The Marathon Experience

This was one of the best experiences of my life.

My tip for enhancing the experience, is to do a big event, if possible one of the majors and if possible in another country.

The marathon experience is not just one day, it is a whole journey. It starts when you enter and get a place, continues through the training, culminates when you cross the finishing line and lingers on through the recovery and sharing your memories. It's at least 3 months.

I would recommend gaining a minimum level of running experience before you attempt a marathon, although this is not essential for a great experience, it just gives you a little bit of a head start.

As explained in my first blog about running, I started running when my body was no longer capable of more impact type sport, specifically damage to my knee made it impossible to play football any more, or any sport involving sharp changes of direction. I could however run ok. After a very casual start on my own, I joined a local running club and was casually running twice a week. The club kept me motivated and built up my fitness, I also ran in a few local events at medium distances (up to 10k).

A few friends of mine were further ahead of me on the running journey and had entered the Paris marathon. I went along to support. This experience inspired me to have a go myself.

With my friends, we entered the Chicago marathon. It is good if you can do the marathon with a few friends, this not only gives you a shared experience with other people to discuss everything with, but it is also a great motivational help.

The marathon experience really starts with training 3 months before the event. The core of this is gradually getting your body used to running long distances. It involves increasing each week the distance you run until you peak at the marathon itself, this is your weekly long run. Alongside this you should also do other types of running throughout the week to improve strength, cardio and stamina. You should run 3 to 4 times a week during your training.

To do this it is best to follow a training plan. There are quite a few freely available and they are fairly similar in format, but you will need to determine what level of plan you need. This is based on the time you would like to do the marathon in. If you have not done a marathon before then this can be quite hard to determine. If you do some running already then this should give you some indication as to what you should aim for. If you have not done any running before but are quite fit then this could also help you decide. If it is your first marathon then do not try to be too ambitious with your expectations, but don't worry as you can adjust your training plan as you go.

I used the basic runners world plan, for a 4:30 time, but adopted it a bit to suit me.

On a Sunday I would follow their long training distance plan (I wasn't interested in any particular pace, just doing the distance). I would always do my long run on my own with my headphones. I found these increasing longer runs quite hard, giving up a few times, but also very rewarding when you finished one. They are a big part of the experience and a big reminder of the marathon to come. For any distance over 10k I would use a gel at every 10k. It took a while to get used to the gels, but it was worth it as they really keep you going. I built up a playlist to listen too and the 2 songs I remember the most were Paparazzi by Lady Gaga and Halo by Beyoncé. I had a specific route I would do, a 6k loop which I would do multiple times, I really liked my route but it may have been better varying it a bit more.

During a typical week I would go out with the running club. On a Tuesday we would to a sprint session i.e. various fast/recover runs, this helps build up stamina. On a Thursday we would do a medium steady run (approx 10k). It was good to do this with the club as it kept me motivated.

If I had time I would also do another run, often quite short, normally 5k. Sometimes I'd do this at the gym on a running machine.

Throughout the 3 months training I also did some local races. These are good as they give you some race experience and a chance to try out pacing in a race environment. They also add to the whole experience. I did a 10k race, at Silverstone race track, about 1 month into the plan, and then a half marathon about 2 months in. The half was quite a big event in Nottingham, it was a great experience in its own right and gave me a big confidence boost.

During the training it is a good idea to be using the same equipment as you will be using in the race. Use the actual trainers (it is best to get proper running trainers and if possible get them properly fitted at a running shop), the same kit, the same gels, the same sports drink, the same water bottle. Some big marathons have sports drinks available so it can be useful to be using the same during training (although some runners prefer a specific type, stick to what works best for you).

One thing we did to motivate ourselves, and another good tip, was to have a movie night where we watched a great motivational movie called Spirit of the Marathon which is a documentary following the journey of various people of different ability as they prepare and run a marathon (in fact it is features the Chicago marathon, which was a bonus).

For the actual marathon itself we flew out on the Friday, 2 days before the marathon itself. This meant that the whole experience was enhanced with an extended stay in a major city I had never been before, with some friends.

when we arrived we checked into the hotel then went to the marathon Expo to get our race numbers. Being a big marathon it had a large Expo with lots of running related stands to look round. I got a transfer on my arm of my pace timings so I could easily keep track during the race, although I had followed a 4:30 training plan I felt I should try for a 4:00 time (my half marathon had gone well).

