Toe Nail Fell Off

June

Having spent a large proportion of my time bragging about the ease with which I completed the marathon (no strains, stiches, stoppages etc.) I've now got my comeuppance: A MISSING TOENAIL.

A blister developed on the second toe of my right foot during the marathon and it's since deflated, with the loose skin falling off only today, takign with it the entire toenail. It's a bit gross but doesn't hurt and is apparently caused by your feet expanding a little bit throughout the marathon and rubbing.

Apparently it's very common among runners to shed some nails, especially after such a long race and while it doesn't hurt I am worried about my summer holiday and how long it will take to grow back. Someone told me it will take 2 weeks but if it's bacly damaged it may never return.

Watch this space...

Pictures and Time Break Down

Wednesday June 4th

Here are some pictures of me taking part in the marathon together with a breakdown of my time over the course.

I haven't yet tried running again since completing the marathon, gave myself a full ten days off to recover. I felt awful last Monday and Tuesday and was still not walking 100% properly on Wednesday. By the weekend I was fine but still had a slight hamstring pull along the back of my left leg and didn't want to risk damage by running on it.

Off running tonight for the first time, will blog my progress.

NOW: Looking for next challenge to sign up to!

The breakdown shows I ran fairly consistently throughout, slowing by around what's expected during such a long race.

At the start: looking very happy. You can see the arm pouch bulging full of jelly babies and gel and the raspberry flavoured Zade in hand.

I like this picture: around 2-3 miles in and I'm running well.

Later on, not looking so happy but still trying to smile. This is around mile 16.

The Edinburgh Marathon - 26.2 miles

Sunday 25th May - D-DAY

And so it's over. I can't really believe it. But I do have the medal, scars and achey muscles to prove that I did run 26.2 miles on Sunday.

The start was fantastic. I'd walked to the pens with my friends and I felt really excited. The first few miles are through the centre of Edinburgh, down past the now-iconic parliament building with a fabulous view of Arthur's Seat - the peak of a group of hills which sit in Holyrood Park on Edinburgh's fringe.

The route then winds out of the city centre towards seaside resort Portobello and down the coast through a number of small towns before reaching the beautiful Gosford House where it turns back on itself for the last eight miles or so, to finish at Musselburgh Race Course.

At the half marathon stage in a town called Prestonpans I felt pretty good. I'd paced myself properly and I was running well.

The going got tough somewhere between miles 16 and 17. I ate 2 paracetamol, anticipating the pain to come.

That was wise. I started to feel the burn around mile 19. It was getting hotter, I was tired and my legs were aching. But I knew I had less than ten miles to go.

From mile 21 onward it's pretty much a blur -- I can't really remember much other than really, really wanting to get to the end and not allowing myself to stop running. All around me people were walking, stooping over and vomming in the road. My legs felt as heavy as lead.

As the Musselborough Racecourse came into view I picked up a little bit. The crowds thickened, knowing that soon I'd be able to stop. Crossing the line felt funny. I stopped moving and my legs turned to jelly. It didn't seem real. I'd finished in 4 hours 10 minutes, a time that made me very very happy.

My legs have been stiff for the past few days and I've got a little bit of rubbing around where my sports top was, but all in a escaped relatively unscathed.

A man dressed as spiderman broke his own world record, for the fastest costumed Marathon, finishing in an incredible 02:49:50.

Ran: 26.2 miles

Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes, 21 seconds

Ate: A lot of jelly babies, one disgusting gel, 2 paracetamol

Drank: Ridiculous amounts of water and lucozade sport

Felt: Hideous for 2 full days afterwards

Finally: A huge huge thank you to all my friends and family who came to watch, I really wouldn't have made it round without you there, you were incredible.

The Last Eight Miles

Wednesday 21 May

And so I ran the last eight miles before the marathon. In my new "woven shorts" from Nike and the RNLI vest that I'll be wearing on the day. I didn't want to go crazy so I stuck to the normal route, from the house, along the river to the park, three laps of the park then back along the river past my house for about half a mile then turned back on myself.

Battersea Park is a 200 acre park in south west London. It's London's only park to border the Thames and is very popular as a consequence. Opened in 1858, the park was once a popular spot for duelling.

