The "run up" to this event was more like a painful shuffle. Having got it into my head that I needed to try running on tired legs after Brighton marathon and also finishing that race so well, I was out on the Tuesday and Thursday for steady club runs and quickly found that I should have been doing a lot more rehab (massage, stretching) to get over the effects of that run. Tuesday had me glad of other people's injuries so I could drop back and jog/walk with them nursing my own hip flexor and knee issues and then Thursday I felt some developing achy pain at the top of my right Achilles, which came from having very tight calf muscles and then going out for a hilly jog. Time to panic!
I spent Thursday evening foam rolling and massaging my calves and booked a treatment session at Reform and Renew Osteopathy, vowing to spend every bit of free time between now and St George's Day doing rehab exercises and getting my calves back in shape. At least on Friday I managed to get out of bed without pain in my Achilles, just very tight right calf muscles. It was starting to feel like a retrievable situation, but I knew I had to do a lot of work to get my legs right or I could end up putting the rest of the year's events in jeopardy.
My treatment at R and R Osteopathy with Abby resulted in a lot of needles going in to relieve tension in various bits of calf muscles, particularly the offending piece of the right calf that was pulling most on my Achilles. I then got taped up on both my right calf and left hamstring (I had forgotten about that injury, but Abby found it again!) with blue tape, which slightly compromised my St George's Day colour scheme.
St George's Day
This year St George's Day, the 23rd of April, was on a Thursday and I took the day off work to do the marathon. It was going to be another 5am start as the marathon was due to start at 8am and the trip down to the venue in Walmer in Kent would take about 2 hours. I needed to be on the road before 5:30am to give myself a chance of getting there on time. As I was also planning to make a detour on the way home to go to the London Marathon expo to pick up my race number and then head straight on to Abby's for a massage, I was going to have a very busy day. This was a mission needing expert planning and precision timing!
I loaded up the motorbike the night before, so it was ready to roll and laid out my race gear so I could wear it all under my motorbike gear. Then I could just step out James Bond fashion ready to run. The journey down (round the M25, down to Dover, then heading north towards Deal) went reasonably smoothly. I arrived in the car park on Walmer sea front at 7:15 in time to get my kit sorted and have a loo break.
Kit for the day had to include lots of red and white, being St George's Day, which turns out to be quite easy for a Sandhurst Jogger. So, SJ race vest, newly purchased red/white cap, old London Marathon jacket to keep warm in case of inclement weather and red calf guards. I was back in the Hokas since they had worked so well at Brighton, but left the quick-draw laces on, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake.
74 patriotic people at the start |
Chasing the Dragon
At the pier, about a mile to go to the turn point |
I first met Karen Summerville just after she had fallen and broken her shoulder at Thames Meander marathon in March. She finished that race in a sling. Amazing woman! |
worked up to my hips and pelvis too.
End of lap 2 coming in for more cake and squash |
4:34:04.
At the finish with Janet (Greg Ward's better half), Jonathan Burton (right) recovered to finish just 5 minutes after me |
London Marathon Expo
With my main rival at any big marathon, the only runner I actually try to beat! |
dehydrated, so once I had my number I made straight for the Fullers stand to get some free beer samples. My St George's Day marathon medal was a great talking point for many people around the expo and was really useful in getting a few more free samples of protein recovery bars. I managed to see Katy Mead and Emma Lewis, then at 4:30 I left the expo to head across town and Abby's treatment table for a post race check up and massage. Either I am getting used to the pain, or Abby was being very gentle - I suspect the latter.
So, St George's Day Marathon, proved hard work. The course was a bit dull, but the other runners were a really good friendly crowd and the aid station, volunteers, medal and goody bag were great. I have already decided to sign up for next year at the bargain price of £30. Next year it will be on a Saturday which I think will put it on the day before London, so it could be my first double marathon weekend!
Very impressive medal and a steady and sensible finish time |
Contents of the well stocked goody bag also included an England cap |
(PS: just found out that SVN are holding another Wonderland Caucus Run (6 hour challenge) the day before St George's - so this could turn out to be a triple!)
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