Ailish Nimmo ran her first London Marathon using the Club place - well done. Here's her report
I have wanted to do a marathon for some time, and entered the London ballot 6 times without success. Although I was disappointed to not get in, there was always a small amount of relief too so it was exciting but also a bit overwhelming to realise I was actually going to have to do what I had talked about for so long. Training proved harder than I thought- the prolonged winter and starting a new job with an 80 mile commute meant I was not as consistent as I would have liked, though at least it meant I had no injuries to cope with!
I was nervous but excited at the start, but it helps being part of such a massive group to realise you are not on your own. It was a bit disconcerting to be running in tropical heat after battling with sub-zero temperatures, snow and wind for so long but with a new hat and plenty of suncream I was keen to get going. The first half went quickly- I felt good, there was a huge amount of support and running round the Cutty Stark and over Tower Bridge was pretty special – spying some of the Bake Off stars stopping to take selfies.
By the second half I was more aware of the heat, some people were starting to suffer and when you’ve seen a few being carted off by St Johns Ambulance it’s a good prompt to not push too hard. The support is massive all the way round- with ice lollies, oranges and sweets and I must have been looking more tired as I definitely got a lot more people shouting my name between miles 14 and 20.
By 20 miles I knew I would finish even if I crawled, but it’s also frustrating when your legs won’t do as you try and tell them. I was trying to keep up with someone dressed in a massive rhino costume – but I guess they are used to the heat and I think he got away from me!
Turning the final corner at Big Ben and seeing the finish was amazing- I felt like I managed to put a sprint in at the end but imagine it was realistically more of a shuffle. I was so pleased that I was only a bit tired and felt otherwise good so haven’t been put off doing one again. The best bit of having quite a sedate time is there is more opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and support along the way. I even got my 5 seconds of fame on ITV news that evening holding my medal at the end! Thanks very much to Moorfoots for letting such an amateur runner wear your vest at such a special event.
I have wanted to do a marathon for some time, and entered the London ballot 6 times without success. Although I was disappointed to not get in, there was always a small amount of relief too so it was exciting but also a bit overwhelming to realise I was actually going to have to do what I had talked about for so long. Training proved harder than I thought- the prolonged winter and starting a new job with an 80 mile commute meant I was not as consistent as I would have liked, though at least it meant I had no injuries to cope with!
I was nervous but excited at the start, but it helps being part of such a massive group to realise you are not on your own. It was a bit disconcerting to be running in tropical heat after battling with sub-zero temperatures, snow and wind for so long but with a new hat and plenty of suncream I was keen to get going. The first half went quickly- I felt good, there was a huge amount of support and running round the Cutty Stark and over Tower Bridge was pretty special – spying some of the Bake Off stars stopping to take selfies.
By the second half I was more aware of the heat, some people were starting to suffer and when you’ve seen a few being carted off by St Johns Ambulance it’s a good prompt to not push too hard. The support is massive all the way round- with ice lollies, oranges and sweets and I must have been looking more tired as I definitely got a lot more people shouting my name between miles 14 and 20.
By 20 miles I knew I would finish even if I crawled, but it’s also frustrating when your legs won’t do as you try and tell them. I was trying to keep up with someone dressed in a massive rhino costume – but I guess they are used to the heat and I think he got away from me!
Turning the final corner at Big Ben and seeing the finish was amazing- I felt like I managed to put a sprint in at the end but imagine it was realistically more of a shuffle. I was so pleased that I was only a bit tired and felt otherwise good so haven’t been put off doing one again. The best bit of having quite a sedate time is there is more opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and support along the way. I even got my 5 seconds of fame on ITV news that evening holding my medal at the end! Thanks very much to Moorfoots for letting such an amateur runner wear your vest at such a special event.
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