Yesterday I raced and finished the London Marathon for the first time, it was the hottest on record with heights of 24 degrees. It required pure grit to make it in sub-3 hours, I completed it in 2.59.31. I am proud but you know a bit tired now.
It all feels like a dream, one of those dreams that’s twisted and disturbing but also deep and moving. Without the support of Lucy, my family, friends, the GoodGym Cheer Squad and the 100,000’s of people lining the course I don’t think 2.59.31 yesterday would have been possible.
Race day started as ever with early morning porridge, tea and putting on my race suit of a GG Vest, short shorts, Adidas trainers and a hat. As I headed to London Bridge on the bus, we picked up more and more runners at each stop, the anticipation was building. On my journey I’d looked at an updated forecast, something I’d been keeping an eye on all week, it was going to be hot, humid and no cloud cover. I told myself as I was warming up my original target of 2.49 wasn’t possible, I’d have to race the conditions and hold on as long as possible.
At 9.45am I got into the Good For Age Pen, surrounded by mostly club male runners going for sub-3 hours – people exchanged pacing aims and race plans – with 5 minutes to go a plane flew over the start with a sign saying something like “Good luck everyone, Jesus loves you!” I’m never sure how to take those things so just went back to focusing on being in the moment, in that pen, after all my hard training – I was ready.
Hitting 10am we were away, you could feel the energy and buzz in the runners – the anticipation, the power but also the nervousness. I settled into my pace and ticked away the first 5km in 20.04, I was on target but man this was already hard in the heat – the effort to maintain 4.00/km pace was higher than anything in training.
Every water station was carnage, instead of the normal race format of perhaps 50-60% of people taking a bottle, everyone was taking a bottle – thank you to the volunteers for their hard work. I reached 10km in 39.53, still on pace and took on my first gel – damn did I need it. At this point it was just before 11am and it must have been nearly 20 degrees, at least it felt like that.
I kept focusing on being in the moment, pushing thoughts of work, my clients racing or whatever else out of my mind. I concentrated on my form, driving my arms back, keeping straight back and picking my legs up.
> Form = Focus
I saw my first supporters between 13-15km – first Andy Howie and then Stephen Corry standing in the middle of road with the GoodGym flag – “Go PB!” he called – that gave me a huge smile – as thousands of runners ran past Stephen on either side of him, he stood there happy as larry with a big old red flag! Most of the route at this point, around Greenwhich and Deptford I barely knew, this wasn’t my London but it was BUSY – people having a morning beer and others shouting things like “Your nearly there” at 7 miles (sorry mate but fuck off).
I maintained my pace and sprayed water all over me as much as I could. Next I saw Imogen & Amy cheering, followed by Sophie & Jess. Each pocket of personalised support become a target to reach and acknowledge. Focus on them, try to make it look like this isn’t really REALLY HARD!
Around 18km we were climbing over bridge, and I could see the Shard. That was big boost, I knew I was heading in the right direction, heading towards the river and Lucy & family at Tower Bridge. As I pushed on over bridge I made my way to the left hand side where they’d be, I egged on the crowds and was feeling pretty good.
I saw my parents and Lucy, I knew exactly where they’d be – I shouted out I love you, grabbed a bottle from my mum and kept pushing on with the boost they’d given me. I’d passed 20km, it was second gel time but my pocket zip had got stuck, it took over five attempts and lots of frustration to get that gel into me – it was worth it though!
I hit halfway at 1.25.05, still on target for 2.50/51 – just had to hold it. But I couldn’t hold it, I could feel the sun draining me as I approached the Action Duchenne charity team and then Axel, Cas, Danny & Will. They both gave me huge roars, high-fives and love. I needed all of it but it wasn’t enough to hold off the sun. Without a cloud in sight the only short relieve was the occasional shade, showers and water stations.
You know how in Star Wars ‘The Force Awakens’, the First Orders death star like weapon takes power from the sun to charge up and then destroy planets, well it felt like the London sun was sucking all the energy from me and the runners around me and using that power to pierce us ever more relentlessly.
Just after 15 miles I saw my friend Emma running in front of me with her strong form, I ran alongside her blurted “Hey Emma”, she replied with “HEY PAUL, you are doing well!”. Over the next 2 miles we ran stride for stride around the Isle of Dogs and into Canary Wharf. I tried to copy her form and power (Emma is the Hayle Runner pictured below to the left). I’d pulled in my target time to 2.55, that would still be good!
