Marathon Number 8: The Kent Roadrunner Marathon

Wow they seem to coming and going so quickly now! I can't believe that I have just completed marathon number 8.  I have been desperate to give this marathon a try. I was unable to get a place last year, as it is a very popular race, and sells out fast. I was determined to get a place this year and to include it in my challenge.  The more marathons I run, the more I am starting to love the small, low key races.  Marathon runners are incredible people and I love being surrounded by them. It takes a special kind of person to be able to complete 26.2 miles.  Yesterday's race was full of these special people.I didn't know much about this race, other than you get an incredible medal at the end.  I was soon to learn that the race was made up of 17 laps!  I struggle doing half marathons when they consist of 2 laps. So I had no idea how I was going to get my head around 17 laps. Needless to say this didn't put me off, as every marathon I do has it's own challenge.

I have to admit that I haven't done any running since The London Marathon.  I have suffered some serious exhaustion since that race.  Which has been infuriating, because my mind has been screaming to go out running, but my body has not been having any of it, and I had to be sensible and listen to it.  I have managed a few outdoor swims, which as been good. So I haven't exactly been doing nothing over the last month.  I am fully aware that I am taking part in my first swimming event, The Great London Swim in July, so I can't neglect this training.  Despite the lack of running, I arrived at the Cyclopark, in Kent with a healthy, positive mind. I was looking forward to completing another marathon.  As soon as I arrived I felt overwhelmed by the friendly atmosphere.  I collected my race number and found a bench to perch on to get myself ready. Even seeing the race number excited me! The best one I've ever had. Sometimes the attention to detail can make a huge difference.

I got myself positioned in the starting line ready for the off. I was approached by a few runners who I have met in previous races.  It's great that I am starting to see the same faces at races. It makes me feel much more relaxed, it's also nice having people to chat to, as I do these events on my own.  There was nothing intimidating about this race at all. Most runners were wearing the official Roadrunner vest, which looked awesome. If I wasn't wearing my charity vest, I would have got me one. Everybody looked brilliant. The gun went off in no time and we were off! To begin with I felt ok, the first lap was done very quickly.  To help us with counting down the laps, we were given 16 wrist bands to wear.  You had to take one off and throw it in a bucket just before you ran through the next lap.  So there was no mile markers.  I really liked this approach. Though I found myself constantly staring down at my wrist bands and counting how many I had left.

After the 3rd lap, I started to feel the effects from the lack of training. I was still so exhausted. I could have laid down in the grass and had a nap.  This meant I was having to start walking parts of it.  It was so frustrating. Everybody that passed me was super encouraging. I was so blown away by people taking the time to speak to me. This really kept me going.  Even the fastest of runners were taking the time to shout "Keep going Kerry!", " You're doing amazing Kerry, Keep going".  Lots of runners even took the time to run with me at certain points. I just needed energy. I was taking energy gels, the free jelly shots on offer, juice you name it.  After the 6th lap I got an huge wave of energy and was able pick my feet up again.

One of the things that kept me focused was looking forward to taking off a band and throwing it into the bucket.  Though the bands caused great OCD problems though.  They were all a random of colours.  I would spend each lap seriously deciding on what colour to throw next. I took half of them off and put them on my other wrist, to make sure I had even amount of colours. I somehow thought this may trick my mind into thinking I don't have as many laps to go. This didn't work at all, so I put them all back on one wrist. Then my dilemma was what colours to get rid of first,  There was only one orange band so I had decided to make that the last band, as it was fitting with my charity colour.  Yep, I was beginning to loose it! This bands were controlling my mind. There was a point where I felt like I had done loads of laps but still had loads of bands left. I just kept counting them over and over again. I must admit it did feel awesome when I was down to the last few.

