Finished!!

Post race with Dad outside Buckingham Palace

The race has been run. There was no blood, a LOT of sweat and nearly a few tears at the end, but what a fantastic experience. I managed to haul myself over the finish line in a time of 3:58:08, beating the target of 4 hours which I'd set.

View my official timings on the London Marathon website

After arriving at the start with 45 minutes to kill, it was good to meet up with my friend Al who was also running and chat about last minute preparations and tactics(!). Upon taking to the starting pens I chatted to a few other runners and compared training regimes and expectations for the race. It was a comfort to speak to so many others who were also taking part in their first marathon; all with the same feeling of butterflies in the stomach, yet looking forward to the challenge and raising money for their individual causes.

The first few miles were quite congested (actually, so was most of the race), so getting the pace right was a little tricky to start with. What struck me straight away were the crowds lining the streets immediately after the start line. Small children leant over railings and held out their hands in anticipation of receiving 'high fives' from the runners, to which I obliged. After weaving through Woolwich and turning back towards Greenwich, we joined up with runners from the other starting points and the field effectively doubled in size. Just through the 5 mile marker I passed the Masai Warriors in their full dress carrying shields and spears, and at 6.5 miles I rounded the Cutty Sark and caught my first glimpse of Dad, brother John with his wife Mary, and my friend Richard.

Just after rounding the Cutty Sark

From there it was a 10 mile run until our next scheduled rendezvous on the Isle of Dogs. In the meantime I passed Batman and Spiderman, paid a visit to the bushes at the side of the road, and traversed Tower Bridge before heading down towards Limehouse and turning right onto the Isle of Dogs. I stuck to my game plan of running for an hour and then walking for 2 minutes, despite the urge to keep running at the first walking point. This obviously worked out well! The second meeting point was just past the speed camera(!) at 16.5 miles, and as you can see from the photo, we'd had a bit of a drowning by then. The heavens opened for about 25 minutes and everyone got a good drenching, but it wasn't unpleasant.

16.5 down, less than 10 to go!

For the next few miles we wound our way through Canary Wharf and the rest of the high rise buildings, before heading out past Billingsgate Fish Market and up towards the 19 and 20 mile points. Around this part of the course the crowds significantly thinned out and the race became noticeably quieter. In hindsight this was probably the lull before the storm, as soon the number of spectators began to build once more in anticipation of the last few miles. My final intersection with my own personal support team came around the 21 mile marker as we passed Limehouse and started to head back towards Tower Bridge. At the 13 mile and 22 mile points, the course runs parallel for about 1 mile and I got to glimpse some of the other runners making their way through the miles. At this point there were a lot of participants walking, jogging or just looking worn out, although there were also a noticeable number of runners in fancy dress costumes slowly eating up the course.

Once I hit the 22.5/23 mile section my legs began to feel the toll of the day. Although my breathing and health were all in check, I started to get sensations of cramps every now and then trying to get hold of my muscles and stunt my progress. At this point there's nothing for it but to grit your teeth and think 'left foot in front of right foot - and repeat'. I knew as long as I kept doing that, then even if I was putting in 10 minute miles I'd still finish within my target of sub 4 hours. The crowds along that last section of the route were incredible, measuring at least half a dozen deep along the side of the road. When there's that many people cheering you on coupled with the reason you're running the marathon in the first place (this was for you Mum), there's absolutely no way that you're going to stop running, short of someone physically removing you from the race. And there was no way I was going to let the Pink Panther beat me, whom I passed with around 1 mile to go.

On the final corner past Buckingham Palace the finish line came into sight and with one final push I made it across to the roars of the crowd in the grandstands lining the Mall. At that moment everything hits you. I'd finished the London Marathon. I'd hit my target and run a sub 4 hr time. I'd raised over £3,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, and I'd made Mum proud.

With friend Al, just after finishing

So, the big question: Would I do it again?

Yes, but give me a couple of days to recover first!!

A HUGE thank you for everyone who sponsored me to run in this years marathon. With your generosity I've raised in excess of £3,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. I know they really appreciate your donations as well.

And don't forget, if you haven't yet had a chance to make a donation it's still not too late. My justgiving website page is open for another 60 days.

See you next year!?

Chris P

Day 132 - 24 hours to go!

It's official. In less than 24 hours the London Marathon 2008 will have started and I'll be making my way from the top of Greenwich Park towards Woolwich.