The next day we had found a local pre-marathon run to join (actually we sort of gate crashed the event as it was a bit exclusive, but we got away with it), it gave us a light warm up before the race. This was another good experience, as it was organised by a local sports shop and had some guest runners, some older marathon celebrities. During the rest of the day we wondered around the city to see some of the sites, particularly to check out the start/end of the marathon. A good tip is to also determine exactly where you will meet up after the marathon, as it gets very very crowded, and, if you have any spectators with you, where exactly they will be watching the race from and which side of the road, as it is very hard to see people within the crowd. It is important to not do too much during the day as you don't want to tire yourself out too much. In the evening we went to the official pasta party. It is good to carb load before a race and big events often organise a pasta event. It is a good idea to get all your marathon kit ready for the next day.

Marathon day starts early, we got a reasonable breakfast and then off on the train to the start. 

Being a big event the start is huge with lots of people. Being early it is also very cold, with a bit of time to wait, a good tip it to wear something to keep you warmer whilst waiting, but which you can throw away when you start running, lots of people use refuse sacks. People are really crowded in at the start and it's very exciting. You build up quite a bit of nervous energy just before the start and then all of a sudden your off. The start is always quite slow as it takes a while for the crowd to get moving and thin out. In Chicago there is a huge underpass just after the start, under which, because of the long wait/nervousness/cold, loads of men stopped to have a pee, it was quite surreal.

I must admit there are big chunks of the marathon which I don't remember as I managed to get into a steady rhythm and it just went passed. I do remember the large crowd of supporters, particularly early, with lots of cheering and encouragement. I remember various musical entertainments, quite a selection of different types of bands spread out across the marathon, which was also an boost. Both of these are another reason for doing a big event. I also remember various water stations and taking my gels. I also spotted the supporter who went with us which was another good boost. What I don't remember was seeing much of the city, I was too focused on my running. In fact I totally missed going through the colourful China town district and I also  missed a huge ornamental fountain at the end of the race.

The last few miles are very hard. You are just so tired and exhausted. My pace slowed down considerably. I remember the last few hundred yards being slightly up hill which was awful and there were huge crowds cheering. Finally crossing the line was an immense relief, I had done it. My time was just under 4 hours, 3:56, which I was overjoyed with, I had gone at such a steady pace for three quarters of the race that the lack of pace for the last bit didn't matter too much.

I was very tired immediately after the race, staggered through the long finish area, getting my medal, some water, goody bag and warm covering before joining the huge crowds of finishers and supports. I met up with the rest of my group, at the pre-arranged meeting point - good perpetration, who were all faster than me. And shared experiences. It actually didn't take me very long to recover quite a bit and, by the time we left the marathon area, I was felling ok.

We made a leisurely way back to our hotel, basking in our achievements. After a brief shower and change, we headed to the nearest pub for a celebratory drink. I slept well that night and felt surprisingly good the day after, a little stiff/achy. Being a bigger trip we didn't have to return home straight away so had time to spend the next day exploring Chicago, it's a really nice place.

As an addition to the marathon, which again added to the whole experience, our trip was extended and we rented a car and drove to New York for a few days. The was an excellent road trip, but was more of an added holiday, although we did go for a run in Central Park, another great experience.

When we got back home, there was lots of reminiscing with family and friends, all of which continuos the experience.

Overall, running a marathon is a fantastic experience I would recommend to anyone and it is also an achievement which I am very proud of.

Sporting Achievements

I have always loved playing sport, although I've only ever been of average ability.

I never really achieved much in any sport, but here are my biggest achievements.

Finished Chicago Marathon in under 4 hours

I took up running quite late in life, when in my late 40s. It was my first ever Marathon, although I had experienced Marathons supporting friends before, I had no real expectations of what to execpt and what time I could do, although I did have between 4 and 4:30 hours in mind. I started off at slightly under 4 hour pace and the adrenalin of the event seemed to just keep me going. The final three miles were just awful and seemed to last forever, but I had managed to get enough time in the bag to finish in 3:56, just under 4 hours. The whole marathon experience is brilliant, it is a 3 month journey starting gradually building up the training. The actual event itself is also brilliant, particularly if it is a major marathon and in a different country.

Bowling Hat Trick in Cup Final

It was the Wellingborough and District Works Cricket Cup final in, I think, 1988. Weatherbys were playing Scott Bader. I was a second line bowler, medium/slow pace, quite erratic. We were bowling first, doing ok when I was brought on. During my second over the batsman knocked one to a simple catch at mid on, it was not a great ball but an easy catch. The next next ball I managed to get straight, the batsman made a right hash of it and it was a clean bowl. The third ball was not good, too short and an easy slog, however it went straight to a man on the boundary, not an easy catch. I had taken a hat trick! We went on to win the game and the cup and I got man of the match. I still have the ball.

Indoor Cricket League Winners

In the early 90s Indoor Cricket was all the rage and our works had some teams in the local league. I was in a men's team and also managed a mixed team. My wife was also part of the mixed team. We were a very good team, the players worked together very well. We played very well won the mixed league a couple of times.