Support

I  would not have completed this race had it not been for the amazing support I got from literally everybody. There wasn't thousands of spectators at the event, but the support that was there were people supporting their friends and loved ones, but they offered great support to everyone.  I was very well aware that I was almost last in the race and that I was going to finish well over 6 hours.  I just had to accept this and finish it regardless.  The supporters never made me feel ashamed or embarrassed. They just praised and encouraged.  There were 2 guys that were marshaling at the far end of the course.  They were simply brilliant. I looked forward to running passed them every time.  They would always make me laugh and list my spirits. There was only one drink/food station too and the people handing out the drinks were brilliant too!  As people were starting to finish the race the course was getting less and less busy. When I was down to my last 3 laps, there was hardly any runners left.  This meant I could sing loudly to my hearts content without offending anyone. I was shocked to see that I still had a lot support cheering me on. This put a rocket up my backside and started to pick up the pace.  I just wanted it to end now. Soon enough I had just one wrist band left. The orange one. Though I didn't want to throw it in the bucket, I wanted to keep it. So I stuffed it into my pocket and began my journey into the last lap.

To the Finish

Everyone was cheering me on, shouting my name even more. I blocked out every bit of pain and I ran hard. I had tears of joy and pain rolling down my face for the whole last lap, and just thanked everyone I passed for their support. I ran passed the 2 guys for the last time and was nearly home straight.  I forgot to mention that there was a cheeky little hill just before the race lapped.  To begin with it wasn't so bad, but once you have ran up it 17 times it felt like the Great Mountain of Kent!.  The very last time I had to run up it felt like someone had lifted it up and extended it 10 times longer than it was. Once I got to the top I thought I was going to vomit it hurt so much, what stopped me was seeing the end in sight.  I pulled out my headphones to sock up the last few yards. Just as I did that I had the pleasure of yet another seagull deposit his bottom on my head and the back of my arms (This happened during the Brighton Marathon in April) Great! I am about to cross another finish line covered in bird poop! Who cares! I just wanted that medal in my hands. The crowd were cheering now like I was first so I focused my energy and managed a sprint finish. Another runner handed me my medal. I wanted to give her such a huge hug, but I was aware that I was splattered in poop.  The medal is just simply incredible! Worth every lap for sure.

It felt great to finish.  Though I was really gutted about how long it took me, I can't really be surprised by this.  It is my own fault.  I do however want to come back next year and do this one again. I know I can do better. I will make it my years plan to train hard and come back fighting. The event is fantastically organised and all the people involved make you want to come back. I can't thank them all enough.  I would seriously recommend this race! Even as a first marathon, I think it's perfect for a beginner. Thanks a lot Kent Roadrunner. See you next year!!













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Life after the London Marathon

The London Marathon almost feels like a distant memory now.  April was a crazy whirlwind of a month! I can hardly believe I did it. I ran 3 marathons in 15 days!  I know what it is like when you run a marathon and straight after you hit a massive come down.  So imagine what it is like when you have completed 3. I have certainly come back down to earth with one MASSIVE bang.  Usually when I have completed a marathon, I pick myself up by either entering another race, or focusing my mind on another challenge.  With 8 marathons still to go, I still have half of the challenge ahead of me.  Yet completing the London Marathon blindfolded seems like such a huge accomplishment in itself, I am finding it hard getting my head back in the game. I have massively under estimated how hard this challenge would be.  Of course I knew it was going to be difficult, but I never realised the impact it would have on my life. It is a full time commitment. It's on my mind all the time. My next race, training, fundraising, my charity, blogging, social media and recovering from blisters and aches and pains. 

