LONDON MARATHON EXPO:
I travelled down to London with my sister (who drove) and my cousin Matty on the Saturday morning to ensure we had time to pick up my race umber at the London Marathon Expo Centre. After five years of having to do this same drill I know how the Expo Centre works and I also know that it can be very hectic too. If I am honest, the novelty of the Expo has faded a bit for me and I just wanted to get in there, get my race number, take a few photos and get some carb gels etc and get to our hotel.
We had some photos taken as usual, including the photo pictured above, with the hashtag #oneinamillion, as in this year's London Marathon, the one millionth finisher was due to cross the line.
On Saturday night my girlfriend Katie and my sister's boyfriend Lewis both came down to London to meet us and Emily, who ran the London Marathon came to meet us on the Sunday after the race. We had 10 runners from my club Kirkstall Harriers taking part in the London Marathon this year, I think that could be a record number for us?
On the morning of the race I did my usual routine when I got up, had a shower, put my plasters on the areas I could chaff from friction off my running vest, I applied Vaseline where necessary and got my kit on, ensuring I was also well wrapped up as it was due to be chilly in the morning. As I have done every year, I set my kit out ready from the night before so I am not stressed or rushing in the morning. For breakfast I had two slices of bread with almond butter and a Lucozade sport.
I travelled to the start line on my own without any problems (I'm not the best on the London Underground). When I got to my 'Good For Age' pen, I got one of the volunteers to take my picture outside, as I usually do every year. I actually realised I got there an hour early. I have no idea how I did this but I got it in my head that the race starts at 9am, when it is actually 10am, how I managed this mistake after running it for the last five years I really don't know?
I took all coats and outer wear off and handed my bag over before I realised I was there an hour early so I had to stand in the chilly conditions for 45 minutes before another well wrapped runner took pity on me and offered me a sheet to keep me warm. The sun began to shine and that definitely helped but I made sure I warmed up well before and did all my stretches to try and keep warm. When we were called to the start line I was right at the front of the race because I had been ready an hour before everyone else.
However... my result didn't go to plan, in a big way...
Within the first mile, I went to the toilet cabins as I needed a wee quite bad and I knew that once I got that out of the way, I wouldn't have to worry about it for the rest of the race, there was no way I would be able to stop for a wee later on.
I planned to stick to my pacing plan but as the miles popped off I was 2 minutes too fast for the first 10 to 12 miles and because I felt so comfortable I think I got a bit over confident and I just didn't stick to my plan from the moment the race started and considering what happened last year, I think I was stupid. Last year I specifically paced my marathon at 2:55:00 in a bid to get a new PB and I could only keep that pace up until 15 miles, then I slipped to a 2:58:38 finish.
This year, I was actually over 2:57:00 pace until about mile 17 then I began to struggle, but the saddest thing for me was I felt fine cardiovascular and breathing wise, it was just my legs that had something missing. It was so frustrating for me because I knew my fitness and pace was good enough but my legs started to go after 13 miles (I also saw Emily shouting me in the crowd around this point), which is very unusual for me. I wrote a blog over a week ago on my fitness going into the marathon and I said I was injury free, which I was but I did have a problem that I have been keeping quiet. My left hip has been hurting me for a few months now, particularly after playing football and definitely after I have been out running and hill training, I had a bad feeling that my hip would start to feel painful at some point in the marathon and when I started feeling it at about 12 miles I knew it would cause me problems later on. Then my old IT Band injury came back at around 15 miles an my right knee was in pain, if I am honest I actually thought it was my ligaments that was in pain but I realised soon after the race it was actually my IT Band.
Back to the race, it was around miles 17 and 18 that the pain in my legs really started to hit me and my pace dropped, it was definitely under 2:57:00, I kind of let this happen because I thought I would be able to recover some pace after a few miles of this pain, with a second wind but how wrong was I? By mile 20, I was slowing down a lot but even though I was in pain, I did actually feel quite comfortable, what saddened me is that within the next few miles I realised that mentally I had lost that will to push my body into places I have pushed it into in the past, I felt I had deep down inside lost that desire to improve and I think I accepted that in my mind.
MILE 22 & MY SUPPORTERS:
I knew that my small army of supporters - Katie, Melanie, Lewis and Matty were going to be shouting for me at mile 22 and I was really looking forward to that burst of energy I would get from them. Before I got to mile 22, I had just been overtaken by the sub 3-hour pacer and I knew I had blown my third sub 3-hour and I just wanted to put on a good show for them as I ran past them.
As I approached mile 22 I could see Matty before anyone else, he was towering above the crowd with his 'sunglasses' on and I was punching my fist in the hair as I approached and ran past them. I tried to spot everyone, I saw Melanie and Lewis and I saw Katie filming me and it was such a good feeling, all of you gave me a huge lift and thank-you for the support.
YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO BE;OW OF ME RUNNING IN THE MARATHON FILMED BY MY GIRLFRIEND KATIE:
By the last 3 miles came along, I realised in myself that I had lost something mentally inside, I felt I had lost that desire to improve, maybe I was just been emotional at the time but it saddened me that I didn't have that will to push myself further in the way I have done in every other race I have ran, especially in the marathon. I have always prided on myself on being able to push myself to my limits and push myself through the pain barrier to achieve what I have. But I think I lost some of that fight in me on Sunday.
It wasn't just mentally but it was also my legs, they didn't do what I wanted them to, for the last three miles I was running with permanent cramp in my thighs. I just wanted the race to be over and there was no way I was going to give in, so I kept going and I consciously made an effort to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the final mile as I knew that this could potentially be my last London Marathon, as I wasn't sure if I would want to put my body through it anymore.
I will explain more about my legs and my thoughts in my 'conclusion' section but to finish off my race section as I ran past the Big Ben and approached Buckingham Palace to finish at The Mall, I realised that beating 3:05:00 and extending my 'Good For Age' qualification was achievable and as I approached the finishing line I was determined to beat my Edinburgh Marathon 2012 time of 3:04:56 and I did, by 12 seconds. Edinburgh Marathon 2012 was were I first qualified for 'Good For Age' and I guess it was fitting that I just managed to beat that time in what could be my last marathon.
I HI FIVE'D COLIN JACKSON:
At mile 23 Colin Jackson was ahead with his BBC microphone hi fiving runners to give us that lift, I couldn't believe it and as I hi five'd him I called him a 'legend'... Colin Jackson is a GB Olympic legend and was the best 400m Hurdler in world athletics in his prime.
JAMES CRACKNELL FELL OVER:
About 8 miles in, just several feel infront of me, Olympic Rowing legend and endurance athlete James Cracknell was tripped up by another runner by accident. He is such a tough guy and such a good marathon runner he got straight back up and powered on, such a good runner he is such a tall big guy too.
I clearly didn't run to my ability in the second half of the race and I could go down one of two roads about the reason's why? Firstly I could just put it down as a bad day at the office, where I got my pacing wrong, basically I didn't stick to my plan and didn't use my past experience or I could go down the road that maybe my legs are worn out at 31 and maybe I just don't have that same desire to want to put my body through the same pain barrier as I have done in the past?
WHAT NEXT?
I think I know the drill of the London Marathon well enough now, I know what needs to be done in the week building up to ensure I am at my best come London race day. I wouldn't say I'm a London Marathon veteran just yet but I am definitely an experienced London Marathon runner now and I am probably a seasoned marathon 'Good For Age' competitor.
I'm not sure I have the dedication and lifestyle choice to get myself to that next level and if I don't quite have that desire, my ambition would be to definitely stay at this high level of 'Good For Age' marathon running for many more years. Before this year's marathon season, I wanted to be consistent at this level and stay at this level, dropping down in levels is not an option for me now, and although I didn't achieve another sub 3-hour marathon I still qualified for 'Good For Age'. I enjoy being at this standard of running. I should be running sub 3 hours every marathon now without fail, atleast for the next few years while I'm at my long distance running peak.
However, a lot of these thoughts were before this year's marathon, there are now some question marks in my mind,
'are my legs worn out?'
'do I want to put my body through it anymore?'
I think I could go several ways if I am honest:
I could keep this level of dedication and learn from this year's mistakes and remain a sub 3-hour marathoner for the next few years while I am at still at my long distance running peak. I could have a few more years as a 'Good For Age' runner, ensuring I run under 3:05:00 which I think I can do without having to put in as much dedication and I know I can keep that pace up comfortably. I could maybe just have another one or two London Marathon's using my two year qualification times and just enjoy the experiences rather than worrying about my race times. Or finally, I could just decide my body has had enough and drop back down to half marathon's.
In terms of my legs, they have been through a lot over the years, maybe they are worn out and need a rest for a few years and with my hip pain it could be wise to quit while I am ahead? I'm happy with what I have done in the marathon, 5x 'Good For Age' runner, 2x sub 3-hour marathoner, 5 London Marathon's and 2 Edinburgh Marathon's. I must admit I would love to run a marathon abroad and I could do that some years down the line but I do have to think of my physical health and I don't want to have problems with my legs later in life, I have had an amazing five or six years during my peak physical years, achieved a lot in sports and achieved all my ambitions I initially put infront of myself so I can be happy but maybe not 100% content?
I have been running half marathon's since I was 22, I have ran 7 marathon's in 5 years, I have played 880 competitive games in football since I was 17, I've done Tough Mudder twice, I've been training in the gym on and off, sometimes religiously since I was 21. I've been playing football since the age of 7 and other regular sports such as Rugby League when I was a kid and maybe finally all those matches, hard work training, miles on the clock etc has started to take a toll on my legs and my body and that could be why I am feeling my legs are a bit worn out.
Funnily enough, my muscles have actually recovered pretty quick I feel okay now just a few days after the marathon, but I am definitely going to see the doctors about my hip pain if it doesn't wear off soon.
In the meantime, next up is the LEEDS HALF MARATHON on 8th May...
http://www.justgiving.com/Richard-Joyce-London-Marathon-2016-mssociety
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