I am a bit stiff and creaky but nowhere near as bad as I thought I'd be which is a great relief!
So how was it? Well, it was pretty tough going towards the end but mostly I felt good.
I found the heat quite difficult - I'm used to rain and snow and yesterday I got sunburn! I just wasn't sure how to deal with it actually being warm! The first 19 miles or so went well, and to see family and friends along the way was a highlight of my life, let alone the day. It was very very special - thank you for coming. Craig and Jack managed to find me at three different points along the way which was amazing and very emotional.
Huge thanks also to all of you supporting from home, watching the tracker and playing a seriously challenging version of Where's Wally by looking out for me. The support you have all shown me throughout has been incredible and I have gratefully relished all of it.
After that it got tough. The crowd was amazing but in truth I found it a bit overwhelming. I tried to listen to music to get some focus back but I couldn't turn it up loud enough and I was also afraid of running straight past someone who had gone to a lot of trouble to come and support me! I felt like I was still going well - I was after all overtaking a lot of people who were walking - but the time tells a different story! As was the fact that I was overtaken by a Rhino, a bottle of beer, a camel and what I think was some kind of Mr Man - or was possibly hallucinating by then. Had I kept a better eye on my watch I think I could have got it overwith more quickly and if I'm totally honest I'm a wee bit frustrated with myself that I didn't do that. But hey - I got there in the end!
It was an incredible experience. Tower Bridge was every bit as fantastic as people say it is. The tunnel was awful - people strewn all over the place in all sorts of trouble. I found that hard to see given that I would have quite liked a lie down at that point. I had a quick stretch and walked for about a minute. Felt quite faint and thought "this is annoying" and realised the only way was to keep running - and as I ran (slowly!) out of the tunnel there were some magnificent and very special friends and suddenly it all got a bit possible again.
Most wonderful of all though is to have raised a total I never imagined possible. I was hoping for £2000. When I did that thing you do where you wonder 'imagine if...' I had secretly dreamed of getting closer to £3000. Your incredible support and generosity has in fact raised £5375. Unbelievable!! I am thrilled, humbled, grateful and proud. Thank you.
I can fully identify with John Bingham's quote;
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
A marathon has been something I had very vaguely thought maybe would be an amazing thing to do, usually once a year whilst watching it on TV and tucking into a bacon sarnie. A thought repeatedly buried a few days later. My courage to do it came from one man and I am proud to have achieved this in his memory.
For you Grandad.
Take care all and thanks for coming along.
Love, sweaty socks and tiger balm
Lizzie
xxx
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