You can view an interactive map of the route here: http://www.rwpromo.co.uk/flm_map2008.html

This week has been full of short 5 mile or 20 minute jogs. I've just got back in from a 15 minute jog this morning - slightly diminutive when compared to the 26.2 miles ahead of me tomorrow! I'm looking forward to the run, especially the finish line(!), but talking to past runners, it's vital not to get carried away with the atmosphere and start too quickly. All I have to do is keep to the same schedule as training and I'll finish in under 4 hours. The main goal is still to just complete it. I don't think anyone who has been kind enough to sponsor me will mind what time I finish it in.

Look out for number 46825 (that's me!), with my bright green Macmillan running vest on, and CHRIS P written across the top.

So it's with a bag packed full of nutritional goodies for before, during and after, as well as a few nerves, that I set off out of the door...

Wish me luck!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 126 - 1 week to go!

Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it.
Dedication's what you need - if you want to be a record breaker!

As you can see from the picture, I was out putting in my 10 mile run this morning despite the heavy snowfall. I'd put off starting my run until after having watched Match Of The Day, so that I could see Newcastle put 3 past Reading (got to make the most of our good run!). By 8:30 the snow had been falling for 30 minutes and the ground was getting covered. It seemed that I was the first brave soul to be out in the blizzard, with only my footprints breaking up the white carpet that had been laid on the roads and pavements. Only on the main roads was there any sign of life or traffic. Looking out of the window now, having showered and warmed up, the scene looks beautiful. More winter than spring though! (I thought this was April?) As it was quite slippery on the run, I decided to take things fairly easily - I didn't want to be picking up an injury with only a week to go until the marathon. This was bourne out in my finishing time of 1:27:55 for the 10 miles, so just a couple of minutes under 9 minute mile pace - not too bad really. Even if I kept to that pace next Sunday I'd still finish in under 4 hours.

Here's to keeping warm for the rest of the day. Plenty of time to think about final preparations for next weekend!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 121

Less than 2 weeks!

The big day is fast approaching, and every now and then I get a little nervous flutter thinking about it. I think that the best plan on the actual day is to try and relax as much as possible. Sit down for as long as I can and remain calm - I'll need all the energy I can get for the race!

Sunday's run was a 10 mile race, so I thought I'd try and keep the pace up for the whole distance. I finished in 1:16:20, so nicely under the 8 minute mile mark. Again, I don't think it's realistic to expect this from the marathon itself, but running harder will definitely aid in preparation.

Tonight was a brisk 6 miles - 44:39. I felt as though I could have pushed harder at points, but there's no point in trying to kill myself at this stage and getting an injury with so little time left. This week has the last of the speed work sessions in, so I'll make the most of them, as next week is full of short slow runs. And then one big one!

Back tomorrow,

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 118

This week's the start of tapering the training down before the marathon. It feels strange not having any big runs scheduled for the weekend. Don't get me wrong, I'm still running 10 miles tomorrow, and compared with 6 months ago, that's a good size run. However, I've been reading a book this week called 'Ultra Marathon Man' by Dean Karnazes, which I was given by my brother and his wife for my birthday. Now this guy talks about his childhood and how he used to run for the cross country team, until one day he gave it up. Then later on in life he picked it up again and is now running races which vary in length from a marathon to 125 miles!! It's quite inspiring stuff and makes me want to get out and train harder, right at the point in my schedule when I'm meant to be easing off. I think I'd better finish the book after the race is done!

On with the training...

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 114

I hope everyone enjoyed the Easter holidays. What did I get up to? Well, apart from a 30 minute muddy run on grass, in the middle of hail storms on Saturday, I pretty much opted for more of the same on Sunday. Not one to let the weather get the better of me, I got out there in the cold of Sunday morning for my 20 mile run - the longest yet (until race day). It started out pleasant enough; a nice smattering of snow on the grass, ice on the pavements - so I kept to the roads. However, about 20 minutes in, it started snowing. Lightly at first, and then heavily. Later this turned to hail and finally to sleet, so I pretty much had the whole spectrum over the course of my 2hr 55min run.

What did appear to work though were two things - Firstly I ran for 50 mins and then walked for 2 mins in order to spread out the workload. This provided a loop of just over 6 miles, so that by the 3rd time of pausing, I knew I only had a mile and a half left to grind out. Secondly, I bought some Sorbothane insoles for my trainers during the week, and for the first time after a significantly long run my feet weren't sore and I didn't get any onset of cramps.

Bring on the Marathon!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 108

Yesterday was my birthday, and I still managed to get my 5 mile off-road run in before going out for dinner. I'm not sure Tapas would be on the strictest of training regimes, but then who said I'm being strict?! I got a birthday card from Mum and Dad, in which Mum had written a message for me a couple of weeks ago - I think that tops any list of presents.

