Eights week on from finishing the 2018 London Marathon (yes finishing... is correct), I can now finally describe it as more or less like the whole process of giving birth, in my experience anyway.
It's taken me a while to come to terms with the whole experience, which is why I have been a little slow updating "Running Antics", but here I am with some kind of garbled analogy and account and belated thanks to my wonderful fellow runners, supporters and sponsors.
Anti Marathon training - as in antenatal classes
I prepared and trained so hard, read all the books, did all the required exercises, runs, ate well, planned and plotted for the big event. Was nervous, excited and apprehensive in equal measures. Counting down the days, crossing off the training runs - wanting the big day to arrive and not arrive at the same time. But I was ready, what could possibly go wrong? I could run 22.6 miles without stopping - what was another 4 miles after that. I had my team with me, runners, supporters, experts, non experts - but all enthusiastic and of course routing for me and team Ella every step of the way.... 🎶🎶 "Are you with me, are you with me?" 🎶🎶 "hell Jo, yes we are, of course we are".
Sunday April 22nd 2018, Marathon Day - as in going into labour
We emerged from our hotel at 7.30 am, blinking at the brightness of the early morning sunshine, just dressed in minimal running kit. No hats, gloves, running jackets, hoodies or anything remotely resembling our familiar winter training kits. Yes folks, we were about to run 26.2 miles and it was going to be HOT, in fact the hottest London Marathon on record and we had done all our training through the long cold hard 2017/18 winter. We nervously laughed and joked about how lucky we were not to be hanging around at the start in rain, wind and cold weather. Ha, that might have been quite enjoyable in comparison to what we were about to put ourselves through......
The heat was unbelievable from the moment we started and got more intense the closer we got to London as the crowds, the high buildings and the exhaustion escalated to unprecedented levels of agony. At one point I thought my feet were going to explode with heat.....
8 miles in, all my training and planning left me, or maybe they never started with me. A bit like saying "natural child birth for me please", smugly during antenatal classes, only to scream and plead for an epidural minutes into entering the labour room! My planned mantras, steady pace, fuelling plans may as well have never existed. Just like labour contractions all I could do was hang on and ride each long hard hot mile and hope at some point the end would come.
The whole event was utterly overwhelming for me - I had so been wanting to enjoy the experience, but found the heat, noise, crowds and intensity just to much at times. Don't get me wrong, the supporters are unbelievable and relentless in their support - cheering and shouting every runner on, even me, "Go Jo" was standard for me - with "Jo" emblazoned across the front of my t shirt. "Not far to go now" - "well you bloody well run the last few miles for me then" was all I wanted to shout back if I had had the energy....
I did finally stumble across the finish line - with no sense of elation or even relief, numb with exhaustion and sad already that it hadn't been the glorious experience I had imagined and dreamt about.
Dizzy and faint, I dropped to the ground, only to be picked up two wonderful paramedics who walked me to the first aid tent, stopping to pick up my goody bag and make me drink the included bottle of Lucozade. I did try to say "but I don't drink Lucozade", but they didn't seem like ladies to argue with and of course they were right. As I sipped the sugary drink, I could feel energy seeping through my exhausted body.
My baby was my medal - just as unfamiliar, heavy and precious. It weighed heavily round my neck as I staggered off to find my fellow runners and wonderful supporters. To be fair, we all seemed to be in the same fairly catatonic state (well the runners anyway), not quite realising or sure of what we had done and able to only faintly mutter "that was so awful/hot/long/hard/hideous" or any other number of expletives.
BUT WE ALL DID IT - including me, and that has taken all this time to really come to terms with......
The DWW's came not long after - just 2 or 3 and more hugs and back slapping than I seem to remember from having babies, though less presents. Sleep was about the same as the night after child berth, patchy and shaky with my body still wired and firing on adrenalin. Muscles jumpy, alert and in shock at what they had been made to do - they were looking for some kind of a wind down party they couldn't find.
Since April 22nd 2018, as in post natal period
An emotional roller coaster of recovery, from physically recovering (not too many aches and pains to report, unlike childbirth - yeuk, and far less blood and I was able to sit down!!!), missing the discipline of the training plan (well actually relief as well) and training stories from fellow runners, through to being able to go out for short runs and running for the sheer pleasure of just running.
Emotionally, mostly learning to realise that it was an amazing achievement to have completed 26.2 miles. Many didn't on that long hot day.
I swore to Sophie after the event "never, ever again", but am sure I said that after giving birth to Ella and of course I went back for one more baby and got my precious Sophie. I think it's called the halo effect, forgetting the levels and intensity of pain overtime. The brain forgets pain quickly - so maybe, just maybe I have got one more marathon in me. New York - 2020 anyone?😱😆
I will be older (for sure) and maybe wiser, knowing that no matter hard you train, you still need a lot of things to go in your favour on the day, things that might not be in your control like the weather, ones health (I still had the remnants of a vile cold and cough lingering in my system), and emotional capacity to cope. There will also be the experience and knowledge to draw on from running one before and like childbirth that helps - a bit, till the pain hits and you think "oh no............what on earth made me do this again, "epidural NOW and stop this pain".
For the record.
1. We raised somewhere in the region of 37k for Teenage Cancer Trust and the money is still coming in. Ella would be very faintly amused and pleased
2. It took me 5 hours and 33 minutes to complete the marathon, 34 minutes longer than I had hoped for. But I did complete it and many weren't so fortunate
3. I did not have an epidural during either Ella or Sophie's birth - but survived on gas and air, lovely stuff
4. I have not touched Lucozade since the marathon
5. I ran the Bristol 10K a few weeks later over 5 minutes faster than last year.
Some of favourite photos from the big day
I love this girl Clare Ace (CJ) SO MUCH - she is a marathon legend and all around best friend. Loved our training runs - please run with me again💗
The full team of Ella runners - Mark, Dan, Ben, Jim, Andy, CJ, Georgina and moi! 8 of us beauties. We all completed it and raised so much money. Thank you💓💪
With my medal - three cups of tea down and a bag of crisps! TCT looked after us so well after the event, with an amazing venue for runners and supports to meet in. Thank you TCT😀
Most of our amazing supporters on the day. We could not have done it without them. The screamed and yelled and sweated in the sun. I love each and every single one of you. You know who you are, those in the photo and not. Thank you, thank you from the bottom and top of my heart. 💔
With my number one supporter. This babe achieved so much more than me - by making it to London to cheer me on. Love you Sophie Redman. New York 2020?????💖
My main man and training partner. So many long cold runs along that bloody tow path....how many times did you fall over? Effortless and so fast, this man is a natural runner 💚💜
With my fab twin brothers - who trained and ran with me - they are so wonderful and achieved so much, we were a few drinks in by the time this picture was taken. My Dad carries a copy everywhere and tells everyone he meets that had three children running the 2018 London Marathon 😜
Full team (except Ben) showing off our medals down the Leman Tavern. Oh what a night, oh what a run.......😚
So much love at around 22 miles - couldn't get enough of this girl and Team Ella at this point 💙💚💛💜💓
