written by Terena
As runners, setting goals is a constant practice. There are the goals we openly discuss, the ones we meticulously jot down on paper - a declaration, a commitment. Yet, if we're truly honest with ourselves, there's often that one elusive goal we keep to ourselves. It quietly emerges in our minds, planting a seed of ambition. However, it remains unspoken, deemed a pipedream - unrealistic, unattainable, and, for those of us who struggle with self-belief, nothing more than a whimsical fantasy.
So, I had my set goals, all of which came with the caveat of completing the marathon strong, running the full distance and having had a great time out on the course: bronze (finish); silver (finish in under 5 hours); gold (beat my PB of 4:52) - I was confident that I was going to hit one of them. But then there was that secret goal – the one that I didn’t talk about. The, ‘I wonder if I can get close to 4:30,’ one!
Well, not only did I achieve all my set goals, but I damn near hit the fantasy one too! I finished feeling strong and having enjoyed the experience – it’s London after all and if ever there is a marathon to enjoy it’s this one. Crossing the finish line still in one piece, in a time of 4:36:04 (official time, 4:33:40 Strava time and Strava marathon distance PB of 4:32:59 – which one do I use?!) did, in fact, cause a tear or two! But that’s the end and I need to start at the beginning!
Picking up from the last blog, the rest of tapering went well, and I kept the faith in the process! I continued tweaking my fuelling, making sure I had the right combination for the day, and hoping there would be some kind of resolution to the toe injury! That didn’t happen and I had to accept that I would be running the marathon with a sore toe - thanks for all the advice Melissah!!
Pre-race
I slept well the night before, which surprised me, and I woke up excited that the day had finally arrived! Trish and I had made plans to meet at Ealing Broadway at 8am – we had both decided that our start times were too late to make use of the Eagles’ coach. For me, I knew that I would have too much thinking time once at Blackheath and this way I could ease into the morning – not to mention getting an extra hour in bed! All went smoothly enough, and we got to Blackheath in good time to get ourselves sorted. Trish’s wave set off 30 minutes before mine and it was a long 30 minutes! At last, Blue Wave 15 was called to the starting pen – I had my warm hoody on that I would soon have to take off and discard, which I wasn’t looking forward to as it was quite chilly on the windy heath! Not only that, I knew once I took it off that was it – the start would be moments away, which made me feel a mixture of excitement, nerves and self-doubt!
The Race
Those of you who have run London and set off from the red start (Greenwich) I’m sure you enjoyed the iconic start along Carlton Park Road. If like me, you started on the blue route (Blackheath) you may have been as equally underwhelmed as I was! It was literally line up in the field, shuffle round to the charity donation banks, shuffle forward a bit more, turn a bend and then you’re off! No fanfare, no grand gates, no BBC cameras in your face just a timing mat and a bloke on a loud Tannoy! But anyway, we were off and that’s what mattered, the watch started, and the first mile started! The first few miles I focused on settling into my pace and getting a feel for how the course felt. I had to keep pulling myself back as I kept finding myself running a little too fast. I reminded myself of some advice I’d overheard on the train, ‘Halfway isn’t 13.1 miles, halfway is 20 miles!’ That was a game changer for me and kept me grounded. My strategy was always to aim for negative splits (thanks for the kudos on acknowledging that, Ralph!) but I found this last-minute snippet of wisdom to be hugely valuable too and kept it in mind.
Cutty Sark was just as I imagined, so when I turned the corner, and it came into view there was nothing I could do but grab my phone and take a snap! Old habits die hard I guess – you know me and my penchant for taking photos on a run! Difference this time was not stopping to take them so the photography isn’t great!
Next on the route was Tower Bridge, another photo must and the first meeting point of my support. My colleagues from work were going to be somewhere just over the bridge and I was keen to make sure I didn’t run past them, after all, they had given up their Sunday to come and support me! It was great to see them, and it gave me the boost I needed to get through miles 12, 13 and 14. Next target, Canary Wharf, and mile 15 where David, Kelli and Julie (a friend from work) would be waiting. I was on familiar territory now (I’d only trained on the north side of the river) so I could picture where I was going and settled into the next few miles.
It was great running out on The Highway seeing all the speedy runners coming back the other way: perfect Eagle spotting opportunity which was a great distraction! I spotted a few, including Piers flying towards mile 22! I was feeling good but was still making sure I wasn’t pushing too hard knowing that there was still a long way to go! Managed to spot David, Kelli and Julie at mile 15. It’s not the easiest of things to do when the streets are packed with supporters, all calling your name and you have to be mindful of the people around you as the course is so busy! I had a quick 20/30 second stop for hugs and my gorgeous friend, Julie, said just the funniest thing, ‘Wow… your complexion looks great!’ Of course, Kelli and David kept to the brief and told me how strong I looked and how good I was keeping my pace! After the loop round The Isle of Dogs, we met up again at mile 18 and we did a quick fuel exchange, refilling my Tailwind and taking my last gel. They then had the task of getting from Canary Wharf over to Mile 23 and I had the job of getting myself there too.
After so many years of being on the other side of the barriers, I literally couldn’t wait to get there and to top it all I knew there a couple of my pupils waiting there too! If ever I had a motivator to arrive at mile 23 in one piece it was that! Can you imagine them coming into class on Monday saying, ‘Ooh, Mrs Hind, you didn’t look so good at the marathon yesterday!’ But I think I did myself proud! It was an amazing reception from the Eagles and gave me the boost I needed to get the last 3 miles done! And I think I did them pretty well! Here’s a snap from the finish line – I think it shows how I felt about the run! 26.2 (well 26.5 on Strava) ran, no walking and finished just how I wanted – strong and not injured. Not to mention a shiny new PB!
Post-Race
Had a pint and signed up for the 2025 ballot!
Well, that’s it! I’ve had an amazing journey and I’m very proud of my achievements that day, none of which would have been possible without the support of my club and my friends and especially David and Kelli – the best running mates ever!