Month: September 2022

Lessons Learned – Marathon Journey

Chapter 2

Definite need to add Chapter 2 to my Marathon Journey. After the great success of my last blog – culminating in somewhere in the region of 1 comment (thanks Laura T !) I feel it is only fair to update you all . So as ever the whole reason for running the London Marathon is in memory of the amazing person that was Laura Stephenson. No amount of running could ever equal the strength and courage she showed throughout her illness. So every step of the way in races and the solitary running along the country lanes, avoiding dogs that snap at your heels, moving from one side of the lane when blind bends are encountered and waving politely at cars that zoom past within a few inches of me as I dive into the hedge, I know she is there saying – “Go on Dad, you can do this !” And for some reason every time I write that I have difficulty seeing – no idea why !!!

So running along the lanes listening to Frank Turner tunes, (that was the last gig we went to together), I decided really I should get another half marathon (for previous Half Marathon see Chapter 1) run to experience running with others as oppose to crawling along on my own etc. Enter The Big Half Marathon in London!

After carefully checking the temperature isn’t going to exceed 40 degrees and the percentages are there will be more of a certain age category running I decide to enter. Begin to slightly worry when I get an email from ‘The Big Half’ saying – “Great News; Mo Farah and Eilish McColgan are running with you in The Big Half ! Mmmmmmm don’t think they will be running “with” me but I get the gist !!

After my experience in the Richmond Park Half Marathon, I begin to think maybe I should change my diet of a coffee for breakfast and sometimes an evening meal when I feel hungry ! So a big change in diet with ‘Power Muesli’ for breakfast, ‘Can’t Beet Me Smoothie’, Warrior Drink and ‘Pesto Pasta with Sardines” I’m ready for the challenge.

Staying overnight in Stevenage, with Emily and Ben it’s an easy journey into London and Tower Bridge. Give myself plenty of time as occasionally, only very occasionally I’m a bit rushed – Not this time !!! A lift to the Station and I’m there standing on the platform at 7:50 waiting for the 08:05 direct train into London. Takes 20 minutes into London so plenty of time to hand my bag in and be at the there for a 10:10 start from just past Tower Bridge. At 08:05 an announcement over the tannoy, “The 08:05 train has been cancelled and due to delayed works on the line there will be no trains running until at least 09:00.

In the meantime, my family who are coming to support me and watch the event have travelled much later, gone a different route and at 09:20 are standing by Tower Bridge waiting to see me. At 09:25 Im still stood at Stevenage on Platform 3, dressed in my running kit, number on my vest, discussing the merits of British Rail with anyone who cares to listen ! Some 25 mins later, at 9:50 a train decides to pick up the prospective passengers off Platform 3. At Kings Cross I hop on the tube, totally relaxed ! I remove my tracksuit bottoms whilst travelling on the tube to Tower Bridge, totally oblivious to the looks I was getting from fellow passengers. Well to be honest not totally oblivious but by this time, I just didnt care ! Thankfully my ‘entourage’ met me at the exit of the tube station. Some 25 minutes after ‘all’, and I mean ‘ALL’ of the runners had started I discuss with the guy collecting the bags of the runners which way to go to the start. “Just go up round that bend, straight over Tower Bridge and the start is just down there !”

As I jog relatively quickly round the bend, I realise that his “just” and my “just” may not quite have the same meaning. I weave in and out of the crowds on Tower Bridge as they watch the whole posse of runners running across the Bridge. When I say the whole posse what I really mean is all but one ! I’m busy running in the opposite direction to try to find the start. The runners that I am now running past waving really politely at me as if to say – “Errrrr you’re running in the wrong direction !”

The runners after 6 miles ( I thought they’d just started !

This is what Tower Bridge looked like to me as I ran in the opposite direction ! I’m somewhere near the 3rd lampost on the left !!

A new definition of “just round the bend” is clearly now about a “mile down the road” ! So by the time I reach the Start arch, there are no competitors in sight just some pretty bored marshalls. At this point I just presumed i should keep running under the Start Arch and just keep running. I passed a marshall who was clearly important as he held a walkie talkie in his hand, I heard him say ” The last runner is just coming through, Number 10885 ! For some very strange reason I looked down at my chest and realised that the number was in fact mine !

I now know what Forrest Gump felt like. I just ran. No other runners in sight, just marshalls looking slightly bemused and smiling. Running along what is normally a very busy road in London totally on your own is quite an unnerving experience. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if they had opened the road! The slogan for the London Marathons, both the Big Half and The Full London Marathon is “We run as One” How did they know that I was !!! Just one runner !

A very busy underpass

Running along a road on your own is strange – running through a long underpass is just weird!!! I did resist the temptation to just shout “ECHO” at the top of my voice. Eventually I did actually catch up 2 other runners after about 2 or 3 miles. They too had been held up and together we ran the whole Half Marathon

For those teachers amongst you the two photo photos are great examples of compare and contrast experiences – On the left is mine and on the right is 14,000 other runners !

Eventually I managed to catch up on a few other runners and actually enjoyed the company of my two fellow runners.

After a somewhat strange start, the end was brilliant and overall it was a great experience. The encouragement from those who stayed was great. It did seem a long way and I did think to myself – “Can I really now run it all again – ie A Big Half x 2 !!!!! Scary – Time will tell very shortly !

But with you alongside me – Sunday here we come – and Chapter 3 – still time to donate

Thank you of course to all of you who have donated to such an amazing charity Your generosity is absolutely brilliant – Thank you so much

BowelcancerUk are the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. They fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.   Above all they are here to stop people dying of bowel cancer.

