Seeing things from both Sides

It's the day after the Marathon and I think I have felt worse today than I did this time last year, spectating is exhausting!..... best not mention it to Jan though.

I did enjoy it to be honest, seeing everything from the other side was great, and, if any lessons needed learning for any particular reason's then it was quite interesting. For any would be marathoner's take note:

1)      Spray tan is essential.
2)      If you have dull coloured hair like mine, get your highlights done.
3)      Invest in some water resistant make up.
4)      Take time to pick your outfit and for goodness sake .... look in the mirror.
5)      For me, should I ever want to do it again, a cap and sunglasses are a must.

....... but on a more serious note, we arrived in Parliament square just as the 3 and 1/2 hour to 4 hour finishers were going by. My Dad remarked that no two runners run the same way and it is absolutely true, equally true though is that there is no 'type' of  person who finishes in what to me is a ridiculous time. There were men and women, all ages, all sizes, some of them were struggling, some limping, some were even walking but regardless, they had all been going incredibly fast to get to that stage in that time. It does rather confirm an article I was sent recently by a friend. It was about some kind of study that has been done that shows that there are certain genes that you need to run a marathon successfully, if you don't have the particular concoction of genes then it really doesn't matter how hard you train you will never run a reasonable marathon and in some cases training can cause you to get worse rather than better. I am beginning to think that I am lacking in the 'marathon running' genes!

Anyway, we stood for some hours and watched the endless stream of hero's and heroines run, walk, hobble, laugh, cry and drag themselves towards the finish. Some had agony etched over their faces and I knew only too well just what that pain felt like, others clutched parts of their bodies and again I recognised some of the pains especially that sickening, grinding pain in your hip that many of them were trying in vain to rub away. There were hero's in the crowd too, a couple of men close seemed to be on a mission to shout out the names of as many people as they could possibly see as the runners streamed by, so simple but so important and more important as the time ticked by and the runners thinned. I saw dissapointment on some faces, a couple of years ago my ignorance would have said 'bit more training needed' but this year I wanted to say 'be proud because you've won, all the training in the world won't guarantee you your target time but you can still be a winner' as I stood there in ore of all of them my own achievement last year finally sunk in and I felt proud that I was actually one of this elite gang, I wasn't running today, but in the words of one of my many books, I am a marathoner.

There was only one group of runner's I couldn't relate to and they were the soldiers, they ran in their army gear, not 'engineered' running shoes but heavy boots and they carried enormous packs on their backs. They were running for military charities, men and women who they have possibly fought alongside ... struggled to keep it together as they went past, huge respect.

Jan arrived smiling but exhausted, her finish time was a bit over last years but it was going to be, since Christmas she has struggled with her health and the awful weather. Of course when we met (and I insisted we were all there to meet her) her first words were 'never again' I think they must be everyone's first words. Today though she is planning for New York.

When I picked Madi up today she insisted we both register for the ballot for next year. I will do and then we'll wait and see, in the meantime I have a half marathon to run ..... and Madi and Jordan have a baby to have - yes my coach is expecting!.... I'm going to be a granny, how exciting is that!.