Each year I try to provide up-to-date, accurate London Marathon tracking information about how to follow your runner.  Last year there seemed little information available.  The Facebook and Adidas WAP tracker, available in 2010, didn’t seem to be on offer either.

However, BIG NEWS.. JUST IN:

I have just been given information about how to track your runner in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April!

From 07:00 on Sunday, you can click this link –>

http://results-2012.virginlondonmarathon.com/2012

You’ll be taken to the Virgin London Marathon website where you’ll be asked to enter your runner’s name or race number.  With that information, you will be able to find out where your runner is on the marathon course.

If, like many, you’re intending to watch the Virgin London Marathon on TV, this is where you can catch it being broadcast live & also highlights of the day.  Look out for your runner – there are TV crews all along the course & your runner may be caught on camera!

08:30 – 14:00 BBC1
14:00 – 15:00 Sky red button
17:00 – 18:00 BBC2 highlights

Don’t forget to Enter our super Prize giveaway – just enter your details below for a chance to WIN a super Sports Nutrition Goody Pack from Myprotein. (competition closes: 23-04-2012)

In my ‘day-job‘ (yes, I have one!) I’m very lucky to get to talk to all sorts of interesting people from all over the world.  This week the Sports Science team at Myprotein® have been in touch and we’ve been discussing Sports Nutrition for Marathon Runners.

Myprotein® provide sports supplements and nutrition to sportsmen & women.  Whether you’re a beginner or an elite athlete, these guys pride themselves in being able to help you achieve your sporting goals by providing keenly priced sports nutrition products that are manufactured in-house & sold via their website.

The Myprotein® Sports Science guys have written the following article for those of you who are about to run a marathon – whether you’re a newbie marathon runner or a seasoned runner, I think you’ll be interested in what they have to say….

The Last Minute Marathon Guide

Whilst conventional marathon training advice generally advocates 16 to 22 weeks of heavy running, 6 times a week, to increase your lung capacity (VO2), improve muscular endurance and iron out any ‘kinks’ in the biomechanics of your running technique, the reality is the London Marathon is now only 8 days away.  

So, if you’re a runner who needs all the help you can get, or you’re fully prepared but looking to make those final tweaks to your training, here is the ‘Last Minute Marathon Guide’ detailing all the tips and tricks you can incorporate to improve your marathon time.

Tip # 1: Reduce Lactic Acid             

At Florida Atlanta University it was found that Beta Alanine and Creatine improved the endurance and aerobic capacity of athletes, after only 4 weeks of supplementation.  Researchers believe it’s Beta Alanine’s ability to positively affect a substance called Carnosine in the muscles, which produced this improved performance.  A similar study, at the University of Tsukuba, found that high levels of Carnosine could help to reduce lactic acid build up in the muscles – remember that burning sensation you get in your muscles when you’re running hard?  That’s the effects of a build up of lactic acid.

Tip # 2: Get Some Iron 

The University of Missouri found that iron supplements significantly improved the endurance capacity of trained athletes.  Iron is an essential component of haemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.) Without it you simply cannot efficiently produce ATP, the body’s primary energy source, and you certainly can’t run a marathon in any decent sort of time. Now, whilst you can get iron from certain foods such as beef, liver, spinach and lentils you can equally supplement your diet with desiccated liver capsules

Tip # 3: Carb Up

According to a study conducted at Loughborough University, England, runners who consumed a high carbohydrate diet 7 days before a 30km treadmill time trial were 10% quicker than those who didn’t ‘carb load.’  Put simply, carbohydrates are an athlete’s primary source of fuel so having a sufficient supply before a race is absolutely essential to reducing fatigue and improving sports performance.

An idea echoed by Anita Bean who in The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition (Complete Guides)
states that marathon runners need 5-7g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight or 60 per cent of your daily calorie intake from carbohydrates. This usually works out at around 1,500kcal from carbohydrate per day for most women and 1,800kcal for men or for a 75kg runner that works out at between 600g and 750g of carbohydrates per day.