Recovery

Physically, I seemed to have recovered really well from April's madness.  I was worried that I would be plagued with injuries.  I have been very lucky so far.  I have suffered from a few monster blisters but that's about it.  Mentally, however it has been extremely tough.  Just when I think I know what the word exhausted means, I am taken to a whole new level.  This is making little naughty negative thoughts pop into my head. I am strong enough to not allow them to beat me. I am finding it hard to start training again. My body just seems to want rest so I have to let it have it. Last thing I need to happen is I burn out. I still have a lot of marathons ahead. I just hope that I am going to be fighting fit for marathon number 8, which is at the end of May. It will make the half way point.  What a journey so far it has been. I am looking forward to seeing what happens over the last 7. Most importantly, The Giants Head Marathon, which I am crapping myself over! Well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

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Marathon number 7 - The London Marathon - Running it BLINDBOLDED

It just hasn't sunk yet that I ran the London Marathon BLINDFOLDED. It almost doesn't feel like I ran a marathon at all because I have no visual memory of it.  My memories are mainly of sound and smell.  It has definitely been a life changing experience and an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life.

Once I had secured my place in the London Marathon through SENSE, the next thing I needed to do was find a crazy fool to guide me. I thought this was going to be a very hard task.  Ideally what I was looking for was someone that had ran marathons before. Someone that knew what it took to finish one.  I put out a few shouts on social media but wasn't getting much of a response.  What I didn't realise, was the ideal person for the job was staring me right in the face.  My friend Abbie. As soon as I asked her she said yes.  She was to be my crazy fool.  Abbie had never ran a marathon before, but I knew she was the perfect person for the job.  I have known her since school so the trust was instantly there.  Our only problem was going to be the distance between us.  With me living in London and Abbie living in Middlesbrough, this was going to make it tough to train regularly, but we managed it.

I was so excited for Abbie because it was her first marathon and I was going to be right there to share that with her and she was going to be right there to get me through one of the hardest challenges I have ever set myself.  She travelled down from Boro on Friday evening.  It was so hard seeing everyone's Expo pictures on social media. I was so desperate to go and get my race number in my hands, but I had to wait for Abbie. There was no way I could have gone without her.  We were in this together till the bitter end. Walking around the Expo made it all very real. We were both very excited but both experiencing our own nerves, but I know we were sharing the "What the fuck are we doing?" feelings.

RACE DAY

As soon as we arrived at Greenwich park the realisation of it all hit us hard.  This was happening. Today. We met up with SENSE for a photo call, dropped off our bags and made our way to our starting pen.  I made a pact that as soon as we got into our pen, I would put the blindfold over my eyes and not remove it until I had the medal around my neck.  We stood by the fencing to the entrance and I suddenly felt a tidal wave of emotion hit me like a ton of bricks.  I couldn't hold it back.  I promised I wouldn't cry but I couldn't stop myself.  There was a man in a wheelchair who looked at me and said "just remember, pain is temporary, pride is forever".  I have heard this many times before but coming from this man, it took a whole new meaning.  It was incredibly powerful and did nothing to stop the tears coming down my face. All I could do now was put the blindfold on and mask the tears.  I grabbed hold of Abbie's hand and she led me into the starting pen.  I almost felt like I was about to have a panic attack.  The pen was still really empty so this gave us a good opportunity to walk in a big circle continuously for as long as we could.  This really helped to calm me down.

We walked liked this until the pen got too busy.  It was so strange not being able to see all the fancy dress runners.  Abbie was having to describe what was around me.  Giant Minions, Big Bird, thousands of Tutu wearers and a Spiderman and a Scottish man with a karaoke machine.  He came over to me and we all had a sing song.  This was exactly what I needed. Abbie took photos with me and all these runners to look back on we had finished.  Until then all I had to go on was her descriptions and copping a feel.  Which I was kindly allowed to do.  With all of this going on we hadn't even noticed that the race had started. We were moving forward but ever so slowly.  I have done the London Marathon twice before so I was trying to use my memory to remember what it looked like but this was quite difficult.  What I found too was it wasn't was noisy as I thought it would be. I could almost here people's nerves.  Abbie told me she could see the start line. I squeezed her hand tight and our feet stepped over the line. I felt so disorientated.  The crowds were cheering so loud. To begin with this was so exciting.  It felt like everyone was shouting "GO KERRY!!" "GO ABBIE!".  It was insane.

