PARK LIFE - Trent Park RC

PARK LIFE
May 2012
Welcome to the 2012 Marathon edition!
OUR VOLUNTEER HELPERS
OUR SUPPORTERS
OUR RUNNERS!
"Tough times don't last but
tough people do."
A.C. Green
Running through the Pain
Terence Scott
[terryscott@debohun.enfield.sch.uk]
“Even if you do not want the
loo now, by the time you get
there, you will. A bit like the
way the tanker petrol crisis
has been handled, create the
panic and retreat.”
By Peter Goldfinch
Within two hours I see the physiotherapist – Kemi
Egan. They are going to sponsor part of the traffic trail
this year. Kemi works wonders: acupuncture, ice gel
laser treatment, then back again on Saturday morning
(the day before the race) for a repeat.
The club members have been very enthusiastic about
the race this year. Everyone has been interested in
how many miles I’ve been doing a week, what my
plans were, how I was feeling, giving every
encouragement possible.
The time has passed very quickly this year. The weeks
of miles and plans have passed by and the London
marathon has come and gone - and what a day it was!
The overall organisation of the race day has improved
dramatically since 1993. Having the club coach to take
you to the start is brilliant. Len Edmonds has been
organising this for a number of years for the baggage
handlers and runners. I was on time for once (and
without an alarm call from Foulla) at 6.30am. The
coach left on time and we were at the start at 7.40am.
I was lucky enough to get a club place for the 2011
London Marathon but - due to a foot injury - had to
withdraw and carry the place over until this year.
It was my first marathon since running in the world
veteran’s championships in Gateshead in August 1999,
and my first London since 1993. All in all, this was
about ‘could I still run a marathon and stay in one piece
afterwards?’.
The training for the race started soon after the Bunting
ford 10 mile race at Christmas time. Our first run in
January consisted of a ten mile run, there must have
been around twenty of us, all training for different
races. Over the next three months the numbers of us
training got less and less, which meant doing more and
more on your own to get the miles in, but hey, once
you set your mind to it - it can be done.
My training had been going very well, I managed to
avoid any races, followed a schedule to slowly
increase the mileage over time, getting to a maximum
of 20 miles as I had done in the past (there is a lesson
to be leant here, see further down). Anyway, on the
tapering down, feeling more aches and pains than
when running 46 miles a week, I went out for the last
jog on the Friday before the race, a mile and a half out
and back. You guessed it.
‘Mmmm that is a funny feeling in the hamstring on my
right leg’, what a nightmare! I went into panic mode.
Ann, my wife had said to me don’t run anymore, you
don’t need to. But you know what it is like, a bright
afternoon, two days before the marathon, just go round
the block, and hey presto I tweak my right hamstring.
On the coach, it was good to catch up with those
runners who you don’t know that are running the
marathon. Hearing all the training stories of how things
have gone over the past 16 weeks.
On previous London Marathons, you were left for a
couple of hours at the start area, with your bin liner, left
with the task to get the best possible starting position
for yourself by covering up your number and moving as
far a possible down the line. But now it is much better.
You have a pen number on your number and by and
large runners stick to this and get in the pen they are
supposed to.
I was privileged to spend the lead up time before the
race with Chas, Martin, Mick and Darren. We sat and
had a cup of tea watching the big screen, listening to
the music, each giving one another encouragement
before the race started. It could not have been a better
way to start a race, other than where we were sitting…
we were gradually engulfed by queues of runners in
line to use the loo. Over the loud speaker, someone is
saying ‘Even if you do not want the loo now by the time
you get there you will.’ A bit like the way the tanker
petrol crisis has been handled, create the panic and
retreat.
It was race time 9.45 am the elite women had gone, so
had the wheelchair competitors, and now it was the
elite men and us. Off we go, on a bright warmish day,
a lot of early crowd support going through Woolwich, I
am thinking this is ok, well things were about to
change.
2
“I was privileged to spend the lead up time before the race with
Chas, Martin, Mick and Darren.”
I managed to keep going with mentally
rewarding myself for reaching certain
mile points then having a drink. When
my fuel finally ran out at 24 miles, I
saw the face of Andrew Ryde along
the railings of the embankment in from
the Trent Park Banner. Well that gave
me a boost to get to him and do some
waving and blow kisses at our brilliant
supporters.
My right hamstring goes tight; the pain is not good. I am
thinking after all this training, what should I do?! Don’t
panic, let’s see. So I keep going telling myself it is all
going to be fine. The longer I went on, the more used to
the pain I got. Then another pain started at the front of the
right leg, which was worse than the hamstring, so that
took my mind of it .
At that point, Martin Cullen and Mick Green come along
beside me. How are you going? So I pass on the tales of
woe. Then another 10 minutes go by and James Joy says
hello; so I tell him as well….already I am feeling a bit
better.
After that it was a case of grinding it
out. I missed our other supports near
the finish. When it came up 800
meters to go, I had nothing left to give.
My stride had shortened it was hard,
the last 400 was like a shuffle.
Memories of the early marathon years
of runners all over the place trying to
keep on their feet to finish, but I got
there.
I finished in 4.06, got the medal and t-shirt.
It was left then to get your bag back and meet up
with everyone on Horse Guard’s parade. Having
done the marathon, it is like a cloud being lifted
and a clear vision returns for the running
challenges that lie ahead.
