LONDON MARATHON 2018

APRIL 22, 2018:

I nervously made my way to the start line. I could feel the sun beaming down on my face.  Checking my phone, the temperature registered at 17 degrees. I

knew it was going to be hot. Very hot. There were so many faces around me, crowds of nervous laughter and chattering. I had my name printed on my t-

shirt, and people greeting me by it. I made one last phone call to my Mom and boyfriend, Freddie, who were making their way to London to support me. I

began feeling really emotional. I was about to run the London Marathon. All that training and hard work was about to be put to the test. Earlier on in my

training I injured my left hamstring, and then my right ankle. I was most nervous that this was going to cause me some problems. 

Right, it’s 9am. It was time to put my belongings away, and then make my way over to the race pen. I wandered around a little beforehand, grabbed a

Lucozade from the Lucozade tent, took some Paracetamol to help keep my injuries at bay, then got my ISO Gels ready. I planned to take one every few

miles when it felt necessary. I then proceeded with some basic stretches to warm up my hips. 

Once in the race pen, it felt like we were all queuing forever. Each pen went in waves. The race started at 10am and this meant that I didn’t cross the start

line until 10:39:23. My heart was pounding. As we slowly moved forward, I chatted with another fellow runner. It was her first race too. I no longer felt alone.

More and more excitement built as we got closer to the start line. 

And we’re were off! My body filled with emotion as I crossed the start line. The cheers from the side lines, music, and momentum from other runners sent

shivers down my spine. I felt very excited at this point. Excited and strong. 

The first time I heard someone cheer my name brought a smile to my face. Complete strangers supporting me. Supporting my cause. They were carrying

me.

The first 5 or so miles felt easy. The sun was shining, my body felt good, and I was packed with energy. By 3 miles there was a water stop, and I had an ISO

Gel. I knew I would be seeing my Mom and Freddie at mile 8 so this kept my legs moving. By mile 7 I was already searching for the Mind cheer point as I

ran. I still couldn’t believe it. I was running the London Marathon, amongst 40 thousand other determined runners. The moment I saw the first Mind cheer

point, my heart began pumping rapidly. They were there, waiting for me. I realized I probably should have stopped at this point to say hello, and grab a jelly

snake that I demanded they bought, however, my legs sprinted. I ran past faster than I’d paced my whole run up to this point. My face beamed with a smile

as I heard my Mom and Freddie call for me. 

By mile 10 the heat was really starting to increase. I could feel my body screaming for water every few miles. Luckily there were plenty of Buxton water

stations. At that point, I was not only drinking the water provided, but pouring it over my head. I felt very warm. By now, so many other runners around me

had begun walking.

I was nearly half way there. Another 3.2 miles to go and I’d have run half a marathon. I would also see my family again just after this point. I had to run/walk

some of the next couple of miles, and stop to walk through showers of cold water to keep my body cool. Mile 12 my pace picked up again. I knew I was

approaching London Tower Bridge. Once again shivers ran through my spine. Huge crowds of people screaming my name. I remember looking up towards

the blue sky and just smiling. I kept repeating to myself ‘you’re half way there’. 

Between 14-18 miles things got really tough. I slowed down a great deal. I stopped to talk to an older gentleman who had begun walking, and was

struggling too. I encouraged him a little, affirming how well he was doing and then continued back into a slow run. These few miles felt like forever. The

encouragement of others around me, not just spectators but other runners was inspiring. We were all running this race together, not against each other. 

By mile 18 I began seeing too many ambulances and injuries. A women throwing up to my right as I ran past, others lying on the floor being seen to by

paramedics. Suddenly, I felt a blister burst on my left foot. It was burning so much I stopped and limped to the side where I was able to re-bandage it. At

this point I was also beginning to chafe, mostly between my legs and underarms. I grabbed some Vaseline at the quickest point I could and kept going. 

Mile 22 I could see another Mind cheer point where I met my Mom and Freddie., I was exhausted. I was sweating, my mouth felt constantly dry, and not

even ISO Gels seemed to be helping at this point. I ran into my Mom’s arms and tears began streaming. Freddie fed me jelly snakes and I drank some more

water. Seeing them really brought my emotions to life. They encouraged me, told me how proud they were, and to keep going. 

That’s what I did. 

Mile 25 I saw Mom and Freddie again. My body was screaming at me to stop up until this point, but suddenly I had a burst of energy when I saw their faces

poking through the streams of spectators. I had 1.6 miles to go. They hadn’t spotted me yet. I continued to pick up my pace. I called out their names as I

passed. They thought I was further back so were surprised to see me. Freddie begun running alongside me. All I remember is him shouting “You’re nearly

there Nelson! You’re so close now! 1.6 miles left to go!! Keep going!” For those of you that don’t know us, he adopted the nickname ‘Nelson’ for me when

we started dating because I am South African… that’s a story for another day.

The last stretch was hard. So, so hard. Everything was sore, but I was nearly there. My eyes welled with tears, and I had to keep stopping. I could see other

runners who’d already finished with their medals on the side lines calling my name, telling me the finish line was just around the corner. I ran through

Westminster, past Buckingham Palace, then turned the corner to The Mall. 

There is was. The finish line. 

I crossed the finish line at 05:26:46. I had done it. Everything felt so surreal. Did I really just run the London Marathon?

This wasn’t the time I had trained for. My goal was to pass the finish within 04:40. But the London Marathon 2018 was recorded as the hottest one yet, and

one of the hardest. Despite this, I had the support of those around me, and I completed it. 

Running a marathon can feel very lonely and daunting at times, you can be alone with your own thoughts for hours. The power of your mind can either

empower you or overwhelm you. However, the power of people can move you. 

We are a community of people moving beyond limitations.

written by lisa