So today I did my first marathon and (possibly my only) London Marathon.

I want to thank lots of people for sending me messages during the run, so I apologise if I miss anyone.  All of you helped.  The text messages were coming through a little late, but that made no difference to the encouragement I got from them.  Just seeing the name of one of my family or buddies on my watch face was all that I needed at some points of the run.

Thanks especially to my brother Kerry, sister Nicky, and friend Richard.  I must have made your life difficult today, trying to keep track of me – especially in the last 10km/6miles.

As you probably know, I’ve been suffering with a poorly leg/foot for a little over a week.  Having run 14km on Tuesday to check it out, I was satisfied that I’d be okay for at least twice that distance (28km).  Trouble is, a marathon is three times that distance (42+km).

The first 14km went okay, with my good leg making up for the poor one.  The 2nd 14km was okay-ish, with everything aching but still going.  Got to about 32km, and then both legs wanted to quit.  Had to drop down to recovery walk in the hope that the legs would recover a little after a km or two of walking.

When the 4hr pacers went by, I tried to pick it up a gear to keep up with them, but my good leg had a definite and sudden wobbly.  I knew then that any attempt at going for a time would result in my good leg flaking out and a real likelihood of not finishing the distance, so I had to drop back down again.  The last 7km or so was a combination of walking and hobble-jogging.  35-38km was more walk than jog, but the final 5km or so was mostly all hobble-jog, so I can at least say I finished at a pace of some kind.

Extra thanks to my friends Jenni and Sandra who both came along to cheer me on at two places, and then helped peel me off the pavement at the end so I didn’t have to navigate the crowds and train timetables by myself.  And to Brian for looking after Summer today, and for the carb-replenishment KFC for evening dinner.  Marathon day is one day you don’t worry about calories!

Additional thanks to my family who I understand are arranging a nice memento of the day, so I can remember and relive the agony — I mean, the enjoyment — of the London Marathon.  You guys are awesome!

Thank-you to the Bexley AC supporters who apparently saw me, but I didn’t see them (I was in too much agony by then, I think).  And to Paul Dallison who I saw, but who apparently didn’t see me (looked like he was fiddling with his phone or something rather more important than a poor lowly struggling marathon runner. Lol.).
Was fun to start the day with parkrun volunteers at the bag-drop.  Sorry we couldn’t stick around longer and help out a little more, but it turned out to be the right time to go and find the blue start, dropping off my own bag, and getting ready to run.

It was great when getting home to see the Facebook messages and conversations.  Reads like some people had fun while I was pounding London’s streets.

Finish time was 04:31:35 for 42.76km (which, I believe, is about a half-km longer than a 42.195km marathon distance, so really it would have been under 4h 30m – well, that’s what I’m telling myself!).

That’s done. I’m a marathon runner (kind of), and whatever else I achieve as my running improves, I can say I’ve done the London Marathon. Thanks to everyone who helped get me through this!