There’s nowt clever about running ! Chapter 1

So many of you will know that I have decided to run the London Marathon 2022 in aid of Bowelcanceruk and in memory of Laura. There’s no effort or blog on earth that could do justice to Laura and the amazing person that she was. So this blog, the next two blogs and all of my running hours are of course dedicated to Laura and her 3 beautiful daughters.

Way back in July 2021 I decided upon this marathon journey (- see what I did there ! ). I contacted Bowelcanceruk and asked if it was possible to run the London Marathon in aid of Bowelcanceruk and in remembrance of Laura. They soon came back and said I could apply and they would let me know if I was successful in a month or so. To be honest at that time I had no idea of the challenge or commitment that it would involve – I just knew that I wanted to do something that would focus attention to the issues surrounding bowel cancer and of course try to bring Laura’s amazing life to the forefront. Id previously written a few blogs about it,- can be found here on earlier blogs; had a book published available on Amazon – ‘Nobody Said It Would Be Easy‘ – also available at other well known publishers !!!

Run a few miles – what could be difficult about that ???

So just over 12 months ago I heard that I had a place in The London Marathon 2022 for Bowelcanceruk. Must admit I just thought – Yeah that’s good a few months of running occasionally and ‘job’s a good ‘un’ I then heard from Bowel Cancer that the Marathon had been put back to October 2022 instead of April 2022 and was that still ok ? “Mmmmmm now let me think about that one – not sure if Im doing something then ! ” Yeah ok that’s fine – after all it gives me more time to train; and even more time to put off training. !!! So back last October I started to go to Parkruns on Saturday more regularly – not every week you understand – don’t want to overdo it !! Probably twice or three times a month.

Comments were coming in saying ” Hows the training plan coming on ? ” ” How often are you running?”

Training plan – mmmmm I must get one of those ! ………. ‘Great thanks – Yeah really good. Doing bits and pieces. Fit the runs in when I can.’ – which really meant once a week ish ! I put my Just Giving page up justgiving/fundraising/mikebarnes3 and I quite cheerfully agreed to raising £2,500 but as the date got closer, I started to fear that I wouldn’t make it. I needn’t have worried as friends and family soon began to donate. To be honest, I think it was more in remembrance of Laura’s inspiration than for my attempt, but I can live with that!  I must admit I was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and family – just amazing – so in case I forget in all these ramblings – THANK YOU SO MUCH for your generosity and beautiful words.

So Id put on my running kit – bought for me by my 2 daughters for my birthday cos they said I needed ‘proper kit!’ and off I’d go round the block, which in itself was quite strenuous so i really felt I was training. I’d got my Bowel Cancer vest and i was running – sorted !

I, of course, didn’t change my diet or alcohol input ( not that it was excessive you understand just once every now and then) – or anything really. So from May onwards I would go out probably about once a week, as well as a park run and feel “it’s a long way off really”

‘How are you doing with your training?’ – “Yeah good thanks – mine’s a pint and a bowl of chips !”

In July I accepted the invite to a training session at Bowel Cancer UK offices in London, noticing that there was a half marathon around Richmond Park on the Sunday – What could go wrong ? Great idea ! So I signed up for the Richmond Park half marathon. How was I to know that this weekend would be the hottest weekend on record !!!! Training session was excellent – of course

Airbnb booked right next to the park – Arrived at the Airbnb Saturday night – hottest day ever – in the smallest room ever- with the smallest bed ever ! Checked out the course – quick call into the pub – job’s a good’en ! Up early, no breakfast – oops, and walked to the park.Arrived at the course with the rest of the runners that looked like they all belonged to an 18 – 35 club ! Advice from home – “Look out for someone else with grey hair and follow ( note the positivity – not run ‘with’ but ‘follow’ them). There wasn’t anyone with grey hair ! In fact they all had only just left high school ! And it was getting very warm – in fact it was b***** hot ! Of course it didn’t help when I fell over a tree root and went sprawling; cutting my elbow, my knee and bruising my chin ! “Are you ok ?” asked the youths of Richmond Park gathered around me with a look on their faces of extreme pity and thoughts such as “Should this old man really be running?” “I’m fine thanks but thanks for stopping; I’ll see you at the finish !” I said laughing and grimacing at the same time.

At the end of the second lap, it was now evident that this was one of the hottest days ever in the history of the world ! and I was absolutely done in ! “You can just finish now if you want to and go to First Aid.” said the marshal at the end of the second lap, “Are you ok?” – “I’m fine but no thanks I’ll finish the run first” I replied again with a speck of optimism and blood dripping down my arm. To say I struggled after the second time round the park some 14 km, would be an understatement and Id still got a lap to go.

The third lap was really interesting as it was a bit of a race between me and the marshals clearing all the barriers and bollards away over who was going to get to the finish first !

I think they won !

Anyway finish I did ! – Go to the first aid tent I did! – Dehydrated I was ! But I did get the highly prized accolade of coming first in my age category ………………. – stop it !!!!!! Oh alright then I was the only one !

You really don’t want to see what I looked like – haha

Lesson learned – I need to start taking this a little bit more seriously – food, drink, refreshments, life style – Oh my goodness my body will not know what’s hit it , after years of no breakfasts, chip suppers, beer, and late nights ! (Sounds worse than it was but you get the drift !) Still it had to be done !

Looking forward to the new life style and The Big Half Marathon in London – surely, surely, it’ll be fine – I mean what could possibly go wrong ??