London - Done... Next...

London, six years in the making.

Everything was damn near perfect... except the weather.  As regular readers know I'm a cold weather runner, and heat takes it out of me more than most other things.

For 20 miles it was to the plan, through 13 in 2:33, through 20 in 4:05...

To say I was focused would be an understatement, the run walk was programmed in and was being turned out like a running metronome. I almost missed the Cutty Sark because I was in the zone and the crowds were rather large at that point...

Tower Bridge was the MOMENT, the one that I admit to dreaming of... Running up the ramp, knowing the bridge was under my feet, knowing that this was the magic.

Over the Thames, and turn right down to Canary Wharf - that series of monuments to high finance, before looping back to head down past the Tower of London, dropping to the Embankment and along to the Mall.

Sounds easy... But what makes it special is the people; the people who knew me as me (thank you all, its not an easy job) and the people supporting the runners because we are slightly potty and the vast majority of the runners (not the plonkers who barged through and took my water bottles out of my hand). 

Seeing friends on the course is a near novel experience on my long runs, hell seeing more than ten people in total is a novelty on some of my runs and indeed races - the back of the pack can be a lonely place at times.  So the lift at 8 miles, around Canary Wharf, and twice in the last few miles was appreciated.  Especially, in those last few miles...

I stopped sweating, I simply could not replace the liquid coming out with liquid going in.  So I slowed down, I dropped down to a level where I wasn't burning up.  The last ten km took an hour and a half - not terrible for the last 10 of a marathon for me.  But I couldn't quite keep it under 5:30 - a 5:34:6 is a 12 min PB - almost 30s a mile.  I'll take that on a hot day...

A special word of thanks to my running partner in crime - Kieran - he prefers hotter runs and took something like 30 min off his PB and finished with a bigger smile on his face than I did... We didn't do bad for a GUCH and a ex-GUCH heart transplant recipient...



And if there was ever any doubt about how seriously I take my times - a photo of me crossing the line, you'll spot the others with their hands in the air... and me studiously looking at my Garmin...

So, do I want to do London again... Yes, and maybe next time I'll release the control just slightly and enjoy the sights and sounds a bit more.  However, that all depends on the ballot...

So what to do with three and a half months training, some people will quite rightly throwing their trainers in the bin and never running again.  But the last six years have convinced me I do quite like this sort of madness.  So next is a walking challenge - the Fellsman, I have no idea if we'll finish it - 60 miles, 11,000ft of ascent is tough - and the cut off for the times may not be met.  And then the Rock and Roll Marathon in Liverpool.

A final thank you to all those who've sponsored me, or left nice words on Facebook, Twitter by email of through CHF - that what I do is worth some of your hard earned cash, or has inspired or helped others means as much as that cold hard medal... That I will stop stroking sometime soon...

TTFN

Paul


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