London Sight Seeing Trip - The VLM 2011

The climax of my racing calender has been reached (groans & moans included)! Sunday was the London Marathon and both me & Emma joined 360000 others for great day out. Whilst the novelty value has slightly gone doing it a second time, the experience is still quite unique and should be marked as one of those significant moments in our lives. Just the size of it and the mass of support and the sense of occasion make this an event you should try to be part of some time.

Pre race we headed off to the Expo to collect our numbers and check out the running stuff. We had the kids with us and they had a ball running around getting free food and drink, playing on XBoxes and alike and joining in with the festival of running. We took the opportunity to meet the Adidas sports scientists and get our gait analysis done on their computer gadgets. Emma has the weirdest gait ever so it produced some useful information to apply after the marathon. Mine showed my right leg to be near perfect, but my left verging on severe over pronation. Further on, Emma and her cousin Rhona were sold some running socks by some more scientist types. I am not sure what they were supposed to add to their running but as both of them went on to get slower than usual times they can blame the socks! I opted for a high viz vest so I don't end up as roadkill whilst training in the summer. We also got our goody bag which includes a tempting can of beer.

Other race prep included wandering up Oxford Street where the kids were in shopping heaven and I was in hell, especially in that Hamley's Toy Shop which was overpriced and full of little brats and custody dads of the high income variety. I did enjoy the Nike Town store. It's beautifully laid out, almost like an art gallery but well stocked with everything Nike. So I tried on a pair of racing flats in size 12 as they are not readily available on the high street in that size. In fact they were too small and magnified my pronation issue severely. Whilst in there we bumped into some of the Ethiopian elite runners. The women were tiny. Saturday we headed to the Natural History Museum where we soon got bored and fed up of queueing, so we trekked over to the Diana Memorial Play Park at Kensington Gardens to meet out Cath and co for a picnic (Tesco's £2 meal deal).

THE RACE DAY - Having been caught in a rush last year we went down to Blackheath early on the 7.45a.m. from Charing Cross. If you can start that journey at Charing Cross then you should, as all the other stops enroute are packed and on later trains you just would not be able to get on. We arrived with over 90 minutes to spare but it was cool and dry so we just chilaxed! Eventually we went our seperate ways. Rhona to the Blue star with the Championship women, me to the Red 'Good for Age' pen and Emma to the Green Start which doubled up as the celebrity pen. Here she mingled with the stars and started her first 3 miles running with Will Young. My pen looked more like a scene from a prisoner of war camp. Lots of undernourished men caged in with hardly an ounce of fat on them. Chatting to one or two of them I realised that most were going to be sub 3 hour runners and I would be wise to stay behind them at the start. I did quite a bit of stretching here as my hamstrings were suffering from a spasm in my lower back. By the time the start came they were delicate but okay and I decided that as long as I didn't sprint they should warm up. Apart from dodging a few tossers who jumped in front of me, the start went well and over the line in 1 minute and 7.07 for the first mile. My target time was 3:05 and anything quicker would be a bonus, but the pace was quick and my first 7 miles were averaging a 3:00 pace. Then my GPS stopped working so I had to resort to the clock and my pace band which was a 3 hour pace (they didn't have a 3:05). I kept a good pace and slowed down a bit but not a lot and drank something at most of the water stops.

I was running for The Christie cancer charity and wore their vest with my name. I know some people find having their name called off putting, but I found it helpful towards the end of the race. At mile 20 I was tired and it was hot. The sun blazing made those showers a must. But as I went in, the cold/hot ccombo sent my hamstring in to a cramp. I'd been expecting it so I knew that the only thing to do is stop and stretch and go. It worked and so only 30 seconds max lost there. With 3 miles left I had not really been focussed on my pace, when I realised I was within 20 minutes of a sub 3 hour. Foolishly I decided to up it a gear and tried to crack it. Needless to say I quickly cramped up again, and again. The crowd gasped as I pulled up, but then really shout and scream encouragement to keep going, and when I did they were really giving it some. The last mile is just awful as people are collapsing all around, just minutes from finishing. I knew my family would be waiting just outside Buckingham Palace so I needed to stay in one piece to give them a wave and to look good for the finish. They were all there and it gave me a boost to finish well. 385 yards to go and the clock was turning 3:06 but with my 1 minute line crossing to factor in I was right on track for a 3:05. In fact 3:05.10 to be precise! Exactly 2 minutes off my PB.