Tonight was a 6 mile fartlek run, which I ended up finishing in 45:15, so getting back to a better pace after what has felt like a few weeks of slightly slower runs. Tomorrow has a slightly longer than usual midweek run of 8 miles in store, so I'll check back in afterwards.

See you then

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 105

We held Mum's funeral service yesterday. There was a wonderful turnout of family and friends; so nice to see many of the people whose lives had been touched in some way by Mum. The service itself was beautiful, with all persons involved drawing great strength and delivering their pieces admirably. It's hard to put into words quite how I feel. There's a whole rollercoaster of emotions which can appear at any time. Anybody who has ever lost someone close to them will understand the empty feeling that it leaves. You'll get that realisation that you're never going to see that person again, but likewise you know that they've gone to a better place, free from pain. Generally, I think I'm doing pretty well, and it helps to have family and friends to support one another through times like these. I will miss her.

After the emotions of yesterday and the consumption of a few drinks along the way, it was no surprise that I only recorded a time of 1:47:30 for my half marathon today. Mind, it certainly wasn't helped by the weather either; very wet and windy for the whole duration.

Next Sunday's the final big run before the main event; 20 miles. From there on in it tapers down until we get to April 13th - M day!

I'll be back during the week.

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 100

Firstly, apologies for not updating my blog for a couple of weeks. I've still been going out and training, but we've had a few rough weeks with regards to family and to be honest I really haven't felt like writing everything down here. Sadly, after spending 2 weeks in St Catherine's Hospice, my Mum passed away on Saturday morning. She slipped peacefully away which makes up in a small way for all the pain and suffering she'd been going through. The funeral has been arranged for this Saturday.

I'll update you all tonight on my training progress.

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 88

I didn't manage to get out and run until 8pm tonight, so it felt a little tough getting the 6 miles in. Despite my fortnight of rest from running, I still seem to be putting in good times - 46:08 for today. My legs definitely need to get used to running again. It's amazing what a difference a break in the routine can have. With 40+ days left until the big day, it shouldn't prove to be an issue though.

Tomorrow's a rest day, so it's off down the gym instead.

See you on Saturday!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 87

Firstly, apologies for being away for so long. It's been a very busy week with one thing and another, and to be honest I just haven't had the energy to keep everything updated.

Ok, so let's start with the important stuff first. Unfortunately Mum isn't doing so well. She went into the Hospice on Saturday night and has been into hospital and back to the Hospice again. The doctors feel that there isn't a lot of point in doing any further operations, so from here on in it's about controlling the pain levels. When I first set out to run the marathon back in November, I had visions of my Mum cheering me over the finish line, being proud of me for raising money for such a worth cause. It's now looking very likely that she'll still be there watching me finish, it's just that I'll be the only one able to see her.

So after 13 days off from running (!) due to my injury, I'm now back out and unleashing my vengeance on the pavements. Yesterday was a 6mile run to ease myself back into it. Happily the swimming I've been doing recently seems to have paid off as my time hasn't really suffered. It did feel like more of an effort though, so my legs are going to have to get used to it again. They haven't got long either as I've got my longest run of 18 miles scheduled in for this weekend. Still, the sprint training work tonight should have helped somewhat. So fingers crossed I can stay injury free from here on in until the big day.

If you've already sponsored me, thank you so much. If you're waiting until closer to the event - don't hang around! Sponsor me now so that I can achieve my target and make Mum proud.

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 77

Frustration!

This week has all been about feeling frustrated. I've been well behaved and not been out running on my 'dodgy leg', but unfortunately things don't seem to have got any better yet. Plus the only appointment I could get with a Physio is for this coming Wednesday, so the healing process may take a little longer than expected. I have still got some exercise in by going swimming at the gym and also continuing to just do some upper body and core muscle workouts - nothing that would put my leg under any stress.

It's also given me an opportunity to really start knuckling in to the fundraising side of this, and I have to say the support that has been shown by people I've spoken to over the weekend has been just wonderful. I've been to all the neighbours in nearby streets and without exception they all wished my Mum the best. With the support they've shown, I've managed to boost my total raised so far to £1213 !! That's 41% of my total target and I've still got 8 weeks to go. So a BIG THANK YOU to all those who've pledged to sponsor me. And if you haven't got your name down on the list yet, then what are you waiting for?!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 73

I've taken today off to try and rest my leg issue. It feels incredibly awkward to not be outside running, especially after having not been too active during the day. Hopefully I can fix up an appointment with a sports physio tomorrow so that I can nail this problem and get back to running. I'm sure a few days off won't hurt my training, but mentally it's difficult not to be out there pounding the streets!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 72

Yesterday was scheduled as a day off from running, so I just went to the gym instead. It'll be interesting to see if I have to lay off doing any squat exercises i future weeks, as I think these are most likely to make my legs fatigued for my runs.