Table Tennis Division 2 Winners

I played a lot of table tennis in my teens and twenties in the local leagues. My brothers also played and we had, along with a few other people, our own teams. I was in our 'A' team, but was never the number 1 player, that was my brother Ian. We did quite well, a bit of a yo yo club between the top and 2nd division. We won the 2nd division a couple of times.

Win Table Tennis Holiday

When I was about 15, we went to a holiday camp on Hayling Island. During the week there was a table tennis demonstration by the England player Chester Barns. After the demonstration they asked for volunteers to play against them. I had not really played table tennis before, but the family had played a bit together during the holiday, so I gave it a go. They thought I had some natural ability so I won a place on a Table Tennis training camp at another holiday camp later that year.

Represented County at Badminton

When I was 17 I went to a Badminton club. I was ok at Badminton and was once selected to play for the County in a mixed doubles match. We didn't win the match and i was only selected the once, but it was a good experience.

The Running Bug

What? running you say, how does this fit in with what's gone before, the other 2 hobbies have both been on the nerdy side!

I like sport, both playing and watching. I don't have much ability and I've never reached a high level in any sport, I'm average at best at most sports. When I was young I loved football. This probably originated from watching my dad play local football every Saturday. I played casually in the local park, almost every day, and at school, although I was never outstanding and only on the fringes of school teams. At school I also enjoyed PE and did a lot of athletics. I played table tennis quite well and won a place at a holiday training camp. In table tennis I was in local teams/leagues, in the top divisions and did ok (although I was never the star of the team). I played cricket, but only at the lowest level, for a works team (I did take a hat trick during a cup final - my greatest sporting achievement). I was also player manager of my works indoor cricket team. During my twenties I went back to football and played in Saturday and Sunday league teams, playing until I was in my 40s (when my knees finally gave out).

I didn't do anything sporty for a few years after this, and I missed physical activity.

My work had entered a team into a local charity 10k event and I somehow got persuaded to take part with a couple of work mates. I knew nothing about running. I joined a gym to get fitter and did some running on the running machines. I somehow injured my leg, calf I think, but still tried to do the 10k. It was a disaster. I hadn't run any long distances, nothing on roads, had no concept of pacing and had an injury. I went out at a newby fast pace (was with the leaders for 400 metres!), aggravated my injury and dropped out after 1k.

However, I had enjoyed the gym running and physical fitness. Also, a good friend of mine David Parker had just returned from living in America and he was a "proper runner". With his encouragement and advice, with the mates who had fared better than me at the charity event, and after a few months recovery, I entered another 10k in Wimbledon. I was still very naive but managed to complete it, and in an ok beginners time.

This was very encouraging and I kept up the training.

A couple of my friends entered the Paris marathon and I went along to support. The size of the event, the number of people, the expo, the pasta party, the warm up run through Paris (which I did), the crowds and Paris itself made it a fabulous trip.

So I decided to do a marathon.

I wanted the big event, so along with my friends we entered the Chicago marathon.

I joined a local running club, WDAC, which gave me the motivation for the Marathon training and the encouragement to get fitter and improve my running.

The whole marathon experience is fantastic. It is a 3 month journey, using a plan, running 3 to 4
times a week, with a gradual increase in distance, running in some local events, with the running club, including my first half marathon in Nottingham. The actual Marathon event was incredible. The trip, the city, the expo, the warm up run (where we gate crashed a shops celebrity event) and the pasta party. I must admit that the marathon itself is a bit of a blur (we ran through the colourful Chinese district and passed a huge fountain, but I have no recollection of either), it was not easy (the last few miles were torture), but the finishing and sense of achievement is amazing. I also did it in under 4 hours, which was beyond all my expectations. Following the marathon we went on a small road trip across to New York and ran in Central Park, so the whole trip was a great experience.

Following this I kept up the running, mainly through the running club. I did numerous events, mainly those attended by the club, the local NRRL and EMGB series, at all sorts of distances, including the Silverstone 10k around the F1 race track. The running club is great, very encouraging and supporting to all the members whatever their ability.

I did a 2nd marathon, another big event, the Rotterdam marathon. This again was a great experience and another great trip. I pushed this one a bit harder at the start and struggled a bit. I was trying for a better time but actually did a bit worse. We also incorporated a trip to Amsterdam.

I have had various injuries (tendon, calf, in growing toenail) which have stopped me from running for long periods of time (I even missed whole years!) and you miss the physical activity a lot. I am also getting a lot older, which means that your performance starts to deteriorate, which is hard to come to terms with.

I am currently uninjured and starting the new season, I also have plans to do another marathon.