My first and, to date, only marathon was the Flora London Marathon in April 1998. I completed it in around 4hrs 20minutes.
Tomorrow (24/01) i am running the Gloucester Marathon - i am more than 10years older but am hoping to take maybe 50min-1hr off that time! (Hopefully i won't eat those words).
Thinking back where i am today started in a local curry house after a day out drinking and watching rugby with some mates. A turning point i guess you would call it - do you take the red pill or the blue pill?
In those days i was very different as we all were i guess. Out to much, drinking too much and eating bad food. Nothing that a lot of 20year olds haven't done and will continue to do. Sat in Shezans curry house one of the guys suggested that we run marathons! Hmmm so we we were drunk, eating curry and it was, of course, a great idea! As the evening progressed the plans grew grander, start with London then travel the world running marathons! It never really happened that way...
I think there were 4 of us in the restaurant and 3 of us completed entry forms. I was the only one to get in. My red pill/blue pill moment was in front of me. Train to do the marathon alone or carry on as i was. I decided to take up the entry on the basis that it was clearly something of value with only 1 in 4 of us getting in.
I set about my training programme and considering my fitness base was rubbish picked a training plan that was to get around. Not worried about finishing time more about just finishing!
I can remember very little about the actual run that day, even what the weather was like is gone from my memory. I remember the finish line, some friends had come down to see me finish and my dad was there (he had been trying to get around the course all day to support me and i had not seen him once!!). My finish time was 4hrs 20minutes - nothing too great but i had finished and had set myself on a road that i am still running along!
Lots of things have changed between then and now - marriage, kids, diabetes, career, friends all have changed.
On the eve of my second marathon i am calm and relaxed, much more so that i imagine i was all those years ago. I am better prepared and just in better shape than i was then.
One thing for sure - it won't be another 10years before my next marathon!
