The day 'pre-dawn' was cold, misty and still - boding well for good weather later. Up at 6.00am and breakfast (crunchy nut cornflakes - just like before the long runs over the last 6 months) before walking to the station to catch the 6.50 train. Bananas and water on the train. Took the underground to Charing Cross and then the train to Blackheath. 8.30 Train was absolutely packed. Dawn across the heath was superb - sunny with a gentle breeze - perfect. Got changed and left kit on the baggage trucks. Went to assemble with the 16,000 others at the 'blue' start, about 10000 from the front !!

9.30. Hundreds of yellow balloons are released and nothing happens. Hundreds of green balloons are released and nothing happens. Hundreds more yellow balloons are released and we inch forward. The inching continues for 20 mins until we jog across the start line.

The gentle start pace appears fortuitous because it restrains the early pace - but soon becomes tiresome as I couldn't get into my natural stride. Then the first of the 'walkers' appears, after about 2 miles, and has to be avoided. This is the pattern for a good proportion of the first 18 miles. I realised that either I should have treated the whole thing as a fun run, or put down a vastly under-estimated finishing time, as many others (perhaps 5000 !!) must have done, and started nearer the front.

My first target was Cutty Sark (about 8 miles) and was achieved at an easy pace with a gentle ache coming from my knee and only the occasional sharp stabbing pain. I had damaged my right knee, twisting it 2 weeks previously after getting home from a long training run. Since then it had hurt significantly after running about 7 miles and I had spent the last 'training' week icing and massaging it to try to reduce the scar tissue from a ligament strain that was apparently causing the pain. By now the crowds were getting larger and the music from the pubs getting louder. I had decided to just drink the Liquid Power (isotonic drink) from the pouches, given out every 5 miles, since this was what I had trained with. There were water stations much more frequently but I didn't want to over do it and have to put in toilet stops and/or get a stitch. Although not particularly thirsty by 5 miles, I had the drink in order to top up what I had already lost, and what I would lose in the next 5 - it's too late by the time you are thirsty !! The drink stations were all followed by 100 yards of seriously sticky road surface where the sugary liquid had been spilt, and towards the end of the race it became a real effort to separate foot from road !!

The next target was Tower Bridge, where the family would be to cheer me on. By the time I arrived, I was still not particularly tired and the knee had not got any worse - thankfully. Unfortunately, I arrived at the bridge at 11.30, the earliest time I had given the rest of them for my arrival. Consequently, I think I missed them by only a couple of minutes!

The next 10 miles looked like the dull ones from studying the map - across to docklands, around the 'building site' that is docklands, and back to Tower Bridge. The road to docklands is a dual carriageway-type road where you can clearly see the sub 3 hour runners passing by the other way, adding to the fatigue considerably. Then onto the winding roads around docklands with no idea where I was. After slogging along in hot sun, I thought I must be nearly back onto the dual carriageway road, but in fact, was still at the Arena - a good mile still to go !! Finally back onto the dual carriageway - the nasty grind done, another mental milestone, and heading for Tower Bridge. The next couple of miles was where the real fatigue set in, at about 21 miles. I now supplemented the Liquid Power with mouthfuls of water at the water stations. I gave Frank Bruno some hearty encouragement as I passed him nearing Tower Bridge, before hitting the 'cobbles'. These are uncarpeted for a few hundred yards before you emerge into the sun where the cameras are placed. I am now very frustrated by 'walkers', which I am still passing frequently, walking on the mats, while the runners with dodgy knees have to run on cobbles to get round them ..

Next target is Parliament Square, which looks a long way off down the embankment from Tower Bridge. At this point I went into 'dead slow must finish' pace. I was not sure whether I needed more water or not so just had mouthfuls at the water stations - I think this was as much due to the sun as anything - something I had not considered. The last few miles passed extremely slowly - but at least I could see the target getting closer.

A little lifting of spirits as I turned the corner at Westminster Bridge and just the 'short' run across Parliament Square, down Birdcage Walk and up the Mall. The end is in sight - mentally if not physically. Rounding the Albert Memorial, I pick my target 100 yards ahead for a 'sprint' finish and did lift the pace a little - but I think they did too, and I never caught them. I crossed the line with what I perceived to be a weak smile (could turn out to be a grimace), just in case cameras were snapping, and ground to a halt.

The marathon organisation then takes over. Walk up the little ramps to have the electronic timing tag removed from my shoe, collect medal, goody bag, blanket, sandwiches and water. By now my knee had cried a halt and I could only move with it dead straight. I had a sit down and some water and an apple, then went to look for my kit from the trucks. However, on passing the St Johns tent, I asked if they had any freezing spray to relieve some of the pain. They did not, but they did have an army of physio's - that'll do nicely, I said. My angel of mercy sat me down and I explained the history of the problem and out came the baby oil! She went to work on it, not needing to ask 'Is it there ?' as I bit my tongue and winced. After a few minutes, I realised that I had agreed to meet the family between 2.30 and 3pm and that it was nearly 2.30 and I had no kit, and still had to make my way to the meeting point somewhere near Horseguards. So I reluctantly bade my masseuse farewell and limped off to find the right kit truck.

I found the rest of them easily and we all eventually made it out through the crowds and back home to champagne and a hot bath.

Results.

Included below are the split times taken from the 'chip' on my shoe, and the times for Mr Pinto, who was up the front somewhere - but then he probably didn't have a dicky knee nor 'walkers' to avoid all the way round !! I was surprised to see that my pace did not appear to fall to 'dead slow' towards the end and, in fact, I ran a very steady pace - slowly !!

In conclusion then, an extremely well organised event, satisfying to complete the course non-stop, but needs to be treated as a fun run rather than one used to determine the best marathon time you could achieve. And of course, thanks to all those who sponsored me. The total was over £1500..

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