I definitely felt it more in my calves on today's 6 mile run. I'm sure that's down to the gym, but I'll keep monitoring it to see how it goes. The next workout isn't until Friday and then Saturday's only got a 25 min run scheduled, so that shouldn't be too taxing. I did notice my muscle issue a bit on my run though. I'm going to do some research into it over the next few days and see if I should be taking it easier. The last thing I want to do is be laid up before the marathon!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Days 69 & 70

Hi folks,

So Friday was a day off on my running schedule, so I went to the gym instead and worked out and swam.

Saturday was just a 5 mile steady run, but for some reason I ended up putting in a time of 37 mins. I wasn't really trying to run hard, but I guess I must have inadvertantly done so. I played golf afterwards as well, which in hindsight might not have been the best move, as I think I've twisted a muscle on the right side of my lower right leg. It was a bit sore walking around the back end of the course.

Thankfully my leg didn't give me too much grief on my run this morning, although I could feel it twinging slightly. Today was a 12 mile run, and I put in my quickest time so far for this distance of 1:30:39. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not that I'm running quickly at the moment. It's still 3 weeks until my next farthest distance of 18 miles, so I think as long as I take that steady I should be ok.

Another rest day tomorrow, so I'll be heading down the gym again. Depending on how my leg feels, I might end up laying off of the squats.

See you back here Tuesday.

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 67

So today was just a steady 6 miles. Strange really as it felt a little easier than Tuesday's run, yet the times were exactly the same. I guess my pace is getting pretty consistent, which is promising. This weekend is going to be busy! I've got golf and a 5 mile run to fit in on Saturday, and then the same again Sunday, except with a 12 mile run. I think I'm going to enjoy my day off from running tomorrow.

Mum update: My Uncle called today to say he's coming over from Australia to see her next week. She's obviously happy yet sad at the same time as she thinks it's kind of signalling the end. He was due to come over in June but has brought it forward considering the situation. We're all keeping positive, but there are some emotional moments at times. I'm keeping my fingers crossed she'll see me make it over the finish line (and hopefully for a lot longer).

Total sponsorship has reached about £500, so a big thanks to all of you who've pledged money so far. Most of this I've collected offline so it's not reflected in my total on my justgiving page. That leaves £1400 to go for my minimum target, so there's still time to make your generosity count.

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 66 - Halfway!!

So this is the halfway point in my training - only 66 more days to go until the big event!

Today's regime was the good old run up a hill for 40 secs as fast as you can, jog back down and repeat 8 times, with a 10 minute warm up/down either side. This is one to make the legs ache the next day, especially as I paid a visit to the gym toady as well. What's that? Glutton for punishment I hear you say? Probably :-)

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 65

Hi folks,

Do you ever get the feeling that you really don't want to go out and run? I was chatting to someone yesterday in a marathon forum who was saying how they'd just got over an ankle injury and were finding it hard to get back out training. Well, today was my day. Yesterday I could quite happily have gone for a run, but it was scheduled as a day off, so instead the 6 mile jaunt was left for today. And guess what, it was windy and raining. Joy.

These are the times when you need to remind yourself why you are putting in all this hard work. By the time the big day comes and you cross that finish line, just knowing what you will have achieved in terms of completing the race and raising money for a good cause will make everything your going through now worthwhile. That's what I keep telling myself if I don't feel like running and it seems to work for me.

More hill training tomorrow, so I'll see you then (hopefully a bit drier than today!)

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 63

Today was the longest run on the schedule so far - 15 miles. It also happened to be my Grandpa's 84th birthday and most of the family were coming up to celebrate (as well as see Mum), which meant that I had to be off early doors so that I would be finished in time for lunch.

Happily we (I ran with my friend Al who is also doing the marathon) finished in a time of 1:58:10, so still getting in under the 8 minute mile barrier, and that included a Paula Radcliffe style pee stop (although I did use a bush for cover!)

No real issues on the run, and the isotonic gels seem to be keeping us going. 1 every 1/2 hr is plenty, and it seems to come by quickly. I did experience a slight cramping in my hamstring with about 1 mile to go, but after threatening to come on a couple of times, thankfully it never set in.

