London Marathon 2019

At last, here it is. Bet you were beginning to think I’d never cough up the lowdown on the London Marathon.

When I left off I’d entered my starting corral and we walked…slowly…to the start.

Race Goals: Run happy. I planned to be in full-on sip-and-savor mode. I wanted to soak in all the sights and sounds, while reflecting on this amazing running journey I’d never anticipated when I signed up for that first, ONE AND DONE (riiight) marathon back in 2007. Unlike Tokyo, I had no time pressure and I wore my hydration pack so I wouldn’t have to stop at water stations as much. I planned to do this one as a massive victory lap, enjoy the crowds and scenery and take lots of pics along the way.

All that said, you know I’ve got issues with going over 5 hours, right? I still wanted to be sub 5. Am I asking too much?

My wave got up to the starting arch and just like that we were off. It was a blur. There were crowds. BBC TV cameras. A cacophony of noisy cheers, air horns, cowbells, you  name it. I’d opted to not listen to music and it was the right choice as there’s no way I’d ever hear it.

Similar to Boston, London is a point-to-point course that starts through sleepy, outlying villages so you really get a taste of British suburban life vs London city life. As you go, you get ever closer to London and the sights and sounds that go along with that amazing city.

I took my time the first few miles, not feeling particularly great but of course that didn’t matter. The cranky knee was totally silent. Dr. Miracle had worked his magic, as usual.

So many London runners run in costume. I ran much of the race with a giant rhino. 

At about the 3 mile mark we converged with a wave from a different color group. The way London works is there are 3 bib colors, each of which starts from a separate place. Apparently the courses are a little different until they merge. I’d never seen this in a marathon before but it seemed to work well.

At the expo, the World Marathon Majors people gave me a bib to wear on my back. It was amazing the number of runners who came up and congratulated me. Hundreds. They’d run with me and we’d chat. They’d ask questions about which major was my first, which was my favorite, etc. Running a marathon truly is like running with 45,000 friends and I was feeling all the love today. Somehow most of them could nail my Chicago accent. What?!

I decided to try a different fueling strategy in London. I’d gotten so nauseous in Tokyo, I decided I’d only take half a gel at a time and drink diluted Accelerade from my backpack. This ended up working out pretty well.

Around mile 7 or so we saw the Cutty Sark. The entire course so far was like a raging street party and this area was no different. It was a party atmosphere at it’s finest. This is where my knee issue presented itself. Not in a painful way, but it let me know it was there. How far would it allow me to run? Thankfully by mile 10 the issue had subsided completely, never to return.

Looming in the distance was the building the English call “the cheese grater”.

The course is so interesting. Every time I looked up, I’d find something else to wow me.

The Shard

 

Another toothless grin cuz look! Tower Bridge!

Around mile 12, seemingly out of nowhere the Tower Bridge came into sight. It was surreal. I’d used running apps in the past that did Tower Bridge simulations, now here I was running across the real thing.

Amazing. I was in awe. I took my sweet time across the bridge. I stopped, took pics and sent Snap Chats to my kids. Notice spectators are allowed to cheer ON the bridge. Talk about a party.

At mile 15 we ran through a long, winding tunnel and I figured my Garmin would be messed up from there on for sure. My fuel strategy was working but I was already tired. Sub-par endurance training will do that.

In the latter miles I started wanting only water. They were giving out cute little bottles of cold Buxton water that I quite liked. I forced myself to dig out my Honey Stinger Chews. The same ones I was too lazy to bother with in Tokyo. They also gave out what the English call “jelly babies” in a couple of spots. We Americans would call them jelly beans or sport beans. I enjoyed them but having them all over the street isn’t the best idea. I had to stop twice to pry them off the bottoms of my shoes.

I came upon a Lucozade Pod station. Basically Lucozade sports drink is inside a seaweed “pod” that you pop into your mouth. It was odd but I’ll try anything to keep my going in those last miles. The membrane lingered in my mouth so I spit it out. Based on the looks of the road, everyone else did too.

The sights on the course continued to be incredible. The Tower of London, the London Eye, Big Ben and Parliament. No marathon I’ve ever run has so many amazing sights.

Crowds continued to be off the leash and now we were getting to the end. In the final mile, I reflected on my marathon journey, thinking of the runner I was when I turned down that very first opportunity to run London. I thought about all the places running has taken me and all the friends I’ve made along the way.

We ran in front of Buckingham Palace toward the final turn for the homestretch. It was overwhelming. I’d watched the elites come around this turn on TV for years and now I was here.

I was ready to finish. I’d thought about this moment for eons. I ran it in. It was everything I’d ever imagined, and more.

I crossed the finish line then paused for a bit before I got my medal and the Abbott World Marathon Majors people were there to congratulate me. It was all so surreal. You’re tired and exhilarated and brain dead all at once.

Finish Time: 4:58, I will take it, especially with the way I jacked around on the course.

Final Words. I loved this race. Could you tell? The course is not terribly difficult. It’s really not difficult at all, except that it’s a freaking marathon. I so appreciate the British enthusiasm and zany sense of humor. There is not one dead spot on this course and most of the way, there are people cheering 20 deep. There are spots where the crowds impinge on the course so much only two runners can get through at a time. Maybe if I was running for time I’d care, but on this day I sure did not. The scenery is awe inspiring; the best I’ve seen and you know I’ve run my share of epic races. There were aid stations about every mile. Much more frequent than in Tokyo. They had shower sprayers along the course too. While we did not need them this year because it was cool, I appreciated that they were prepared.

Speaking of weather, it started blustery and in the mid 40’s and ended in the low to mid 50s. There were some cold gusts of wind and a few sprinkles of rain in a couple of spots but overall it was pretty darn ideal.

The swag: The shirt is okay, nothing special. It’s made by New Balance and I’d have preferred a ladies’ cut but unisex it is. The medal is the same classic one they’ve had for a few years now. People complain that it’s boring and it kind of is, but I really don’t mind it at all. I’ve gotten far worse. Haha! I do like that the racecourse is etched on the back.

Life has a way of coming full circle and in the case of my running journey, it certainly has as well. While I won’t guarantee I’ll never ever run another marathon, my cup runneth way over with the experiences I’ve already had. It’s been one helluvan amazing ride. I’ve learned so much about life, about myself and about human nature. And how some journeys end in their own perfect time, in their own perfect way.

Have you been to London? Has running taken you places you never dreamed? Did you enter my giveaway?