A little history on the famous 26.2 miles or 42.195 kilometres for our American, African and Antipodean friends!
The Marathon was one of the original Olympic events in 1896. The name marathon comes from the legend of Phedippides. The legend states that he was sent from the battlefields of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had just fought). It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming "νενικηκαμεν’ (nenikekamen)", ("We wοn"), before collapsing and dying!There is debate on the historical accuracy of the legend with regards to the distance run varying between 22 and 25 miles for example.
When the modern Olympics began in 1896, the initiators and organizers were looking for a great popularizing event, recalling the ancient glory of Greece. They chose the Marathon!
Back to my Inspiration.................................. Wait for it!.....................
The man in the spotlight is Steven aka Smid aka Smitty aka Smiffter Smith.
When the Smiffter informed me he was planning to run the 10th anniversary of the Loch Ness marathon I thought it was one of his usual grand ideas that had little chance of coming to fruition. Here's the thing about Smid..... This is a man who has done a million things. He is also a man who has planned to do 3 million things. To describe Smid as unreliable is missing the point entirely. Allow me to elaborate by example.
On a school night about a year back Steve invited Lee Peyton, Gary and Laura Mackay, Steve and Cat Still, and finally Vicky and I to celebrate the opening of one of his friends restaurants. What a lovely thing to do you would say, provide business in those first few uncertain days of a business, meet your friends that you have not seen for a while together. Yes I definitely agreed this was worth doing. I guess we all did because at the agreed time we were at the agreed car park by the restaurant. Well actually all but one person was present and when we arrived at the car park it was then that the story really unfolded. You guessed it the missing person was Smid!
With that image firmly in your mind you can understand my doubts about this Marathon running nonsense. If my memory serves me right which it often doesn't It was late January when Steve first broached the subject. I paid lip service and offered to do a few training runs with him. However On the 8th of March 2011 Steve started his blog.
http://steve0704.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/day-1-motivation-diet-and-kit.html?spref=fb
Suddenly this became serious! Steve was committing to the world that he was going to run a Marathon! Steve! Really!!! I soon found out that Steve Still had decided to run the same Marathon! In short order Garry Mackay, Jamie Glover and Lee Peyton followed. I couldn't be left out surely...........Would there ever be a better opportunity?
The idea of running a marathon has always petrified me. I viewed it as a strange form of sadomasochism that should be reserved for a select few. On reflection I was right about the sadomasochism part but wrong about the select few. Somewhere deep down I have always dreamed about running a marathon. Beyond that I wanted to experience everything about running a marathon and carry that experience around with me like a computer game character with a power-up!
Looking at people who had run a Marathon I knew that on at least one occasion they had demonstrated real strength of character. What I came to learn is that the big day, actually running the Marathon is just the tip of the iceberg.
I had lots of excuses ready to stop the annoying inner dialogue that I had with myself. I kept thinking I can't possibly commit to something that could ruin my health. I have a meniscus injury to my right knee which I sustained about 7 years ago playing rugby. This injury had deteriorated to the point that I got a surgical opinion where I was advised that my knee was bad enough to warrant surgical intervention the alternative was to work intensively on physiotherapy of my knee to support it better which if it failed I could always return for surgery. I view surgery as a last resort and therefore took the latter approach but even with a physiotherapist as a wife I lacked discipline in carrying out my rehab exercises. I was sporadic to say the least working diligently for a couple of days sometimes feeling better and at other times completely ignoring the knee for weeks. Oh as an aside don't ever ask a Physio for help if they have already prescribed your rehab and you are not doing it religiously!
Other excuses were also at hand. I weighed almost 18 stones at the time far too heavy, 'I am a sprinter we don't run long distances', I am a new dad with a full time job and long commute I don't have the time.... The list goes on! There was just no way I could do this. I had long decided running a marathon was just one of those things I admired in other people but would never achieve.
The marathon is a distance where you are guaranteed discomfort almost regardless of physical condition. For me it started with my very first run. In February 2011 I ran for approximately 2 miles with my dog and it took a couple of days for me to recover from it. Ominously my knee creaked and hurt its way around that jog! I realised that to even support Steve on his runs I had to get in better shape. I still was not committed at this point!
A conversation with my wife changed all that. I kept talking to Vicky about how amazing it was that Steve was going to run a Marathon, she could tell how much of an impact his commitment had on me and said a sentence that is carved into my mind forever and I quote "Why don't you do it too? We always say that we want Mia (our daughter and only child at the time) to grow up believing she can do anything she puts her mind to why don't you?"
I committed to running the Marathon around April time with the Marathon date set for the second of October. 7 month's really felt like entirely not enough time and again doubts crept in. Fortunately I was advised by a work colleague Joe Dampier who was also planning on running her first Marathon about a website by the shoe company Asics that creates a Marathon running plan complete with predicted times. The site sends you a daily email for encouragement and if you plot in your training run times it gives you advice! Suddenly I had a plan and hardened my resolve to stick to it without excuses!
