Followers of this blog will know that I have been struggling with a blooming uncomfortable and annoying ankle injury caused by the wonderful state of Ripon's roads. The initial injury was on the 23 rd of January, I carried on with the challenge and as it was improving I turned it again. It has hampered my running, cycling and swimming at points. I never gave in. After the Blackpool Marathon on April 7 I cut my run mileage back to less than 20 miles a week. I found a way of rolling my compression socks down to protect my ankle and absorb some of the shock. By last week I was bouncing with energy getting the urge to run, Tuesday was a better run than Id had in a long time I did not feel that I was running with a limp, and Thursday I ran a quick ( for me) hilly 5 km. it was good to feel like a runner again. My ankle and shin were stingy, but not too painful. The only issue was that my trainers rubbed my bad ankle. Friday came and it still felt like it was improving and the lack of exercise was building up in me. I got dressed for work ( knee length skirt and tights) shoved my feet into my union flag trainers and set out to walk the dog.
I could not resist running, not fast, just jogging, not enough to break a sweat. Must have looked odd. These trainers put no pressure on my ankle, so, although these trainers have done lots of miles, particularly long runs and marathons, these were the trainers to wear on Sunday for the Greater Manchester Marathon.
Saturday came and we packed. I packed and re packed as is my habit, we took Jed to the kennels and set off for Manchester, we started eating in the car, pies from Appletons. the weather was horrific, we hoped it would blow over. in the car I sewed together blue and yellow ribbons in support of the victims of the Boston bombings.
When we arrived in Manchester we stopped at the Trafford centre for a mooch around the shops and lunch. Then we went to the Old Trafford Inn at the cricket ground. We chose this hotel because we stopped there last year and we could leave the car free of charge till after the race, and its only about half a mile from the start line, by Old Trafford Football ground. We laid out our gear and went to book somewhere for tea. Most restaurants could only offer 16:30 or 21:30 neither were any good to us then I managed to book us into Frankie and Bennies at Salford Keys at 6:30. I wasn't really hungry but we wandered down anyway. We arrived early but they seated us and we proceeded to eat a second big meal. I was still quite full from lunch but I forced myself pasta carbonara followed with Eton mess sundae. When we set off I felt I needed rolling out the door. We wandered back to the hotel to rest.
Race day dawned, we didn't get up to early as we were so close to the start. It was overcast but shorts and vest was the plan as I had overheated at Blackpool.
Last year the weather was horrific and I was very wet and cold before the start so I hat bought us plastic macs to keep the chill off this year. At 8:10 after a breakfast of banana, malt loaf and granola bars washed down with coffee, we packed our bags and left the hotel. We put the bags in the car and put the key in an envelope behind reception, for the first one back (Billy, he did 3:46 at Blackpool)
We joined the stream of athletes heading for Old Trafford footy ground and we were joined by another athlete, he told us he had recently run Mumbai marathon.
There were loads of people about, way more than last year, it was a very different atmosphere. I Spotted Martin as Billy was sorting hi trainers. Bless him, he was having a nightmare morning, everything was being difficult for him, his feet had swollen so he'd worn his second set of trainers and they were still not right.
When he was sorted we went into the main area to find Martin who was in the loo queue. We were still chatting when it came over the tannoy to move to the start which was a short walk away. We wished Martin luck and set off for the start. The closeness of the hotel meant we had not have the panic of being in a queue at the call for the start.
Walking to the start areas Billy mentioned that his heart rate was a bit high, oops, that was my heart rate. Last week we had tried to pair Billy's gamin with a different monitor, as the one it came with was cutting his skin, but it had picked mine up and we'd forgot ton to re pair it with his own monitor. Billy then had to try to re pair his watch and monitor. We then wished each other luck and separated to our separate start areas.
The athletes gathered and we had 26 seconds of silence followed by 26 seconds of applause for the victims of the Boston Bombings. It was very moving.
Soon after the gun went and we started moving towards the start, walking, jogging switch garmin on, over the start line and run run run run, not too quick it was to be a long day. I set my watch for 10 min mile pace and aimed to try to run at that. I set off between the 4:15 and 4:30 markers. It felt comfortable and I soon passed the 4:15 marker, I started to think I could get a PB of quicker than 4:16 from last year, A time Air have been nowhere near since. I ran comfortably when at 9 and a bit miles a bloke crossing to the loos, caught my ankle and I tripped, I floundered but did not fall, but it was a fright, I had been in my zone running along, now my heart was trying to escape my chest, my breathing was erratic an my legs sore, I kept on running and soon I started to settle down again, at 13 miles the 4:15ers caught up with me, I picked my pace up a bit but they passed me at 15 miles. I wasn't dispirited though, I looked at my watch and was still ahead of the little man on the scream, by 20 miles I was aware that the miles were feeling further apart and by 22 I was forcing myself onwards, my legs were tired and had had enough but I wasn't giving in, I could feel myself slowing, I had 2 options, keep on getting gradually slower or walk a bit and reset my step in the hope that when I ran again it would be at a better pace. I just kept running, too scared to stop in case I couldn't get going. The crowds of supporters pulled me on as the miles gradually passed and finally there was the 26 mile marker, nearly there, the crowds ahead were roaring and drawing me in, there was Matt from Ripon Runners, a bit further was Billy, wrapped in a silver foil blanket. I ran around the corner to the finish line 4:32 on the clock. I stopped my watch. Happy with that. I moved though after having the chance to thank the crowds over the microphone, picked up my t shirt medal and goody bag. I phoned Billy, we had not been very organised about meeting points. I milled around a bit then set off back towards where I last saw him in the crowd. My phone rang and he told me he'd done 3:43 whoo who a new PB, I looked at my watch it said 4:28 whoo who my second fastest time ever. Happy with that and my leg hardly hurt. Billy had gone to the car, so I headed that way. My medal wearing my tired body down. It's the biggest medal that I've ever had.
So that's it, tired and hungry, back to the car to start eating again on the journey home to pick Jed up from kennels and take him for a walk to re stretch tired legs.
I would do this marathon again, the crowds were great last year in such awful conditions, but this year they were awesome, cheering and providing sweets and drinks and buoying up tired runners. The course is fairly flat and there were plenty of aid stations and loos on the course.
Well done to the organisers and a massive thank-you to the people of Manchester who turned out on a chilly windy day to support.
Today I have the ache of victory in my limbs but my spirits are raised. I am still a runner and hopefully no longer broken.
And as for the challenge, well 620 miles covered including 5 marathons. I hope to catch up the missing miles during May.