Crossing the line is surreal. The volume of noise from the crowd is loud, but as you pass through those famous red finishing funnels it suddenly stops and you are stood amongst other runners looking dazed. It's how I'd imagine the scene to be after a bomb goes off. People in shock, disorientated, some collapsed, others in tears, some with bodily functions out of control and others just glad to be alive. It took me a 4 minutes to bring myself to move, because that's when Rhona came in looking slightly fed up with here 3:09. Not that she should be because she was still 11th in her age group despite not getting a pB.

We headed to the Horse Guards Parade to meet up with the The Christies lot and everyone else. Emma was still running but soon finished with a 3:53. Slightly slower than her pB but conditions were tough. She did enjoy it though and will have to do another marathon quicker to get a guaranteed good for age place next time. Will I do it again? I hope so but there are others I'd like to try too. Meanwhile my legs are in agony and it could be a couple of weeks before I run again.

Virgin London Marathon 2010: My tips for anyone running it in 2011

The VLM is probably one of the most discussed marathons around. Yet, as a runner looking for tips on how to run the course and how to deal with the many hurdles before you actually reach the starting line, finding that information is not as easy as you would expect. So here is my attempt to put that right based on my fantastic experience taking part in this event on Sunday past.

First of all, if you live a long journey away as I do in Scotlandshire I'd recommend arriving on Friday to allow yourself time to pick up your number and then spend your Saturday relaxing. Good weather allowed for me to picnic by the Thames with old friends and do all the sight seeing via their car. In other words, save your trip to Madame Tusauds for another day.

Exel at Expo is a lengthy tube and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trip. But as your are with other runners here is the first taste of the excitement that awaits. At this point of your training it is too late to do anything else and you have to walk into that place 100% confident that your race day plan is going to work. WHY? Because the minute you walk through the doors 100's of companies will be telling you why you need their product to improve your marathon time. Much of it is money for old rope and each stand is selling more or less the same products. Look around before you buy, as many of the same products are cheaper as I discovered after buying some new socks. Don't buy new gadgets for Sunday. The longest run of your year is no place to try them out and discover they rub or irritate you. Judging by the number of expensive running belts, gloves, hats and bottles discarded on route on the big day, I think some people found out the hard way. Get as much free stuff as you can, enjoy the occasion and get out of there. I went at 5pm on Friday and any concerns of big queues were unfounded. The number collection point is a seamless operation, over and done with in less tan 5 minutes.

Race day! The big day has arrived and once again BE 100% CONFIDENT IN YOUR RACE DAY PLAN. On the tube you will overhear conversations of nervous runners who seems so much more prepared than you. Ignore them as this is your race not theirs.

*Tip!: What to take with you? Virgin give you a huge kit bag to drop off on the trucks at the start. Put anything you like in there as it is big enough to put a small child in and utilise as a baby sitting service whilst you run. Some people regretted booking that extra night in a hotel as a place to leave their kit. If you travel light enough (e.g. a 30 liter rucksack) you should be able to get it all in this bag and head straight off to the train at the finish. Don't forget water, recovery gubbins, warm clothes and wet wipes.

Travel is slightly stressful, but remain calm as you will get there eventually. I was a Blue starter so the train went from Charing Cross. I say train and not tube as it is a real train.
*TIP!: At Charing Cross you will see the front end of Platform 6 is mobbed. Walk up Platform 5 to the opposite end, and cut through to the empty end of 6 and grab yourself a seat for the very overcrowded 20+ journey. Be warned it gets very warm on there.