We both needed the toilet so we had to stop at the first porter loos we came too. Sadly the queue was so long that we were last in the marathon.  The sweeper bus had gone way passed us and the trucks were right by us cleaning up the roads.  We both started to panic.  We got back onto the road and started running.  The only good thing about this was the roads where clear.  We didn't have to worry about dodging other runners.  We got a good comfortable pace going and just went with it. The crowds were so supportive.  I was so shocked people were still out cheering because of how far behind we were, but in no time at all we over took the sweeper bus and were surrounded by runners again.  We were back in the race.

People were shouting our names from both sides of the roads.  It was incredible.  It was giving me such confidence in what we were doing.  Then we were met with a huge obstacle, which was to be a problem for me for the rest of the race.  The entertainment.  I know myself from running many marathons that the entertainment along the route is fantastic.  It really lifts your spirits.  For me today, it was torture.  Every time we ran passed it I would freak out because I couldn't hear Abbie's voice anymore. It made me loose concentration and actually made me feel really scared.  This would force us to walk until we had passed it and it would take a bit of time for me to run again.  There was one moment where we ran into a tunnel, with a group of drummers inside it. This was horrible.  It was very suffocating.  Thankfully this was only on one occasion.  I couldn't help but wonder if blind people feel similar at these points, or whether they would just be use to it.

There were so many moments when I became very emotional. All I could think about was the children in my school who were blind and how this is what it must be like for them.  It made me feel so guilty knowing that I would be able to take the blindfold off at the end.  I had to keep reminding myself that I was doing this for them.  It also helped having Abbie beside me to keep talking to me.  She was marvellous at keeping my spirits up.  A little after mile 11 I lost my footing somehow and took a fall.  This was very scary! I scrapped my hand and leg on the way down.  This frightened us both, although it wasn't my guides fault, we had to walk for a little while after this because my confidence and been shot.  This didn't last long as I knew that Tower Bridge was coming.  This is an iconic moment and there was no way we were walking over it. As we ran over it I used the sounds I could hear to paint the image in my head of what it looked like and it sounded AMAZING.  It was great hearing Abbie's reaction to it too.  It was really moving.

I knew the rest of the race was going to be tough for both of us.  Thankfully I had 2 amazing friends that joined us for quite a lot of the route. They really both deserves medals themselves.  They got the crowd going for us and kept both our spirits up.  This was really needed for the second half of the race. For me they were the best entertainment of the whole marathon.

Being so far back of the race was starting to cause us so many problems.  The roads were being cleaned up around us.  We had trucks, tractors and buses all around us. Once again causing so much noise that it was making it so hard for me to hear Abbie.  She really had her work cut out for the both of us.  We were both starting to struggle with pain.  Then the marshals started to directed us onto the pavement.  This was so difficult for us.  We could no longer run as it was too dangerous. I kept tripping up over uneven surfaces and the general public were not bring particularly kind of keeping out of the way.  This was really frustrating as the walking was doing us no favours and costing us time.  I was so worried that we weren't going to finish in time for a medal.

We were allowed back onto the road from mile 25, but it was so hard to run now.  The walking we had to do made it hard to pick our feet up again.   We had an army of people supporting us now though, walking us up to the finish. The last mile was very emotional.  Abbie was in so much pain.  We were supporting each other to finish.  I was just waiting for her to tell me that she could see Buckingham Palace. As soon as it was in her sight I grabbed hold of her hand tightly and we ran to the finish.  I think we were both so relieved that it was over.  I suddenly felt someone walk over to me to put something around my neck!  Here it was. My medal. I grabbed hold of it so tightly and ran my fingers over it to feel every inch of it (Yeah I just realised how dodgy that sounded!! ha) I pulled the blindfold from my eyes.  I had been unable to see for over 7 hours.  I have never felt so proud to look at a medal. I did it. I ran a marathon blindfolded!! I literally could not have done it without Abbie.  She did an amazing job! I can't thank her enough for agreeing to do this for me. I feel the emotions every time I look at the pictures. I hope I have done Sense proud.  They had great cheering squads around the route and it made me feel great doing this for them.

