6th April 2014
4:14:37
Make or break. I would either love it or hate it.
Or so I thought.
I was hideously over-excited and slightly nervous. 7 months of hard training had led to this one journey and I knew it was going to be something special.
The journey started early on the Saturday morning with breakfast and a train ride into London to catch the Eurostar. Phil (the super boyf) would be accompanying me on my marathon adventure, as my personal supporter:) It was a carb loading day so I would be eating pretty much constantly. A second breakfast after checking in, and lunch #1 on the train. We took le Metro to the Expo where I did the medical certificate gubbins, collected my bib and got a change of pen sticker to go on it while Phil took the other entrance and started browsing some of the stalls. Overall the expo experience was very smooth. The stalls were pretty good but mainly full price so we didn't buy anything.
I'm not sure when we started talking in French, possibly before we'd even set off tbh, we know enough basic French to drop bits into sentences, so we did have quite a laugh all weekend improving each other's vocabulary.
We took le Metro to l'Hôtel (same one we stayed in last year for a romantic weekend away) and soon after headed out for 'cheese-less pizza', my go to night-before-a-race meal.
Race morning.
Pre-sunrise jog around the plaza.
Breakfast.
Was running (excuse the pun) a bit late leaving l'Hôtel for le Metro.
Thought was doing ok for time once had arrived at l'Arc, but was 2minutes off missing the BCRC photo. Dammit.
Went straight to bag drop. Quite a long walk but smooth drop off. Long loo queue. Then headed for pens, and this is where things started going wrong for me. I have no idea what was going on. I thought I was in the right place, trying to get into the green pen (4h), I couldn't hear the announcements, I was in a crowd of at least 200 people and we weren't being allowed into the pens.... There was still 30-40 minutes before our advised pen entry time so I'm confused as to what was going on really. And I needed to pee again.
Eventually we got into the pen. After the greens had been released I think. I decided to queue up for a portaloo hoping to set off at the front of the greys. Wee done, the crowd of slower runners had been moved forwards along the start area. I nosied closer to see what bib colour they were. It was a mess of greys and pinks. I decided to try my luck going forward through the crowd to the tape at the front being held by security guys. When I eventually got there, they let me through and I walked alone to the start line and with a couple of meters to go broke into a jog.
A stressful start followed by a serene moment trotting down the Champs Élysées on my own. The crowds cheering just for me.
I had it clear in my mind the pace I was aiming for and the advice from many of going out slow. This worked for about 3k when, near le Louvre, I hit the back of the grey crowd- aka, slower runners than me. I let them keep my pace slow for a couple of k through Bastille and towards Chateau de Vincennes, where at 10k I checked my pace band and was a little concerned of having lost about 3minutes from where I'd wanted to be, so I figured what was going to have to happen. I was going to have to weave through them to get to the pace I want to go. And this was going to be tough.
It was hot. The forecast in the week leading up to the race was for overcast/light showers and 8-12degrees. But a last minute check of the forecast the night before had showed a clear day with lots of sun, very little cloud and 18+ degrees by lunchtime. Soooo many people were overdressed with base layers, jackets, full length tights and long sleeved tops. I was comfortable with my thin capris, short sleeved top and my saviour- the visor. I'd only worn it once before, and now I love it. At each water station (bottles) I would drink ~half the bottle, and put the other on my head to cool me down. The visor made the water stay on my head and soak in rather than running straight off and down my face.
For the latter two thirds of the race I ran in the gutter, squeezing and wiggling my way through the crowd. (It was a nightmare) I stuck religiously to my fuelling plan, only adding to it with a sugar cube at about 40k when I though I was getting a bit dizzy. Later the app stats would reveal I'd overtaken close to 12,000 other runners! A mighty achievement and one I hope to never have to do again!
I sprinted my teensy little legs off for the final 5k (<27'00"), knocking plodders and walkers out of my way as I got closer, busting the finish line in under 4h15, my original target, but with mixed emotion. I'd completed my first marathon but knowing I could have run it faster.
4:14:37
Make or break. I would either love it or hate it.