Tip # 4: Get A Cup Of Coffee 

As strange as it sounds, a cup of coffee could hold the key to a better marathon time!

Researchers at Yale University found that caffeine (found in coffee) actually helped increase resistance to fatigue by stimulating the production of the neuro transmitter beta-endorphin.  Studies show that beta-endorphin can reduce pain and perceived fatigue.

Furthermore, caffeine has also been shown to spare your muscle glycogen stores by  encouraging your body to burn stored fat as fuel, essentially saving your muscle glycogen for later on in the marathon.  According to Dr. Mark Jenkins of SportsMed Web, you may use as much as 50 percent less glycogen during the first 15 minutes. This leaves larger stores intact for the rest of the event, delaying the point of exhaustion.

Tip # 5: Reduce Cramps   

With only a short time left before marathon day, you can’t do too much to prevent muscle cramping because of poor muscular endurance and lack of training.

But.. you can ensure that you maintain the correct electrolyte balance in your body to prevent any unwanted cramping mid-marathon.

Primary ions of electrolytes such as potassium (K+), sodium (Na+) and magnesium (Mg2+) are all needed to regulate your body’s fluids, help to maintain a healthy blood pH balance and ultimately reduce the likelihood of getting cramp. Plus, according to the Human Performance Laboratory in New Delhi, ‘an electrolyte drink can increase endurance performance as well as enhance lactate removal, thereby delaying the onset of fatigue.’ (G.L. Khanna and I. Manna, 2005.)

Do you use sports drinks and sports gels that help you to maintain your electrolyte balance?

Tip # 6: Eat Your Greens                 

For those looking for something a bit different to boost performance, a recent study at the University of Thessaly in Trikala, Greece, discovered that the green algae known as spirulina could improve an athlete’s resistance to fatigue by as much as 25%.  The new research published in the journal ‘Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise‘ theorised that the chlorophyll content in the Spirulina improved the oxygen carrying capabilities of the blood therefore allowing the participants to exercise longer.  If you want to try improving your race-day performance, try adding 5g of spirulina to your water bottle before race day.

If you wish to try any Myprotein products, they have an extensive range of samples that give you the opportunity to try a product before committing to buy the full sized version – whether you want to try a completely new product or simply try out a new flavour.

About Myprotein.com
Myprotein.com is Europe’s leading online sports nutrition brand and forms part of the UK’s leading multi-product, multi-website online retailer The Hut Group. Established in 2004 by Oliver Cookson, Myprotein.com has expanded at an incredible rate, and was recently ranked 21^st in the Sunday Times Fast-Track 100 list.  Winning multiple awards, including the CBI Growing Business of the Year and National Business Awards Regional Winner, Myprotein.com has firmly established itself as a market leader in the world of sports nutrition.

Buying in bulk, manufacturing in-house and selling direct online to consumers allows Myprotein.com to offer the lowest prices in Europe guaranteed.  Using only the finest quality ingredients and the latest production processes (certified to ISO9001:2008 by SGS, a UKAS accredited company), ensures the finest product quality is maintained.

There’s a lot of talk about marathon tapering at the moment. If you’ve been gradually building up your miles for a Spring Marathon, like the Virgin London Marathon, Congratulations you’re almost there!

But when it comes to the final 3 weeks before race day, nerves begin to set in and we all fret about what to do leading up to the BIG DAY.

So, trying to keep it simple and not give you anything else to worry about, here are some Top Tips for a successful marathon taper.

1. What does Tapering for a Marathon mean?
Usually three weeks before a marathon, runners begin to cut significant distance from their training. It is a time to make sure you get adequate rest, prepare psychologically and allow your body to heal from the intensity of training that has been building up over weeks and months.

2. Why do we need to Taper?
You need to have your body in tip top condition for Marathon day, so it’s important to give yourself some time for a little TLC beforehand. Why? Well, what you can’t see is that as a result of all your splendid efforts in training, your muscles have developed tiny micro-tears that need time to heal. Your body also needs adequate time to restock those all-important glycogen stores that you will need to reach your marathon Finish Line.. without crumpling in a heap somewhere between miles 14 and 20, having hit the dreaded Wall!  Whilst you’ve been building up your strength, cardio-fitness and stamina during all those training runs, you may have picked up an injury, a niggle here and there, so your taper is a perfect time to sort everything out & get race-ready.