I also have to say a huge THANK YOU for my best friends Laura and Dan for their amazing support throughout the WHOLE race.  I am not sure we would have gotten through the last 12 miles with them. Also thank you to everyone that supported me before, during and after this challenge.

So another mile ticked off. Almost half way through.  Thankfully I have a few weeks rest now until marathon number 8, which will be the Kent Road Runners Marathon on the 30th May.

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Marathon number 6: Manchester Marathon

People keep asking me if these marathons are getting easier. Well the answer is a straight forward no! I very much doubt I will cross a finishing line with the thoughts of "Oh well that was easy" Some are certainly harder than others for sure, but 26.2 miles will never feel like a walk in the park!

I had a horrible time at Brighton last week. I spent most of the race in so much pain.  I had no idea how my legs would hold up to Manchester.  Plus I have never done 2 marathons over 2 consecutive Sundays before.  This was going to be an almighty test for me, physically and mentally.  I pride myself in being a super strong minded person. I am willing to push myself to the limits to see how strong I think I am. I am so determined when I put my mind to something.

In a nutshell, I really loved the Manchester Marathon. My preparation for it was pretty poor though.  I hadn't even realised that it started and finished at The Old Trafford Football Stadium.  Being an Arsenal fan this hurt a little. Needless to say, it was a great setting for a marathon start and finish.

I got myself to my starting pen and no sooner from when I got there did I bump into the first of many people that I know from social media.  First up was a guy called Mark who has been a great supporter of my challenge, so it was wonderful to finally meet him.  Then from when the race got started faces were popping up everywhere.  I ran with quite a few people who knew me from Instagram, which was brilliant.  I comfortably ran to 13 miles with no problems at all.  Though I was very well aware I was running a slow pace, as the running mass was way ahead of me. Though I can't fault the people of Manchester.  They were just as supportive for the people at the back, than the super faster runners way up front.  This goes for all the marshals who were just brilliant.

As I approached mile 18 I could see a girl up ahead. walking with a silver foil blanket wrapped around her (I call them space blankets).  I could see that she was struggling so I made it my mission to catch up to her. Her name was Megan. She had pulled a muscle in her leg and had been walking since mile 13.  She was in agony and wasn't sure she would be able to carry on.  I just couldn't let her quit!  She was at mile 18!! and I know damn well that 8 more miles is a lot to go, but if you can get to 18 you must carry on regardless. I made it my mission to stay with her to get her through it.  I wasn't bothered about chasing a time.  I just needed to finish this race safely.  By the time 20 miles came around I was feeling it too.  Every bone and muscle in both of my feet were letting me know how angry they were. I just had to up the conversation to keep both our spirits high.  The general public were an amazing help with this too.  Everyone acknowledged us as we both limped on by.

Every mile after 20 just seems like a fuzzy blur now.  The roads just looked the same, the people just looked the same. All I kept thinking about was how amazing it will be when I have the football stadium in sight...THE FINISH! Then just approaching mile 23 I looked down to see a ten pound note staring me in the face.  Now bending down to pick that up was fun, and even more fun standing up again.  I felt like I had won the Euro millions! Maybe that bird that covered me in poo during the Brighton Marathon last Sunday was lucky after all. Then no sooner after that one of the race marshals said to us " not far to go now ladies. Just to the end of this road, turn right and you will be at the finish" Now every marshal since mile 13 had been telling me that there wasn't far to go, or you're nearly there, but this marshal was telling the truth.  This was coming to an end. We turned the corner to be greeted with the finishing line. I started started to pick up the pace, as I always like a sprint finish no matter what state I am in.  I always find that magical stored energy from somewhere! I grabbed hold of Megans' hand and got her over the finishing line.  I realised at that moment that helping her to finish was one of the best experiences of this challenge so far, I helped her finish her first marathon.  Even though it hadn't gone well for her she didn't quit, I kept her going and actually she had helped me to finish too.  It was a good distraction from my own pain keeping her going.