Or so I thought.
I was hideously over-excited and slightly nervous. 7 months of hard training had led to this one journey and I knew it was going to be something special.
The journey started early on the Saturday morning with breakfast and a train ride into London to catch the Eurostar. Phil (the super boyf) would be accompanying me on my marathon adventure, as my personal supporter:) It was a carb loading day so I would be eating pretty much constantly. A second breakfast after checking in, and lunch #1 on the train. We took le Metro to the Expo where I did the medical certificate gubbins, collected my bib and got a change of pen sticker to go on it while Phil took the other entrance and started browsing some of the stalls. Overall the expo experience was very smooth. The stalls were pretty good but mainly full price so we didn't buy anything.
Outside the Expo
I'm not sure when we started talking in French, possibly before we'd even set off tbh, we know enough basic French to drop bits into sentences, so we did have quite a laugh all weekend improving each other's vocabulary.
We took le Metro to l'Hôtel (same one we stayed in last year for a romantic weekend away) and soon after headed out for 'cheese-less pizza', my go to night-before-a-race meal.
Race morning.
Pre-sunrise jog around the plaza.
Breakfast.
Was running (excuse the pun) a bit late leaving l'Hôtel for le Metro.
Thought was doing ok for time once had arrived at l'Arc, but was 2minutes off missing the BCRC photo. Dammit.
Went straight to bag drop. Quite a long walk but smooth drop off. Long loo queue. Then headed for pens, and this is where things started going wrong for me. I have no idea what was going on. I thought I was in the right place, trying to get into the green pen (4h), I couldn't hear the announcements, I was in a crowd of at least 200 people and we weren't being allowed into the pens.... There was still 30-40 minutes before our advised pen entry time so I'm confused as to what was going on really. And I needed to pee again.
Eventually we got into the pen. After the greens had been released I think. I decided to queue up for a portaloo hoping to set off at the front of the greys. Wee done, the crowd of slower runners had been moved forwards along the start area. I nosied closer to see what bib colour they were. It was a mess of greys and pinks. I decided to try my luck going forward through the crowd to the tape at the front being held by security guys. When I eventually got there, they let me through and I walked alone to the start line and with a couple of meters to go broke into a jog.
A stressful start followed by a serene moment trotting down the Champs Élysées on my own. The crowds cheering just for me.
I had it clear in my mind the pace I was aiming for and the advice from many of going out slow. This worked for about 3k when, near le Louvre, I hit the back of the grey crowd- aka, slower runners than me. I let them keep my pace slow for a couple of k through Bastille and towards Chateau de Vincennes, where at 10k I checked my pace band and was a little concerned of having lost about 3minutes from where I'd wanted to be, so I figured what was going to have to happen. I was going to have to weave through them to get to the pace I want to go. And this was going to be tough.
It was hot. The forecast in the week leading up to the race was for overcast/light showers and 8-12degrees. But a last minute check of the forecast the night before had showed a clear day with lots of sun, very little cloud and 18+ degrees by lunchtime. Soooo many people were overdressed with base layers, jackets, full length tights and long sleeved tops. I was comfortable with my thin capris, short sleeved top and my saviour- the visor. I'd only worn it once before, and now I love it. At each water station (bottles) I would drink ~half the bottle, and put the other on my head to cool me down. The visor made the water stay on my head and soak in rather than running straight off and down my face.
Somewhere along the Seine. Is that a stool flag behind me?
For the latter two thirds of the race I ran in the gutter, squeezing and wiggling my way through the crowd. (It was a nightmare) I stuck religiously to my fuelling plan, only adding to it with a sugar cube at about 40k when I though I was getting a bit dizzy. Later the app stats would reveal I'd overtaken close to 12,000 other runners! A mighty achievement and one I hope to never have to do again!
I sprinted my teensy little legs off for the final 5k (<27'00"), knocking plodders and walkers out of my way as I got closer, busting the finish line in under 4h15, my original target, but with mixed emotion. I'd completed my first marathon but knowing I could have run it faster.
Le Tour Eiffel, shiny bling
