big hills in there, pretty good. As expected, it got a lot harder from 21-25 miles with the slow draining hills in Sefton Park... had to grind out these miles out, even stop to stretch.. Saw quite a nasty injured bodies around this time.. hamstring still tight and worrying me, could I still finish in sub 3hrs45 or even sub 4 hrs? Some called Sefton Park Hell, others asked did it ever end? Seeing other runners running nearby in 2 different directions made it difficult.. were they ahead or behind.. really hard to tell.
Finally got out of there through the last park bit and less than 3 miles to go... Was great to see an old friend just at this moment, see my obvious relief at escaping.
Considering the pain in my tired legs, I looked pretty happy.
Whizzed down Upper Parliament Street -  was actually my 1000th mile of 2011 and felt good but tough... the quad muscles in my upper legs seemed to be quivering by themselves and almost ready to go on strike. Scary. Mile 26 was helped by the crowds cheering me on, my name on my shirt was a huge help. Turned the corner at 26 miles, 365 yards to go and gave it everything I had left, full sprint like it was for the Olympic gold medal.

Great feeling to cross the line. Finished 26.2 long miles in 3 hours 48 minutes 30 seconds. Very very happy.



Not too stiff. Even managed another 2 miles walking for breakfast, before finally ending up in the pub for a well deserved drink, putting faces to online friends too.

The weird thing to me was how good natured & friendly the entire day was. I usually run in complete tunnel vision mode.. Headphones on, picking off runners ahead of me.. Very aggressive & competitive, one aim, to finish & fast. This was completely different.. I was so relaxed, chatted to loads of people whilst running. With my name on my shirt, so many shouts and comments, my arms were tired from waving or thumbs up what felt like hundreds of times.. Ditto my cheeks from smiling and grinning so much to people. Alan & the RunLiverpool organisers did a great job putting the event on.
Big thanks must go to my rather large support team.... people at the gym, specifically Liam, Gill and especially Cath for her classes & personal training, Richard and the Marathon workshop team, Rebecca my chiropractor and Jill my physio.. and of course Mrs FRC for all her help, running and generally putting up with me for months just talking about running. It was just a wonderful day, everything I'd worked for coming off nearly perfectly and having an amazing experience at the same time.
Is this the last post of the Fit Running Cat? For this year likely. Will I do another marathon? Probably one or two next year... but that's another time, another post. If this post convinces someone else to do a marathon (especially Liverpool!) then my job is done.

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