So marathon number 6 bagged.  Can I run another marathon this Sunday? Can I actually do this? Can I actually run it BLINDFOLDED? well the answers are YES,YES AND YES!!  Come hell or high waters I will be doing the London Marathon THIS Sunday blindfolded...so watch this space.

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A gentle reminder

In less than 24 hours I will have started the Manchester Marathon. The next stage in my journey. Marathon number 6. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was only at number 1.  They are coming and going really fast. Having only completed the Brighton Marathon last Sunday, I am really worried how my body is going to cope with another marathon so soon.  I have to remind myself why I am doing all of this.  The children in this picture are pupil's in the special needs school that I work in. Sense come in to the school and work with the children who have visual and hearing impairments. These children light up my life.  Seeing their little faces everyday remind me of how lucky we all are! How dare I complain about anything. I can walk, I can see, I can hear where lots of children and adults can't. Knowing that every penny I am raising can help support and improve their lives makes me want to run thousands of miles.  So tomorrow is all about them, and for the rest of this challenge. So Manchester may be tough tomorrow. It may hurt, actually it WILL hurt a lot, but I will stand tall, smile and run my heart out.  I got this!

Marathon number 5: Brighton Marathon

I have tried so hard to get this blog written before the Manchester Marathon on Sunday.  Not only that, but the longer I leave it the more I start to forget. Finding a spare moment has been mission impossible this week.  Not only that but I have felt pretty exhausted since the Brighton Marathon.  So it has been hard to get my brain in gear to come up with the words.  

As you can see I completed marathon number 5. The Brighton Marathon.  If you are reading my blog for the first time, I will quickly explain that I ran this marathon last year, and it was during this race that I came up with the idea of not only running a marathon blindfolded, but to run 15 marathons in 15 months.

I travelled up to Brighton super early on Saturday morning to get the expo out of the way. I thought it opened at 9:00am, but in fact it didn't open until 10:00am. So I had a hour hour to kill. FAIL!  I had to stand in a very cold, windy and wet queue for waiting for it to open.  It was right along the seafront and the wind coming off it was so strong.  It felt like it was punching me in the face.  When the doors finally opened at 10:00am, I walk into the Expo looking like a drowned rat.

  

I rushed inside and collected my race number as fast as I could. I told myself to just get in and out as fast as I could.  I was adamant that I was not going to spend any money, because I didn't have the money to spend.  I was almost about to leave, until I remembered I needed gels. I rushed over to the 'High5' sports nutrition stall, grabbed the gels I needed. Paid and then told myself it was time to leave, or was it? I then remembered that my head phones where faulty and I needed a new pair. Anyway you can see where this is going. I didn't get out of there as quickly as I had planned and yes I spent a whole lot of money on things I once again.  

Race Day

It seemed to come round so fast.  When I woke up on Sunday morning, I wasn't really feeling that nervous at all.  I was quite excited.  I was trying to not let my mind get the better of me and treat this as if it was the first time I had ever done this race.  I made my way up to the race HQ for 8:00 am. Looking out of my hotel window, while I was getting ready, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  It was so bright and sunny.  I thought it would be nice to get there early and to sit and enjoy the sunshine. When in actual fact, it was so bloody freezing!! I plonked myself down on a grassy hill to soak up the atmosphere and ate a whole bag of Haribos within minutes.  They were suppose to last me the whole 26.2 miles.

I spotted another runner who was also wearing a SENSE vest, so I made my way over to her to strike up conversation. Turns out this was her first marathon and she was partially deaf. She was on her own so I stayed with her until we had to make our way into the starting pens, as she was feeling a bit nervous.  I ended up losing her in the crowds, which was a shame as I hoped to run near by her to the end.  I wasn't to be on my own for long.  I felt someone tap my shoulder.  It was a girl I know from Instagram.  I follow some incredibly inspirational runners from there, so when I get the chance to actually meet them at races its fantastic. 

