Belfast City Marathon 2009.

On Monday 4th of May I drove nervously to Belfast to take part in this years marathon, my first ever race. the traffic was a bit hectic in the city making it difficult to get near the starting area. I pulled the car onto double yellows just long enough to take off the tracksuit trousers and jumper I had over my running gear, and stood and shivered as my wife pinned on my race numbers & chip. It was a cold rainy windy morning and i pretty cold. I made my way on foot to the starting area with moments to spare. the road was packed with people all bustling, waiting for the start. I worked my way through the crowds to get to the section for sub 4 hour finishers. there was a belly high barrier that I had to swing my leg over fast and high as the starters gun went off, and almost immedietly I was moving along with the crowd, building into a run, no warm ups, stretches or anything. I found it quite bizarre running alond with crowds of people around me. Soon I got to realise that there was more to take into consideration, before I make a move to the side to go around someone I would have to glance over the shoulder to ensure that I was'nt intruding on someone elses run space, which I had done to me a few times and I found this very frustrating and well, rude. It was strange also how perhaps I would find myself running along side another runner for 6 or 7 miles and hardly a word was spoken. So after a while I started to talk to some people, even perhaps briefly, a word of encouragment or something to make them giggle, but I thought it was a crime that there were so many people with the same passion and not many were communicating. OK sure, I'm not saying I would want to hold an in depth conversation for miles and miles, but the odd minute here and there makes all the difference. Anyway, after being quietly amused with being able to run down city streets with no traffic, and the rebelous feeling of just dumping down water cups on the street, which felt alien to me, and the surreal sight of groups of people by the road side handing out goops of vasaline at various stages, I started to feel more at home in this surreal experience, especially that as the miles went on, you started to recognise how was in for the long haul, and who were the relay runners who changed every 7 mile or thereabouts. However, at mile 13 I felt a twinge that made me worry. My left hamstring got really tight really fast. Oh no, why, why now? Since I had started running I had never, ever once got a cramp, and now, on race day my left leg was cramping up. I had to reduce my pace immedietly, but there was no notion of stopping. I was going to get over that finish line, come hell or high water! I nursed the cramping hamstring for the remaining 13 miles. I remember that at mile 20 I was running along side a young girl in her twenties for a while and her face said it all. She asked me the time, and her voice was trembling with suffering. I knew her legs were cramping up, I just knew it, so I asked her if thats what was bothering her, she answered yes. I encouraged her with some advice, then with 4 miles left to go she got further and further behind. I'm not sure if she finished running. I hope so. I will never forget those last 4 miles. "four miles to go!" an official shouted, great I thought, I know what 4 miles feels like, happy days, not long to go. Everything below the waist was sore now, not to mention the leg cramp which felt like something was about to go 'PING!'. So what seemed like three and a half miles, another official called 3 miles to go! "WHAT!!??" I thought to myself, NO WAY!!!OK, settle, 3 miles to go, Thats ok, so after what felt like 2.5/3 miles an official called out "2 miles to go!" Oh Crap! this is tough! I thought it was never going to end. My left leg was getting tighter and tigher with every step, my feet were sore, my knees, my hips, and every time I thought we must be near the end it seemed that someone must be moving the finish line further and further away. But i endured, and crossed the finish line in 4 hrs, 15 mins, 15 secs. i was elated with finishing, but dissapointed because i knew that without the leg cramp for 13 miles I would have done it in well under 4 hours. But, I had achieved what I had come for, to endure, overcome and have my first marathon, 26.2 miles under the belt. There were thousands of people in the park were it finished and I foolishly did not carry my phone with me, and therefore did not manage to meet up with my wife for about an hour. By that stage it was pretty darn cold, raining, and i was wandering around on tired legs, a foil blanket wrapped round me, looking for my wife who had brought sandwiches, which if I didnt get to soon, would start to eat the grass in the feild, because i wanted food badly. But it's strange, I'm almost glad of that time wondering around, because you get to see some sights. At one point as the rain really came down, I stood aginst a wall for shelter as the rain was coming in sideways, I saw a guy coming from the finish line with a white t-shirt on and two bloody rings were his obviously sore nipple were, and two trails of red running down. not good. I had tape over mine, and was very happy in that area. also there were some red inner thighs, I was glad of my lycra shorts for that. Anyway, when I did meet up with the wife and kids, got a few pictures took, I enjoyed getting back to the car for a lovely warm coffee, which I had a hankering for after drinking water etc all day, and enjoyed a sandwich, as i proudly wore the medal I had earned. If you were to ask me in those last few miles if I were to do another marathon, I probably would have told you were to get off. But, after some food and a hot shower, I got home and was looking online for my next challenge! He he,............ I am a runner!