Ask yourself this: Do you want to race on the day and achieve the best result you can? or.. Are you just going for another long slow run?

If you’re going to do the latter & not bother with a taper, best of luck to you & hope it all goes well.
If you want to achieve the former then read on for more information on how to get the best out of your marathon taper.

3. Will my Taper ruin my fitness levels?
Not if it’s done properly.  Starting your Taper approximately 3 weeks before your marathon will allow you plenty of time to decrease the mileage whilst retaining the intensity of training.  In other words, run shorter distances but still put in the same effort – it doesn’t mean just relying on slow jogging for a few miles.

4. How long should you Taper for a marathon?
Three weeks is the average time to taper for a marathon.  Some people are able to taper for less time but generally taking 3 weeks is recommended. Your Taper starts the day after your longest run .. which tends to be around 20+ miles.

5.  Why does Tapering work?
Your training to date has prepared your body for the marathon and has taught it how to efficiently burn fat  and carbohydrate for energy, whilst holding onto glycogen stores for longer.  If you are sensible during your taper, you will be able to replenish your body’s nutritional requirements to optimum levels.  This allows you to start your marathon on the day feeling fresh and rejuvenated.  Give muscles time to repair, get plenty of rest before your race and you’ll stand on the start line with the opportunity to run in peak physical and mental condition.

6. What will a successful Taper achieve?

• A better finish time
• More enjoyment on marathon day
• It will help to lessen the potential for injuries on the day
• Your taper can help you to avoid hitting the Wall
• Rest will help to strengthen your immune system
• A reduction of the production and build up of lactic acid

I have summarised an excellent article by Bob Cooper on RunnersWorld.com which you can read in full here. However, the major points are covered below:

3 Weeks to Go:

Your first week of your taper should start the day after you finish your last long run.  This last run is usually about 20+ miles or so – some stick at 20, some do a little more..it’s personal preference really.

Just a short blog post to help clear up any confusion about where and what is being served to runners at the Virgin London Marathon 2012.

• All runners will be offered 33cl Vittel Water bottles at every mile, from mile 3 onwards.
• Drink stations are several metres long and are manned by volunteers to help keep runners hydrated along the London Marathon course.
• Isotonic Lucozade Sport Body Fuel drinks (bottles) will be available for all runners at the 5 Lucozade Sport drinking stations. These stations will be positioned at the 5, 10, 15, 19 and 23 mile markers.
• You will also get a Lucozade Sport bottled drink in your Finishers pack
• Each Lucozade Sport Body Fuel drink contains 330ml of fluid and 80 calories of carbohydrate.
• Lucozade Sport Carbo Gels will be available at miles 14 and 21

If you want to take advantage of the Lucozade products on the day, it’s a good idea to try them out beforehand.  Personally, I found that the Lucozade Gels were rather gloopy and I’ve always preferred to use High5.  However, there are plenty of sports drinks and energy gels/bars available for you to choose from, I buy mine from Wiggle.

If you’ve found this post helpful, please click the Like button .. and don’t forget to Share with you friends.  Thank you.

Do you experience pain across the top of your foot when you run?  If so, you may be experiencing Extensor Tendonitis.

It’s easy to ignore the importance of the tendons running along the top of your foot – afterall, it’s not like a big muscle group that we strenuously train to get stronger and few of us do any stretches to improve foot flexibility.

The extensor tendons run down from your shin along the top of your foot and help to straighten and flex your toes (dorsiflexion). These tendons can become inflammed, causing pain and swelling. Extensor Tendonitis is a condition often found in runners, hikers, skiers, cyclists and triathletes.

But our feet and ankles need to be strong and supple to allow us to walk, jump and run.  There are over 26 bones, 33 joints (20 are articulated) and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments in each foot.