The park was designed by architect Sir James Pennethorne, who was also responsible for another of my favourite running spots, Victoria Park in East London.

One of my favourite things to do in the park is to stroll along the river edge, with the water on one side and the green on the other. That route measures just over half a mile and takes you past the enormous London Peace Pagoda - a Buddhist tower which aims to provide a peaceful focus for everyone.

The first Peace Pagodas were built after World War II - to symbolise peace in two Japanese cities that were devastated by atomic bombs. They quickly became an international symbol of peace and by 2000, there were 80 in different global locations.

Ran: 8.11 miles

Time: 1 hour 18 mins 35 seconds

Pace per mile: 9 mins 40 seconds

Calories: 853

Branson's Virgin Group To Sponsor London Marathon From 2010

Tuesday 20th May

Last week while I was away Virgin Group - the company owned by U.K. entrepreneur Richard Branson - was named the official sponsor of the London Marathon from 2010.

The company has signed a five-year £17 million deal to take over the sponsorship from margarine-maker Flora. That's a whopping £3.4 million per race. The sponsorship will be lead by the group's financial services unit, Virgin Money.

Branson is one of the U.K.'s most overexposed personalities, coming a close second to Jade Goody. He’s thought to be worth around £3 billion with Virgin's 200 brands turning over more than £10 billion in 2006.

http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/

The Pre-Race Blues

Monday 19th May

I’d heard a lot about the Pre-Marathon Blues – a stage of the taper where lack of miles and worries about the race combine to make you feel dreadful.

Last Saturday I felt it.

After running so many miles, relieving stress and bumping up the endorphins, a lot of people find the taper mentally challenging. According to my research, it’s common to feel a range of emotions in this last week before the race: irritability, tiredness, depression, to name a few.

That – combined with the anxiety of running your first marathon – can put you at rock bottom. And so on Saturday I lay in bed until noon, worrying that I’d not be able to make it round or thinking I didn’t want to. I knew I had to get up. I knew I had to go running that day, but it was just easier to lie there and while away the hours. Even when I made it out of bed I couldn’t seem to carry on. I had no motivation for getting out of bed and no motivation for running.

Eventually I managed five slow miles but the feeling wouldn’t go away. And it’s still lingering even now.

They say these feelings can be relieved through “focused relaxation” which includes stretching, yoga, herbal teas and breathing exercises. Really I can’t see how any of those will help. I am trying to run a little, sleep a lot and stay in a positive frame of mind...

Bruxelles

13th – 16th May



Attending the annual Brussels Economic Forum I knew I wasn't going to get much running done. The days are long, the hours are relentless and you're lucky if you can remember your own name by the end of each day, let alone the fact that you're running a marathon in just over a week.

Nevertheless I decided to try a few short runs during my stay.

I managed two. Both in the morning before the conference day started.

The weather in Brussels this week was super hot. Hotter I think than in London and also muggier. The air hung heavily in an uncomfortably close fashion. I felt almost claustrophobic, penned in by the humidity.

The first run took place under these conditions and even though it was early in the morning on Thursday, I found it stifling. I made it round one lap of the park near where I was staying.

Parc du Cinquantenaire, a park built by King Leopold was named to commemorate 50 years of Belgian independence. It's a relatively small park, the distance of my running route around the outside is about 1.25 miles. It's in the eastern part of the European District of Brussels and is dominated by a huge arch in its centre which was built in 1880.

Over night on Thursday it rained very heavily, clearing the air and making Friday morning's run much more bearable. This time I made it round two laps of the park. I'd like to have continued for longer but time pressures didn't allow.

While I was running I worried all this tapering was making me unfit. Have I been taking the taper too seriously? Had I tapered myself in to a new unfit realm? I certainly don't feel as fit as I was feeling a few weeks ago.

Looking back I was feeling fittest around the time of my second long run, when I was doing several longish runs during the week. Now I feel sort of sluggish and lumpy, which is causing me to worry.

I'm told one final run of ten miles this weekend will round off my training nicely and that then I shouldn't do anything from Wednesday onward. I suppose this is the kind of knowledge that comes with experience of running a marathon and that it's only natural to have a few pre-mara jitters ahead of your first one. Let's hope it'll all be ok in ten days time.