So the confidence levels are building now. This is the furthest I've ever run and I certainly didn't feel out of breath at any stage. I think the real challenge for running the marathon will be getting the leg muscles used to running that distance. The rest of the body is more than capable of completing the race. From here on in though it's a steady high mileage every Sunday. There's one 10k in a couple of weeks, but other than that it's all 10 miles plus. Bring it on!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 61

I've been slightly off-schedule this week, and yesterday was all down to a funny man with big collars!
I went with friends to see a recording of Harry Hill's TV Burps - absolutely hilarious, but it did mean that I didn't have time to fit in a run. However, as today was meant to be a rest day, I just swapped the two around, so today I've been for a steady 5 miles.

Yesterday did prove quite useful in fact, as I stumbled across a dedicated running shop. Due to my knee issues I decided to get properly fitted for shoes, just to make sure it wasn't my footwear that was responsible for my aches. I have to say they did know their stuff, so I walked out with a new pair of trainers which suit my feet and running style perfectly. The interesting thing was, the shoes I was recommended are the '08 version of my current trainers - so it looks like they weren't the cause after all. Still, at least now I have two pairs of good running shoes I can alternate between :-)

Another rest day tomorrow before Sunday's 15 miler.

See you then

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 59

I must apologise today as I've missed my running schedule. This was mainly due to pains at the top of my tibia which developed after Sundays 10k race. I had the same yesterday, and as today's run was meant to be a series of uphill sprints, I thought it best to give it a rest. This was also compounded by a very long day at work from 7am-8pm.

I'll be back out tomorrow even if my knee is still giving me issues as it's an easy 5 miles, so I'll just take it steady. Then it's a couple of days off before Sundays 15 miler (longest so far!).

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 58

And on the 58th day, he rested. Ok, so not quite biblical, but deserved none the less.

Just wanted to draw your attention to the new widget on my blog:

My MP3 player ------------------------>

Now you can check out what I'm listening to while I pound the streets. You can skip through the tracks to hear a selection of motivating beats, and I'll be changing them regularly so be sure to check back and see what fresh new funky flava's I've got for you!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Week 9, Day 57

So much for having Mondays off! Today was 6 mile fartlek day (enough sniggering from the back row please). For all those who are interested in what fartlek is, it means "speed play" in Swedish. Basically you pick a target and run at a set pace (depending upon the distance) until you reach it. So for example, if you choose a spot 100 metres away, then you'd sprint to that point. From there you continue to jog until you feel recovered, then repeat the process, but vary the distances and pace. So all in all it's a pretty good workout. For a full lowdown on fartlek, click here

Tomorrow's a rest day, so I'll be back on Wednesday.

Chris P

(Sponsor me here)

Day 56

10k race pace today... What fantastic weather, blue skies, sunshine, it's like April already! Thankfully though, we're still at the end of January so a few more weeks of preparation left (11 weeks until race day).


I put in a PB today of 44:26 (previously 45:50), so I'm quite chuffed with that. Also I found out when I got home that Dad was on his way to pick Mum up from the hospital as she was being discharged. All in all it's been a good day so far.

Usually Monday's a day off, but tomorrow's schedule has a 6 mile fartlek (I'll explain tomorrow) listed, so I'll be back here then. Enjoy your Sunday!

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Day 55

So today's run was meant to be 20 minutes at a moderate pace, but it didn't happen. Instead I opted to play golf, which in fairness is a reasonable swap - 4 hours walking round a golf course, carrying a bag, is good endurance training (isn't it?) :-)

Mum hasn't had a good day today. She's back in hospital so I'll go and see her tomorrow. Every day now I'm constantly reminded why I'm doing the marathon. I wish the reminders were a little less frequent, but unfortunately that's the way things are going.

10k race pace tomorrow...

Chris P

(sponsor me here)

Week 8

Well, I thought it was about time that I started keeping a blog of my running exploits. I'm currently training for my first marathon, which will be this years London Marathon on April 13th. So far I've managed to stick to my schedule fairly rigidly, even over the festive period, and I've only missed 3 days of training in 8 weeks.

Ok, so why am I doing this? Well, if you want the full breakdown go to my fundraising page here.
I've definitely got enough motivation to get me through the next 11 weeks of training, and the big day itself.

So my intention is just to post here regularly so that other runners can maybe take some comfort in the fact that there are other people going through the same pain, rain or snow as you will be in preparing for the big race. If by some chance it helps to inspire others to run for a worthwhile cause, than all the better. And if it helps me raise just a little bit more, then it would have been time well spent.

I'll see you all here tomorrow!

Chris P