If you have pain in the top of your foot, it could be due to one, or a combination, of the following:

Causes

• Overuse
• Poorly fitting shoes
• Changes in running patterns – often due to terrain (hills make your feet work harder to lift your foot off the ground as you ascend and continue to work hard eccentrically to slow you down on your descent.)
• Running on icy or wet and slippery surfaces

Many runners, particularly those who like long distance running, will continue to put up with a nagging pain rather than seek professional help for dorsal foot pain.  But help is at hand from a variety of sources including:

Where to get help

• Physical Therapist
• Podiatrist
• Sports Massage Therapist
• Kinesiology Taping Professional

Your Therapy Professional can advise you of the best Foot and Ankle strengthening exercises

The recognized pattern of treatment for foot pain is:

Pain Relief & Treatment

• R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) Try an ActiveWrap® instead of struggling to bend a rock hard ice pack around your
  foot
• Check your running shoes are fitting properly (get advice from a specialist running store who can check your gait whilst you run)
• Tie your shoelaces correctly – sounds simple but easy to get wrong!  You could be losing valuable support.
• Insert extra padding in the forefoot area of your shoes to take the pressure off the tendons
• Strengthen extensor muscles
• Stretch calf muscles
• Ibuprofen (NSAIDs)
• Your Doctor may suggest a Steroid injection if pain persists
• Ultrasound
• Don’t rule out the possibility of a metatarsal stress fracture
• Kinesiology Taping can be a very effective answer to dorsal foot pain and is something that you can learn to do yourself at home

Don’t be a martyr to your foot pain, get help!  Once the causes have been established you can concentrate on a program for recovery and begin to enjoy pain-free running again.

This article was originally written by Joanna Sayers for the 3B Scientific Therapy Blog

Let me tell you about an email I received recently that posed an interesting question: ‘How do I support my Runner?’

This is the jist of the email I received:

“I’ve just started a relationship with a runner and he has asked me to support him on a marathon soon.  Help!  What do I need to bring for him, if anything?  What can I do to make things easier for him?  Will I embarrass him if I jump up and down and scream?  I’m afraid I have no idea of marathon etiquette and don’t know who else to ask!

Many thanks”

Right, here goes….

First of all .. clearly your new found friend has not put you off so far.  Marathon Runners are a peculiar breed and are very quick to announce their passion and desire…..for running.  The faint odour of muscle rub & sweat and pairs of well-worn trainers by the front door are the first tell-tale signs that they’re not like ordinary people.  Their choice of clothing is often ‘unique’ and they will spend hours in sports shops drooling over the latest running shoes and gear.  They also have an alarming habit of disappearing for hours on end, only to return red faced, sweaty and windswept.

I speak ‘Running’
Marathoners have a language all of their own and have a frightening regard for stats.  Words and phrases to familiarise yourself with are as follows (more on these in the coming weeks):

• Fartlek
• Interval training
• Carbo Loading
• Tapering
• Splits
• PBs/PRs

Race Day essentials
This is always a tricky area to cover as every runner has their own preferred items on race day.  Some of the things your partner will hopefully remember are:

• Running shoes (they’re going nowhere without them unless they’re mad.. see next point),
• Socks (a marathon without socks is asking for trouble…although take a look at this brave idiot ‘sole’ who ran the London Marathon barefoot…),
• Shorts, leggings/tights, Running top, outerwear (depending on the weather)
• Appropriate undergarments (don’t get involved in this bit – if your runner hasn’t worked out what they need in this department then walk away quickly and quietly now!)
• Race number & safety pins (supplied by the race organisers, spare pins are always useful though)
• Race belt (optional) – worn around waist for stashing small essential supplies
• Electronic tracker – most well organised races will provide an electronic tracking device that can be strapped to your runner’s shoe or ankle and provides accurate information (hopefully) about distance and time .. useful for deterring anyone who’s thinking of hopping on a bus or taking a short cut half way through their marathon!
• If your runner is raising funds for charity then it’s likely they’ll have their running top emblazoned with their name and charity logo.

