Woke up at 4am, got Phil up, Up proper a bit before 6am. Took Lily out in pouring rain. Got papers. Got as coffee and off to work for 8am as might need to get off early today. Trying to sort Phil's visa application out - think we need to rebook it and cancel the old one. Less than a week to the Marathon now and am more and more conscious of what a slog it will be. Knee is not happy at the prospect and apparently I should have done a 2 hour run at the weekend. I might do an hour on Wednesday morning but that will be absolutely all. Went to osteopath and she said I should have done some running too so stuff it - did a six mile slow run (all of em are slow). Should have took a few pain-killers before setting off really as I run funny and end up with my calves tightening up like you wouldn't believe. Before doing run went up to see me mum and dad, took em some Aldi tea-cakes - bloomin magic them babies are! Bed for 10:45
Tuesday 8th April 2014
Must ring me mum up to wish her a Happy Birthday! Up at 4.10am to make sure Phil got up. Took dog up town and got papers all good stuff. Today is only day I'll be able to cycle2work so got stuff ready then found out the Urban Mountain Bike had got a puncture - as usual in the back wheel as it can't ever be an easy one to fix can it. So thought stuff it we'll have the road bike out so loaded that one up and did the ten miles from Belper. Coming home was not as much fun - no matter what direction I seemed to be riding into the wind and there was tons of traffic and lights for some reason - rarely does it take longer to cycle back than to work. Potted the San Maranzo 2 where there were two plants in the same pot. Used some smaller pots that I got from Aldi and they enabled me to get 6 pots in one of the trays on the heated propogator. All good stuff!
Wednesday 9th April 2014
Up early to get Phil up but he was already up at 4.20am. Back to bed for an hour or so. Got up, took dog walk, fetched papers. Watered the estate, fed the tomatoes. Went for a three mile run - this should be the final run before the marathon. Good day at work, involved in 60th Birthday presentation to our M.D. Caryl Richards - think we got the tone right (hope so anyway). After work went to Hollie's Belper Slimming World group for final weigh-in before London Marathon. Am 2.5lbs heavier than when I did it in 2010 so that's it - we are where we are complete with osteo-arthritis in one knee. Four days to go and then the running shoes will be hung up for good!
Thursday 10th April 2014
Up dead early to make sure Phil gets up - set alarm a bit earlier after he caught me out yesterday! Took Dog for walk to fetch papers and got back home for 6.30. Had shave etc and then got missus up so could whizz down to lotty and get a row of spuds in. All good stuff.
Friday 11th April 2014
Up at 5am, dog walked. In car for 6am and off to Luton Airport Parkway. Caught train into London - breakfast with Phil in McDonalds then on the tube for Grosvenor Square and the US Embassy to get his visa sorted out.
Waited for hours outside then off to Excel to get marathon number and stuff. Bought a £14 knee support (which in fairness worked ok). Show was more like a big Adidas shop which was a disappointement. Got home for about 8:30pm. Long day
Saturday 12th April 2014
Up at crack of dawn. Dog walked. Papers fetched. All stuff ready and packed up to go for London. We used a chap from Bakewell to taxi myself, Janette, Lucy and mum and dad down to London. We stayed at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury for a small fortune. It was quite average for the money but there you go. The one saving grace was that they let me have a place on their bus to the marathon start (well Blackheath anyway). Anyway, we couldn't check in until 2pm so we went to the Pret a Manger round the corner and had a very expensive almond croissant and coffee. We then went for a walk up the little food market. Then while Janette and Lucy walked round the market - me and me dad went to the pub across the road from Holiday Inn - me dad has a pint, I had a lovely diet coke. Evening meal and bed was the order of the day - watched a tiny bit of golf on the telly but wanted a good kip ahead of a 5:30 start.
Sunday 13th April 2014 - Virgin Money London Marathon Day
Up at 5am. Shaved, showered, breakfasted by 6am (toast and porridge). First two paracetemol of the day taken. Vaseline applied liberally (didn't stop all the blisters but did a good job), 12 hour voltarol gel applied to knee and expensive knee support on after that. Outside for coach at 6:20am and on way to Blackheath. Met up with Ursula Van Leeuwen Hill (SW Marathon cheerleader and Platinum Consultant) and Kathryn at a little coffee shop at the bottom of the park. Got back to Blue start for about 8:50. Loads of loo breaks and took another 2 paracetemol at 9am. All part of the plan. 2 Bananas and into pen nine for 10am - got to the start and off running by 10:16. Was amazed to see people walking before mile 3 - didn't any of the Marathon information sent out sink in at all? Anyway - I set off quite nicely and was doing sub 11 minute miles for first five miles, stopped for a leak at mile 10 (I remembered a good spot from 2009 and 2010). Was still ticking along nicely at 13 and there was a really good dance music band on a lorry there - I picked up 2 gels at this point and carried on, then I remembered that I had to do another two paracetemols so stopped for a few seconds to take another two paracetemol. Had a gel at 15 miles and another one a few miles later then picked another 2 gels a bit later too. It all went a bit bad at mile 23 (13:39) and got worse at mile 24 (16:16 slowest mile) when cramp in my left quad really got me. I had to walk it off a bit in both cases but the thing about London is the support is immense - there is no other run like it! Anyway, the crowd had me running again until I saw the family at mile 25 and that got the tears rolling. So after quick hugs I was off again on the last 800 metres and was proud as punch to get over the line a fraction under 5 hours 10 minute - I went like hell for the last 100 yards to make sure of it too. So overall, pleased with the final result - shame about mile 24 and the cramp but that's the consequence of having a dodgy knee!
