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| What the Dickens? |
I had been putting off thinking about this for most of the summer. Don't get me wrong, I knew I could do it. I wanted to do it as well as I could. People I spoke to said it was a really great event to do, with a real carnival atmosphere all around the flat course.
As we entered the two weeks before the event I felt I was in a very good place. I didn't want to over cook myself but I didn't want to go into it under done. It was all going so well. Then a week and a half away from the event I turned up for a pretty standard track session.
The weather was good and I felt good. I got about 45 mins into the run when my left calf just really began to ache. So much so that I simply couldn't run. I limped round and called it a night. It'll be alright in the morning, I hoped. It wasn't.
I put on some compression socks and vowed to rest it.
I tried a gentle treadmill run on Tuesday and although it ached a little I could run on it. I went to track on the Thursday night before I travelled down to Hampshire. I started OK then as suddenly as before my left calf went again. I should have rested it more. I know that.
I wasn't sure I'd be able to do the event.
Should I even bother going?
The answer was simple.
Yes!
My mum, auntie and cousin were all running it. At worst I'd have a nice weekend with my family. At best I'd somehow make it round.
On the Friday morning I drove to Shrewsbury to pick up my parents. We made our way south as the slow release ibuprofen did it's stuff. We had a lunch stop at Marlborough in Wiltshire and the leg felt almost normal.
I kept taking the tablets as the packet directed. I also kept myself hydrated as I am certain that contributed to the injury. We arrived at our destination (My aunt and uncles house) and settled in for the evening.
The next morning my mum and I had planned to volunteer at Lee-on-Solent Parkrun. I scanned whilst mum handed out tokens. In my mind I was hopeful but still uncertain as to whether I would do the event. We visited my nephew who is at University at Southampton that afternoon. It certainly took my mind off my leg which felt normal. I even tried a little run from the car to his student flat share. It felt OK over 250m.
I awoke on the Sunday morning and I knew I was going to make it to the start line.
We had breakfast and made our way to Southsea Common.
I chatted with Frank, my cousins husband who was also running. It took my mind of my left leg.
As we walked to the start I began to feel excited and nervous. Would my leg hold out? As we did the pre race warm up I was careful not to overstretch my left leg.
Then the countdown began. Before I knew it we were off. I had said to my cousin Hannah that if she overtook me that she shouldn't worry about waiting for me. As we ran the first mile I felt good and I started to leave my cousin and her husband in my wake.
The crowd kept me going. I tried not to focus on the distance I had done, I kept focused on keeping going and enjoying the run. Frank and I kept and similar pace when at about the first mile marker I began to pull away from him. I got a big shock when suddenly a bagpipe band struck up just as I was passing them.
Into the historical dockyards and Victory was in site. HMS Victory the flagship of Horatio Nelson that is. I still had quite a few miles to go. The sun started to break through the early morning haze as I ran through the streets of Portsmouth. I took on water when I could and grabbed a few jelly babies from the many generous unofficial feed stations.
I gave high fives to as many as I could and encouraged anyone who was walking. Sometimes you just need a complete stranger to tell you "Keep going! You can do this!"
The miles kept coming. I had never run more than 10km in a race before so as I passed the 6 mile marker I felt a sense of achievement. However it wasn't a time to dwell on how far I had come. There were 4 miles still to go.
At 7 miles I thought "Just a Parkrun to go" then I realised it would be about 25 mins till the finish. Damn you my analytical brain.
As I passed 8 miles it happened again.
My left calf began to hurt. Really badly. I slowed to a walk for about 10 metres. It hurt the same if I ran as if I walked. So I thought it would be over quicker if I ran. So I started to run again.
We emerged onto the seafront and passed 9 miles. I was onto the final straight. I passed a woman. As I passed her I said "Come on! You've got this!" She probably thought I was talking to her and she was right, but in these moments the encouragement you give others can work on you too. I passed the pier and very nearly got taken out by a woman who had decided to cycle across the road as 1000s of runners came streaming through.
Not far now.
The finish was in sight.
Into the finishing straight I kept going. Every step was a step towards the end. Then I could stop.
I crossed the line in 1 hour 36 minutes and 14 seconds. I was very pleased. No post race interview for me we were guided to the goody bag collection zone.
I got my bag of goodies, my t shirt and my medal. But I was alone. My dad would have been out on the course waiting to see my mum and aunt. I had expected to be caught by Hannah and Frank but they weren't there.
Thousands of people and I felt lonely. I wandered back to the meeting point in the club zone and to my surprise I was the first one back. Out of all of the people in the club my auntie is a member of none of them were there.
I headed back to the post race zone. I had no phone and no money to call anyone. I suddenly lost the plot. I stood there, put my head in my hands and began to sob. So much so that a kind lady came up to me and asked if I was ok. It helped. The kindness of one person got me back into the world of the normal.
After what seemed like an age I finally found some of my people. My dad was walking with Hannah and Frank. We headed back to the meeting point. Then my auntie joined us. I headed back for a third time to find my mum. I phoned my wife Claire to tell I had finished. She said "I know. I was following you on the website." I asked if my mum had finished. She quickly checked and confirmed she had crossed the line.
I searched the crowd for her. So many faces. None of them was the one I wanted to see.
Then as if by magic she appeared. I gave her a hug. and guided her back to the meeting place.
Reunited with my dad she hugged him and cried.
And that was that. We gathered our things and headed back to the station. Like so many others. I knew I was going to sleep well that night. We ordered a Chinese take away and sat around the table chatting away.
The next day we headed north still full of the endorphins from the day before but we were all tired.
I dropped my parents off and headed home.
My wife and daughter arrived home and we hugged.
It was good to be home.
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