Your Ta-Da Moment
Inevitably, there is always a last minute panic.. a moment of “oh hell.. I haven’t got..’ This is your ‘Ta-Da’ moment – things you should take along are as follows:

• Spare safety pins
• Spare gels/nutrition bars
• Bananas
• iPod & headphones
• Loo roll/tissue
• Vaseline (to prevent chaffing of delicate areas)
• Sports sunglasses
• Jelly beans/jelly babies.. call them what you will but they’re a great energy boost & motivator – carry 26, 1 for every marathon mile!

Don’t forget that you can also play an active part in helping your marathon runner to raise money for charity.  Photographs and videos of your runner whilst in training, during the race and in a crumpled heap once home, are all useful reminders to send to family and friends and get that sponsorship money rolling in.  Upload videos to YouTube, photos to Flickr and don’t forget to post to your runner’s online fundraising page and your own Facebook page.

It’s your time to shine
Spotting your runner once the marathon has started can be tricky.  It’s a good idea to decide together on places that you will try to be, at certain times during the race.  Wear something bright and don’t be afraid to take signs, balloons, whistles, and your loudest cheer.  This is your time to shine and provide extra motivation and encouragement to your runner.

You may not realise just how important this role is.  Hearing your name being called out by supporters is a wonderfully uplifting moment for runners.

Don’t limit yourself to just your runner, be generous and shout out as many names as you can read off the running tops.  Remember to shout encouragement such as “Go on Sarah, looking good”, “Not far to go now Ben, finish strong”, “Great work Jan, Go Team Macmillan”

… and not “Ooh err, Nigel, you look knackered”!

At the Finish Line
However they cross the finish line (running, limping, crawling) your marathon runner will feel elated…and tired.  They will receive their finishers medal and you’ll have played a hugely important part in getting them to the finish line.  Ensure that you have their favourite recovery drinks, a good supply of protein and carbohydrate rich snacks and something warm to wear for the journey home.

Enjoy the day out, talk to supporters and have some fun!  Support your runner with enthusiasm, good humour and some T.L.C.  Marathons are full of emotion, personal stories ..and Heroes!

Got a Tip for Marathon Supporters?  Leave a comment below!

Here’s a bit of fun ..and you never know you could win a prize too! Nuffield Health & Fitness Clubs are running a competition over on Twitter at the moment.  I love Twitter and happily tweet as @Mysitcomlife (come and say hi) and follow @NuffieldHealth for all their tweets about health and fitness. So, it was great to see their ‘Tworkout‘ competition announced and I thought I’d let you know about it as it’s Friday and.. well sometimes, we all need a little light relief from a busy week.

Take a look at www.tworkout.co.uk and you’ll see a simple little workout challenge that you can do whilst sat at your desk.  See if you can be a top scorer .. and you might even win a health club membership!

Tworkout is an online, Twitter based workout for your fingers – Playing is simple: there’s an easy practice warm-up before you have 3 opportunities to beat the clock.  Don’t worry if your score doesn’t look great to start with, you can keep playing till you’re happy with your result..or your fingers need a rest!

You can challenge your colleagues in the office, or Facebook chums, to see if they can beat your score. Watch out though… it’s addictive!

Hurry .. The Tworkout competition closes on May 31st

I’ve had a duff year as far as health and injuries go and to be honest I feel a bit of a fraud.  Between you, me and the gate post, I’m feeling decidedly edgy about the fact I own this blog.  I mean, the title says it all ‘Just One More Mile – Marathon Running for Beginners‘ .. but I haven’t been able to run, or much else, for at least 3 months.  It’s not that I don’t want to.. far from it.. I’m desperate to get outside and I really miss those long Sunday runs through the Rutland countryside.

However, things are beginning to look up and apart from the frequent visits to the Hospital and appointments with my Ever-So-Well-Connected-Consultant (his phone constantly rings with calls from Premier Footballers and his waiting room looks more like the green room at ‘A Question of Sport‘) I’m looking at how to regain strength and vitality … and I think I’ve found the perfect partner to help me!