By committing to confront this fear of mine I had immediate and encouraging results, I naturally had to look at my nutrition I had not always been 18 stone in weight and remembered running being easier! I wasn't very strict with my diet rewarding myself with rich meals and a lot of it following my training runs but I still saw gradual improvement.
Rehab of knee still not perfect but a hell of a lot better than it had been in a long time consistency really is the take home lesson from that experience. With Injuries you may never make a full recovery but you will never know how much better it could feel if you have not first been consistent in your rehabilitation exercises
There were a few notable training runs where we got together for general banter, encouragement and the exchange of ideas. Gary Steve and I went on one such run Steve does a great job of capturing the day in his blog here
http://steve0704.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/turning-point.html
The abbreviated story is that we went on a mazy 9 mile run through woods, coastal paths and cobbled streets and steep hills all this and taking in a misty view of the firth of forth. The banter was amazing until Gary and Steve have the occasional football conversation a topic which I'm afraid I know very little about.
Mrs Mackay made amazing bacon rolls which was much appreciated by hungry mouths!
Along the way I had setbacks by far the most serious was a strained Achilles tendon which really affected my training but it's funny how differently you look at injuries when you have a goal you are completely committed to.
In training I learned many valuable lessons on nutrition often times the hard way. Electrolytes was one of these lessons. I went on a 8ish mile run on a rare hot day with a camel back with just water. By the last mile I was almost hallucinating and the cramp oh the cramp!
Another boost was Vicky running with me. We would go on my shorter weekend runs together often with me pushing my daughter in her buggy. The company and confidence those runs gave me were invaluable, over a few months Vicky who was still breastfeeding at the time got into awesome shape and ran the Dunfermline half Marathon. An incredible achievement!
Steve Still and I went on a 18 and 1/2 mile run which for me marked the longest run I did in preparation. A few hundred metres from my house is a disused railway line that runs from Dunfermline to Aloa. This was the core of the route we took. Relatively flat with a few extra hills thrown in early to make things interesting. That run was tough going and certainly a long time to be running. So long in fact that at one point a call of nature had to be answered. Urinating outside is common defecating however requires much more planning. First things first seclusion gratefully provided for much of the route we ran. Second comes a look out, lets not frighten people now and finally but arguably most importantly tissues! Experience has taught me to keep a pack of sealed wipes in my camel back for long runs just in case!
Good company, good run, feel ready!
Final preparation involved meeting Jamie Glover at Edinburgh Airport and travelling to Inverness. In Classic Steve Smith style Vicky drove Jamie and I to his friends restaurant for a 'big' carbo loading meal the disappointment on portion size was palpable but that was the least of my worries the Restaurant was a 60 mile round trip along country roads with a tired 1 year old the night before the Marathon!
The big day itself I look back upon as a bit of a blur. The organisers sent us off in a convoy of buses but along narrow country roads this was slow going. Now picture the scene hundreds of runners who are hydrating as best as possible stuck on buses that grind to a halt. It was not long until overwhelming bladder pressure caused a mini revolt and the doors of the buses were swung open to allow people to attend to natures call. Easy for men, not so easy for women to do this with modesty intact.
Start of the race graced with light rain for added highland authenticity, hare's upfront snails out back and we are off! Got by the first half marathon faster than I had ever run a half Marathon 2hrs 10ish then came the hills. Gradual at first then tough around mile 18, ridiculous around mile 21! The Loch Ness Marathon whilst being on of the most scenic Marathons in the UK is also one of the hilliest! Cramp, dry salty sweat on your face, foot discomfort, shoulder discomfort, cold, hot and all manner of emotion were the order of the day but its funny the two things I remember most are pride and appreciation. Appreciation to everyone who played a part in helping me achieve one of my biggest dreams. 5:21:13 was my time slow but nearly 40 mins quicker than my predicted time.
I was so crazy with joy after I ran the marathon that I was nearly ropped into running a 'short' ultra marathon only a few weeks later ......... What was it you said Mr Mackay something like "its loads of time, go on a couple of short runs to ease the legs off and with this marathon in the bank knocking out a few more miles will be easy"..........I somehow avoided that and It was close!
All too soon it was over and we were driving back home to Fife.
Friends like you matter Steve. If you are this man's friend keep him around he's one in a million. Exercise caution and extreme prejudice to most of his ideas....... I warn you he is a quick witted, charming and persuasive young man so you might falter. If you do find yourself in one of his spiders webs I can only wish you Luck!
This isn't a ruse to get everyone running marathons or becoming Steve's friend but really to look around you at the examples being set around you every day. Choose to emulate them! Do something that is positive challenge yourself.... You might just enjoy it!
A huge take away from this experience for me was just because something is hard does not mean it won't be worth it.
Ok lets go and get older and wiser like grasshopper, be like grasshopper!
With Love and all that good stuff
Peter