The gun was fired and off went the elite runners.  It is very rare that I get to see them, so it was a wonderful opportunity to see them in their glory.  It was at that moment that the nerves kicked in.  Like a kick to the stomach.  I suddenly had flashbacks to last years race, and I was remembering parts of the route that I was dreading.  I could n't shake this from my mind.  Suddenly it was moments away from my wave to get started. I wanted to make it my mission to get a high 5 from Jo Pavey, who had started the race this year.  Mission accomplished. I managed to film it too for my High5it video diary.

I wasn't even half a mile into the race when I felt another tap on my shoulder.  It was from another girl I know from Instagram called Hayley.  It was wonderful to meet her as I have been chatting to her for a while now.  We ran together for a short while, before I let her run on ahead. No matter how fast or slow someone is running, I always feeling like I am holding them up so I don't like to run alongside someone for too long. It was so uplifting to keep seeing people that I knew. Not to mention seeing my running pal Norm at mile 5. It's my life's mission to get a pre or post race picture with him!

It was turning out to be a wonderful marathon. It was starting to warm up and I was running at a comfortable pace.  I was getting so many runners approaching me to ask me which number this marathon was, or to just talk to me about my challenge in general.  It was incredible to be getting so much support from people. As I hit mile 5 the road was spilt with the faster runners coming down the other side. So many people were shouting my name.  This was so encouraging and helped me to keep going.  Well, it was until I started coming back down the other side, because I knew what was coming.  I had managed to get myself to mile 11 with hardly any problems.  I knew that between miles 12 to 13 there would be big crowds to help me get through those miles.

Miles 14 to 18 were physically very hard.  My legs were starting to hurt and I was starting to feel pain in my lower back.  I have never experienced this before.  I tried to block it all out by chatting to runners around me.  I wasn't the only one in discomfort. Not that this made me feel any better, but there just seemed to be a whole load of us struggling together.  As I approached mile 18 I could see a spectator in the distance wearing a bright orange t-shirt.  I could see the logo clearly.  It was a SENSE supporter. I didn't even know him but the sight of him made me want to cry with happiness.  He told me that SENSE were waiting for me to run passed. I had tried desperately to keep my eye out for them, but as I was running at a ridiculously slow pace, I thought they may have left already. I was so happy to see them. It helped to remind myself of why I was doing all of this. It gave me a new lease of life but this would only get me through another mile.

A seagull shat on my head.. TWICE 

I won't even bore you with the next 6 miles.  What I will tell you is they were the hardest 6 miles I have ever experienced. I cried a whole lot through them. Everything just seemed to hurt me so much, and all I kept thinking was "how the fuck am I going to run another marathon next Sunday!?" I just wanted it to end. I have never had a baby, but I am certain the pain was worse than child birth.  I wasn't giving up though.  This is never an option! I had to keep reminding me of why I was doing it, and thinking about my charity.  I also started thinking about the children in my school and how much discomfort they spend in their lives.  so I had no right to be complaining. 

I got to mile 24 when I suddenly just felt something splash on my head, I immediately looked up to see a seagull fly passed me.  Yeah you guessed it, it had launched shit on my head.  Not just the once though, it did a 180 degree turn, flew back and covered the back of my neck and my arms.  Now had this have happened to me any other time I would have laughed my head off, but I was so tired that I had no energy to react.  Though plenty of people around me found it most amusing!! I'll get that pesky bird!

The end of the race was in sight and I was about to finish a marathon covered in bird poo!  It must have brought me some luck because I suddenly found some energy from somewhere. I picked my feet up and I ran. I ran like my life depended on it.  I was passing all the other runners who could only walk at this point. I just focused on the finishing sign and didn't take my eyes off it.  I grabbed my phone out of my pocket to film the final moments, as I thought this would be great for my video diary.  YES!!!!! I finished!! Thank goodness, So happy for it to be over!