Let me explain..

The ElliptiGO is less of a bike and more of a cross trainer but that’s about as far as the similarities go.  If you’re looking for something that mimics the action of running (without the impact) and you want to get super fit, super fast, have the option to train indoors as well as outdoors, then you have to check this out and press play..

The ElliptiGo in action! .. I want one!

This is no gimmick or flash in the pan.  There are some serious athletes around the world who are incorporating the ElliptiGo into their training sessions.

Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes, who has just run across America, says the ElliptiGO is “The best cross-training device I’ve ever seen bar none.”

In a recent interview with Runner’s World, Josh Cox, who holds the US 50k ultra-marathon record, describes the benefits of his ElliptiGO, “I’ve been riding the ElliptiGO to recover from 50K last season, to rest my body from the demands of the season and shed a few pounds that my coach likes us to gain in the off season. It’s the best of running without the impact on my body and an effective way to maintain fitness and still allow me to recover.”

Triathlete Magazine proclaims “It’s really a hell of a workout”

ElliptiGO offers amazing cross training for runners, it’s great for triathletes and something fresh for cyclists and sports enthusiasts everywhere.  I think this would be a blast to take round Rutland Water, what do you think?  ..  Come back soon to see how I get on!

I thought the video below was a great reminder that you don’t have to start out trying to run a marathon.  Ok, I know, that’s exactly what I did …but just becuase I did doesn’t mean you have to.  Running has to be about enjoyment and if you’re not enjoying it then what’s the point?  I mean, really?  There are other things you can do with your time and energy.  So, if you’re becoming intimidated by the idea of running a marathon .. scale it back.  Try a 5k race and your marathon training could really get a boost!

Training to run a marathon is hard work and things don’t always go according to plan, especially if you get injured.  You won’t be the first, or the last, to become demoralised, fed up and just a teensy weensy bit tetchy about the whole thing.

So in order to reach your goal of running a marathon sometimes you just have to ease up on yourself, set a realistic target and enjoy some shorter distance races first.  Don’t feel swamped by marathon training, look at what you love about running and take the pressure off.

Middle distance runner, Sara Hall (who founded the Hall Steps Foundation with her husband Olympic marathon runner, Ryan Hall) runs with the most amazing scenic backdrop and explains why running a 5k is a great thing to do…  Wish I could talk and run with the same ease that Sara demonstrates

‘Just One More Mile‘ is about everyday, ‘normal’ folk who like to run and do something to help other people.  It’s not really about being the fastest thing on two legs it’s more about the extraordinary physical and mental challenges that runners, in particular marathon runners, endure to reach their goal.  It’s about people with ‘day jobs’, with responsibilities, coping with the ups and downs of life who want to make a difference and help someone else.  Some have been running since childhood, some have taken up running in later life but all are magnificent because they’re out there in all weathers, doing their best, raising money for their charities and they never give up.

Jemima and I have never met (..we have got to remedy this Jem!) but she has been tremendously supportive of my own marathon training and particularly helpful whilst I’ve been bemoaning my latest set of injuries.  Very sadly and not long ago, Jemima lost her Mum to Pancreatic Cancer. Her Mum clearly brought her up to be kind and caring, quick to smile and always able to go just one more mile to help others.  This is Jemima’s review of the Virgin London Marathon 2011 …

Jemima Gee

After running the London Marathon in 2010, I thought ‘run a marathon’ could be ticked off my ‘to do’ list. However, with a time of 5hrs and 44 annoying seconds, I had an urge to do it again to get rid of the seconds.

I applied through the public ballot and got rejected, so thought “Oh well, at least I tried” but was secretly quite relieved.  However, my triathlon group PACTRAC were given 2 places for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon and all our names were put into the hat for the lucky (?!) runners to be chosen.  My name was drawn out!

So, the 4 month training plan was printed off and being a stickler for following the rules, I ticked off all of my training runs up to week 14 of a 16 week plan.  Then the injury occurred.