Really would love to do just one more... Anyway Osteopath appointment on Wednesday.
Took a long time to get back to the hotel after we ended up walking all the way to Victoria Station so we obviously went wrong somewhere.
Tuesday 8th April 2014
Must ring me mum up to wish her a Happy Birthday! Up at 4.10am to make sure Phil got up. Took dog up town and got papers all good stuff. Today is only day I'll be able to cycle2work so got stuff ready then found out the Urban Mountain Bike had got a puncture - as usual in the back wheel as it can't ever be an easy one to fix can it. So thought stuff it we'll have the road bike out so loaded that one up and did the ten miles from Belper. Coming home was not as much fun - no matter what direction I seemed to be riding into the wind and there was tons of traffic and lights for some reason - rarely does it take longer to cycle back than to work. Potted the San Maranzo 2 where there were two plants in the same pot. Used some smaller pots that I got from Aldi and they enabled me to get 6 pots in one of the trays on the heated propogator. All good stuff!
Wednesday 9th April 2014
Up early to get Phil up but he was already up at 4.20am. Back to bed for an hour or so. Got up, took dog walk, fetched papers. Watered the estate, fed the tomatoes. Went for a three mile run - this should be the final run before the marathon. Good day at work, involved in 60th Birthday presentation to our M.D. Caryl Richards - think we got the tone right (hope so anyway). After work went to Hollie's Belper Slimming World group for final weigh-in before London Marathon. Am 2.5lbs heavier than when I did it in 2010 so that's it - we are where we are complete with osteo-arthritis in one knee. Four days to go and then the running shoes will be hung up for good!
Thursday 10th April 2014
Up dead early to make sure Phil gets up - set alarm a bit earlier after he caught me out yesterday! Took Dog for walk to fetch papers and got back home for 6.30. Had shave etc and then got missus up so could whizz down to lotty and get a row of spuds in. All good stuff.
Friday 11th April 2014
Up at 5am, dog walked. In car for 6am and off to Luton Airport Parkway. Caught train into London - breakfast with Phil in McDonalds then on the tube for Grosvenor Square and the US Embassy to get his visa sorted out.
Waited for hours outside then off to Excel to get marathon number and stuff. Bought a £14 knee support (which in fairness worked ok). Show was more like a big Adidas shop which was a disappointement. Got home for about 8:30pm. Long day
Saturday 12th April 2014
Up at crack of dawn. Dog walked. Papers fetched. All stuff ready and packed up to go for London. We used a chap from Bakewell to taxi myself, Janette, Lucy and mum and dad down to London. We stayed at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury for a small fortune. It was quite average for the money but there you go. The one saving grace was that they let me have a place on their bus to the marathon start (well Blackheath anyway). Anyway, we couldn't check in until 2pm so we went to the Pret a Manger round the corner and had a very expensive almond croissant and coffee. We then went for a walk up the little food market. Then while Janette and Lucy walked round the market - me and me dad went to the pub across the road from Holiday Inn - me dad has a pint, I had a lovely diet coke. Evening meal and bed was the order of the day - watched a tiny bit of golf on the telly but wanted a good kip ahead of a 5:30 start.
Sunday 13th April 2014 - Virgin Money London Marathon Day
Up at 5am. Shaved, showered, breakfasted by 6am (toast and porridge). First two paracetemol of the day taken. Vaseline applied liberally (didn't stop all the blisters but did a good job), 12 hour voltarol gel applied to knee and expensive knee support on after that. Outside for coach at 6:20am and on way to Blackheath. Met up with Ursula Van Leeuwen Hill (SW Marathon cheerleader and Platinum Consultant) and Kathryn at a little coffee shop at the bottom of the park. Got back to Blue start for about 8:50. Loads of loo breaks and took another 2 paracetemol at 9am. All part of the plan. 2 Bananas and into pen nine for 10am - got to the start and off running by 10:16. Was amazed to see people walking before mile 3 - didn't any of the Marathon information sent out sink in at all? Anyway - I set off quite nicely and was doing sub 11 minute miles for first five miles, stopped for a leak at mile 10 (I remembered a good spot from 2009 and 2010). Was still ticking along nicely at 13 and there was a really good dance music band on a lorry there - I picked up 2 gels at this point and carried on, then I remembered that I had to do another two paracetemols so stopped for a few seconds to take another two paracetemol. Had a gel at 15 miles and another one a few miles later then picked another 2 gels a bit later too. It all went a bit bad at mile 23 (13:39) and got worse at mile 24 (16:16 slowest mile) when cramp in my left quad really got me. I had to walk it off a bit in both cases but the thing about London is the support is immense - there is no other run like it! Anyway, the crowd had me running again until I saw the family at mile 25 and that got the tears rolling. So after quick hugs I was off again on the last 800 metres and was proud as punch to get over the line a fraction under 5 hours 10 minute - I went like hell for the last 100 yards to make sure of it too. So overall, pleased with the final result - shame about mile 24 and the cramp but that's the consequence of having a dodgy knee!
Really would love to do just one more... Anyway Osteopath appointment on Wednesday.
Took a long time to get back to the hotel after we ended up walking all the way to Victoria Station so we obviously went wrong somewhere.
15/9
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