I am frustrated because I allowed the race to get the better of me.  My time was atrocious. I had told myself not run too hard because I needed to save some energy for Manchester, but I had hoped to have ran it a little bit quicker.  I guess there is no point beating myself up about it. I completed another marathon. Marathon number 6!  I have a lot to be proud of.  On top of this, this was also my 10th marathon of all time.  I am so proud of my little self.  Now to forget it and focus my mind on number 7. God only knows how I am going to manage it!!

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Final Training session for London Marathon - Blindfolded

               

I travelled up north over the Easter weekend to have one last training run with my friend, Abbie, who will be my guide for The London Marathon. I was unsure that we would get another chance to run together, but I needed it, to feel confident with 3 weeks to go.

When I left London at 10:00am it was cloudy, pretty dull and quite chilly.  When I stepped off the train at 1:00pm at Middlesbrough, it was really sunny and quite hot. I really hadn't banked on the weather being like this.  It was Easter Sunday for god sake! It usually rains, rains and rains some more.  I was hoping for the park to be quiet, but it was far from quiet and in actual fact it was what I needed to experience.  The London Marathon is hardly going to quiet is it?!

This training session was the total opposite to the one we did a few months ago.  The obstacles that we faced where nothing like it.  It was very wet and cold the last time we trained together, and the park was very quiet as it was during mid week. Today the park was completely full of people.  Full of families enjoying their Easter Sunday.  Kids on bikes and scooters, old folk on mobility scooters, dogs of all varieties running riot, and parents with prams and buggies. We had our work cut out for us. Oh and there was a fun fair on too. Needless to say, as true northerners, we got on with it.

I had bought a new blindfold.  The one I used during our last run was no good, as the material was too thin.  The new one is much thicker and has padding a.  This was the first time for me trying it out.  It is much harder as it puts my eyesight into complete blackout.  The old one let in a little bit of light. This is so much more frightening. I can literally see nothing now.  We had to begin with a gentle walk just to get use to the swing of it.  I felt so scared, that I was unsure I'd be able to go from walking into running.  I had to just trust Abbie's voice and pick my feet up.  If you would like my professional analysis on what it feels like to run blindfolded, well this is it.  I feel like a Thunderbirds puppet!  If you imagine how they walk, well that is how I feel like I look when I am running.  I feel like Abbie's puppet, being controlled by a bit of string.  When she tells me we are turning right or left, it is such a bizarre feeling.  My brain is telling my body to turn, but I don't feel like I am turning at all, when in fact I am.  I really do not like it when we have to turn a corner. I am happier with a straight long path.  Then I am guessing it would too easy then.  Who needs easy!  

This park is not the flattest and does have quite a few cheeky inclines.  It was interesting not being able to see when they were coming and Abbie purposely didn't tell me when they were coming.  I could feel it in my legs when we started running up a hill.  I could feel my carve muscles working harder, but not being able to see the made it easier for me to run up them.  I think what I have taught myself here is that I can run up hills.  I need to stop being so scared of them.   

We did 2 laps of the park. We managed to pick up the pace on the second lap.  I stupidly wore socks that are on their way out, and they were rubbing very badly on my feet. I could feel the blisters knocking on my door! So we had to slow it right down. I can't have my feet full of blisters ahead of Brighton next Sunday! 

I can not tell you how much I appreciate my sight.  I am so grateful that at the end of my training session I can remove my blindfold.  There are so many people who can not do this and have to live this way every day of their lives.  Doing this is just making me want to do more to raise money for Sense, or even volunteer my time to help people who have a sensory impairment.  We can all lose our eye sight or sound at any time in our lives, especially in older age.  

So this calls time on our training.  We have done all that we can.  In 3 weeks time we will do this. We will not be looking to finish it in any kind of time.  We are prepared that it may take over 6 hours, but we will not give up until we have both crossed over that finishing line.   

See you in 3 weeks time Abbie!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!  
   

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