It started as a dull ache in the top of my foot and then got worse as I carried on running (I know, I should have stopped).  Anyway, it soon came to light that the injury had probably occurred when I turned my ankle on a long run and carried on running.  After an X-ray to check it wasn’t fractured, a visit to a sports injury clinic and a sports massage therapist and endless Google searches ‘Can I run a marathon with a sprained ankle after not running for 2 weeks?’ I decided I could.  Well, no professional I saw actually said I couldn’t!

Virgin London Marathon weekend is a very nerve wracking but exciting time. I am obsessive about lists and organisation, so I had checklists for various things: what to take to London, what I would be wearing and carrying throughout the race, a timings plan for race morning, etc. etc.  I even had all my kit laid out in the hotel room the previous evening in a slightly OCD manner.

Race morning came and I had my porridge, although it was rather forced down through nerves.  I went to the toilet, went to the toilet again and then just once more to be sure.  Bags packed and ready to go and run the marathon, my husband Max and I went to leave the hotel foyer to go to catch the tube to the start of the race.  My plans were slightly thrown when a very friendly Australian lady offered us a lift in the cab she had hailed.  On the way to the start amongst all the bodies moving towards the marathon starts, I spotted quite a sad sight of a man staggering through the streets of London, obviously inebriated, with blood dripping down his head.  It was quite a contrast.

The Tube was jam packed with excited, nervous folk, some silently contemplating what was ahead, whilst some were chattering nervously to fellow passengers.

I was heading for the Blue start. Last year I went from the Red start.  There was a really different feel to the start this year.  The Blue start is a lot less busy and is mainly for the club runners. Although I was officially a club runner, I did feel slightly intimidated to be amongst what I saw as professionals.  It was a less busy and calmer start, although in hindsight I would have preferred to be amongst the mass of fun runners, carrying fridges, dressed as superman, or the guys in the camel suit. I get back to the camel later!

The weather was slightly overcast at the start but almost as soon as the start gun went off, the sun decided to shine down on us.  The first 3 miles of the run were great. I felt good, my splits were good and a PB looked likely.  However, the first 3 miles are downhill!  I carried on at an OK pace until I realised at about 9 miles that the toilet beckoned.  Luckily I spotted a loo with just one person in the queue.  Result!  After my brief break, I realised that I was now behind time which wasn’t good for morale.  The sun was beating down and I was already starting to feel weary.  I was taking lots of fluids on board and devouring any sustenance I could get hold of.  Thank you so much to the lady who handed me the banana!

Tower Bridge was a highlight, as was seeing my husband Max at 2 cheering points (mile 8 & mile 16).  I even stopped to give him a quick peck.  He rather rudely asked me, at mile 16, whether I had walked most of it so far (I hadn’t)!

The crowds were just amazing, cheering us all on. The camaraderie amongst the runners was great. People were asking each other if they were ok and offering words of encouragement.

The second half of the marathon was tough.  Lots of people were walking and I had to takewalk breaks to cool down and rest my weary legs.  I also had to stop another time to put some blister plasters on.  I was so pleased to get to the last few miles, seeing the London Eye, knowing I was nearly home.

The camel overtook me again this year.  I will beat him one day.

Seeing the finishing line was so amazing.  It felt like I sprinted at the end.  It probably didn’t look like that at all.  I crossed the finish line in 5.37.  Not a PB but I finished. After injury, blisters and heat I was pleased. I also raised £2000 in the process for Pancreatic Cancer UK.  Running the marathon was worth it.

I ate and drank and made my way home after the London Marathon.  Only realising later that I had been on my feet a full 12 hours before I sat down on the train home. The next couple of days were bad – stomach upsets, extremely aching limbs, blisters and missing toenails to contend with.
“Never again!” I repeated to everyone who asked me about the London Marathon.

Nearly a week has gone by and I can now say I’ve completed 2 London Marathons.  To me, running the London Marathon is like giving birth and I have 3 children… so perhaps there is another marathon in me yet

Jemima Gee – 36 year old Marathon Mum to 3!