My GPS was going all over the place with distance, it was at least half a km over the distance from halfway – does that make sense. So it would say I was at 21.6km but I was actually at 21.1km. It was hard to do mental maths while trying to maintain the effort of Marathon Pace, which now I clearly wasn’t running… As we climbed up a bridge somewhere around 19 miles Emma left me, I couldn’t maintain it. BUT I knew Tracey, Axel, Will, Cas & Danny would be just round the corner. I focused on making it to them looking like I was still running strong – arms, posture, stride – GO!
I hit 20 miles in around 2.12, around 3 minutes slower than plan but I was still doing this, I was passing people that were walking at this stage. The crowds were roaring but I was being cooked up, like an Australian BBQ!
After watching London Marathon for the last three years at the 14/21 mile point I’ve always imagined running along the Wapping/Shadwell bypass towards Tower Bridge and the finish. As I did I knew I was slowing down, people were passing me, mentally I somehow coincided that 2.56/57/58 was fine and it was going to happen, I’d lost 2.55.
I began to refocus on the approach to 23 miles, this was just over 5km out and I needed to know how close it was gonna be to sub-3. My target of sub-2.50 had slipped by miles back, 2.55 seemed like a dream gone by but man I couldn’t not do sub-3. I focused, corrected my form and began picking people off in the last 5km. I said to myself in these moments “You need to start running now Paul if you are going to make it!” This was well passed midday, the sun was high in the sky and was unforgiving in it’s persistence.
As I came along the embankment the marathon party was going on all around me, I could see Somerset House in the distance, it was 2 miles away, around 14 minutes of running at my current pace. That’s where as the picture below shows, the huge GoodGym cheer squad was located, Mile 25. They were my aim, my focus. As I hammered on down the Thames I passed Emma and few others, but mostly people were passing me. My effort levels were very high, I’d engaged my reserves but I didn’t want to kick yet – I could still blow up!
I passed under a bridge and boom to my right there was Somerset House, where were they, I needed them. I looked up to see red banners, I couldn’t see any, I looked down and bang there were 40+ amazing people in red cheering my name. The only person I could identify out of them all was Lucy, I smiled with the knowledge she was there! I pointed at them, they roared back, I powered on, they kept cheering, I saluted them and carried the energy they’d given me for the last 1.2 miles.
Coach Joel had said the new Met Police building was exactly a mile to go, it was now or never, do or die. 1 Mile to go, ahhh push, 1km to go, ahhhhhh push, 600 METRES, 400 METRES! This shit was scary, I was powering, I didn’t want to have to sprint, I knew it would break me. 200 metres to go and I knew I had it, 2.59.31.
I crossed the line pleased I was alive, had finished and made it under 3 hours. The more I’ve thought and talked about it the more I realise what an achievement it was to hold sub-3 hours, another day I could have done 8-10 minutes faster. I am proud and will continue to take a lot from the experience.
Thank you to everyone who supported me on the day and messaged me words of encouragement. I had over 70 messages to get through when I got my phone from the bagging area – lovely to see. Particular thanks go to Lucy, my family (above), GoodGym Cheer Squad and everyone else I know cheering me on in such brutal conditions. Each cheer made me a minute faster!
A couple of things I’ve learnt from the day/experience:
- You have to manage your expectations in adverse conditions, I did this well enough considering but could/should have perhaps gone through halfway a minute slower.
- Experience does matter – I’ve been running races for 8 years now. Without each training session, each hot day, each mental battle, every one of those days running to Paris in 2014 or the whole experience of Kenya – I wouldn’t have got there. yesterday. I needed every ounce of strength, depth and experience to make sub-3.
- I am happy and pleased that I am capable of even running and finishing a marathon. Unfortunately I’ve seen the sad news that Matt Campbell, a Masterchef contestant, has died after passing out in the marathon yesterday. All my best to his family and friends.
- In my eyes everyone who runs a marathon is an absolute hero, the people doing 5-6 hours plus are truly brave souls. What they did yesterday was a lot harder than what I did.
- Training vs On the Day. I was the most prepared I’ve ever been for a race, I’d achieved a 1.17 half marathon twice, a 2.07 marathon pace 20 miler and most training weeks were 100km+ in the build up. But I couldn’t prepare for that heat and humidity in the winter we’ve had. It came down to the day as much the training I’d put in.
Cheers all. I’m off to drink a beer and play xbox.
PB out.
PB in Kenya 