On arrival at Blackheath, the first port of call is the loo. One failing of VLM is there are no loos around the tube stations, so the hold tight. The loos are plentiful but everyone makes a bee line for the nearest. Walk on and you will see loads more unused ones nearer the start. They now have urinals for men and women, and they were promoting the new gadget P-Matefor the women. The mind boggles!

*TIP!: Get in to your pen early. Not long before the start they allow the pens behind you to come forward and contaminate your area, so if you are not in there you will have slower runners in front of you who will slow you down and cause you to curse.

Off we go! Blue Pen 2 start took 30 seconds to get over the line. It was slow for the first 2 and then it thins out slightly. Where they merge with Red and Green, the road is wide enough for long enough for it to be fairly smooth and allow you to keep your pace. Maybe slower runners would find it more congested. It took me a while to realise that the double red lines on the road side are for traffic, and the broken double red line that is marked in the middle of the road is marking the shortest route for the marathon. Surprisingly few people seemed to follow it, so as best I could I did.

The crowd makes VLM more than a race and turn it into something special. It's their day too and they love it when runners show respect to them for turning up by simply saying thanks, giving the thumbs up to their cheers or high 5'ing the kids. get your name put on your vest and you will be guaranteed support...something you will appreciate as the struggle gets harder. I was running by a Macmillan charity runner when they passed the Macmillan support team. I reckon over 100 people cheered and screamed at this guy as he passed. It was quite uplifting for me, so he must have been floating. Take in the sights of people rather than the buildings. The route takes you through the diverse social makeup of London. Irish, Afro Caribbean, wealthy and city dwellings. Each area reflected by the music and smells to stimulate your senses as you run. I know we are there to run, but I found joining in with the laughs, appreciating the musicians and savouring it all took my mind off the monotony of long distance running. Running is largely a self centred affair, so here is an opportunity to take your eyes off your own misery and to relax a little. It's stating the obvious but if you are totally preoccupied and anxious with the technicalities of running, it is going to affect your performance. I kept thinking back to my long training runs where pace was not a concern and enjoying the run usually got good results. Apply this experience to the race day.

Technically the course is not an easy one. Lots of sharp turns and one or two short up and down stretches. Speed humps are a hazard as i discovered when I clipped one whilst looking at my watch and pace band. I also heard about one bloke who ran at pace into a sign. There are loads of water and Lucozade stations. It was slightly humid so I had some at most. Also there were 2 gel posts, so build that into your race plan if you can stomach them. Do be careful of the trip hazards caused by inconsiderate runners who leave their litter on the road. Why didn't they enjoy the fun of soaking the crowd as you chuck it to the side?
TIP!: You do not need to carry water with you. There is plenty on the route.

There are plenty of loos on route, so don't stress about that.

The finish line beckons. Milk this moment for all you can, but don't face the humiliation as one runner I spoke to did, of being beaten by a toilet in the last 100 meters. I had to work hard to beat that pesky lepricorn. Once through there is a slick operation to take your tag off, get your photo done and to prepare yourself for walking down civy street again. Don't forget to collect your bag of goodies and your kit bag. Once through all this enjoy the hero's welcome you get from the admirable crowd who are keen to congratulate you.

This was my second marathon and I wanted to finish feeling positive regardless of my time. If I am going to continue to enjoy running as a sport, then finishing well is important. My last marathon was a difficult finish and it took months to get motivated again. Part of that nightmare was not recovering well. I didn't eat or drink enough, so this time I had a bowl of pasta ready and lots of recovery sickly drink things, plus water and more food to munch on later. Force yourself to eat something as your body needs it to recover, even if you don't feel especially hungry.

So that's about it. My finish time was a PB of 3:07:10. I'm happy with that and know where I could bring it down a minute or 2 in the future. The main reason I improved was that I stuck with a pace and resisted getting drawn into somebody else's. Also, I trained, and despite what those retailers at Exel tell you, no gadget, new pair of trainers or running socks is going to compensate for hard work.