Thank you Trent Park members for all your
support and encouragement over the past three
months.
My previous London Marathon worst experiences come
flooding back to me.
When I finished in 1991, David Arnold telling Ann, ‘Get
hold of him, he looks a funny colour in case he
collapses.’
Then the year Jill Atkins (she was brilliant) talked to
me constantly from 13 miles to the finish. She started
by saying ‘you do not have to reply’, and then
proceeded to talk to me to get me round the course to
finish. Without Jill, I would not have completed the
1992 London Marathon.
My highlight was 1993 when I ran the London and
New York Marathons (there is another story).
Back to 2012.
One of the biggest learns from this year’s run was at the
20 mile marker. When I reached it, my brain told me ‘that’s
it! You have done it!’ To run distances greater than 20
miles - to have more comfort and success at marathon
distances not from a physical point of view but certainly
from a mental one – I now feel running more miles is
important.
Peter applauding the 24 mile Cheer Station –
while we applaud him!
3
"Train for 20 miles ... adrenaline will get you to 26.2 miles" Spirit of the Marathon
London Marathon Expo
By Malcolm
Allen
For the last six or seven years I have worked at registration for the
London Marathon, at the Excel Centre in Docklands. The expo runs
from Wednesday until Saturday afternoon. There must be upwards
of 150 people helping, and this year all but 3 have done it before,
some for every Marathon.
There were 9, past or present Trent Park members that helped out
this year. I have the enviable job of issuing the timing tags to the
runners. We work in teams of two, I’m partnered with Len Edmonds,
working alternate hours giving out the chips or working on “crowd
control”, or just having our free pasta lunch, and a wander round the
Expo.
I just love doing it, especially when a first time runner comes up to
you. It is normally very apparent when they do, sometimes they are
nervous and others are so excited to be doing it. When you have
time, you can answer their questions and give some advice, i.e. to
wrap up warm at the start, explaining that the kit bag has to be
loaded on the lorry 45 minutes before the race starts.
The opportunity to chat diminishes as you get
to Friday, and when Saturday arrives, it’s
normally 3 or 4 hours of constantly issuing tags
with just enough time to say hello, check you
are giving it to the correct person and a quick
“good luck”, until you get to the next person in
line.
We see a few familiar faces, some of the Trent Park runners and one or to celebrities. This year it was BBC
newsreader Sophie Raworth, Susanna Reid from BBC Breakfast, one of the inevitable Holly Oaks actors, and
Laila Rouass from Holby City. I was also introduced to 5 time Comrades Marathon winner Bruce Fordyce, he is a
very slight man and had just completed the Boston marathon the week before in temperatures of 35 degrees.
Some of the other people in the team had done hundreds of Marathons, one was doing his 695 at this year’s race,
when I asked him when he was going to do his 700, he said “in five weeks’ time”, he does one a week!! There
was another who was doing his 300. Personally I think one a year is enough for me.
“We make a living
by what we get,
We make a life by
what we give.”
Sir Winston
Churchill
(1874 - 1965)
44
Marathon Days …
in the Life of Len Edmonds
Registration
For some years (since the late 1990’s) a small
number of Trent Park RC members have assisted at
the London Marathon registration. They are Malcolm
Allen, Ann Bolitho, Carol Hollett, Trevor Jex, Tony
Lear, Francesca Morri-Edmonds, and myself. Other
members have helped out from time to time, this year
we were joined by Malcolm Gray.
What we do, with others of course, is to register the
runners, checking their documentation, and issuing
each of them with their number and timing chip to
record them crossing the start and finishing lines. We
are there for four days which can briefly be described
as follows; Wednesday – brisk flurry slowing to
pedestrian, Thursday – slow, Friday – steady, rising
to brisk and Saturday – rammed rising to manic and
then slowing to thank God it’s over.
We have to be at the Excel Centre by about 9am and
we finish at 8pm, 6pm on the Saturday. Generally the
days go by without incident, the whole process is so
well organised now that I sometimes think we could
do it blindfold. Occasionally we get to see or even
meet a celebrity or an interesting character. Also,
every year brings its anecdotes, for instance this year
a woman from Watford registered on Friday and then
during the night awoke convinced that she had not
collected her timing chip. She returned to the Excel
Centre on Saturday and queued for a chip only to be
told she already had one, which was in the envelope
in her hand. When asked why she had not opened
the envelope to check its contents before travelling
from Watford she replied that she did not like to do so
because it had been sealed.
Between us we could relate many such anecdotes,
like the Italian man who frustrated with Francesca for
not letting him have a free number swore at her, in
Italian, thinking she would not understand, lui era
stupidio. She had him thrown out of the building by
Dave who is a big man and in charge of security, also
he has a soft spot for her. I could go on but you
would become bored. If you are really interested I
suggest you ask for further details from one of those
mentioned above. I am going to move on.
Baggage Re-claim
If registration is sedetary baggage re-claim is
anything but. Since 1999 I have assembled a team of
14 highly trained and dedicated club members to take
part in this demanding and daunting operation. The
team consists entirely of volunteers all of whom are
carefully vetted and selected on a first come, first
served basis. It is the sort of operation which, when I
was at work, would evoke me to say to my boss
“Thank you sir for allowing me this opportunity to
excel”, to which he would reply “Stop taking the
******* **** Edmonds”
We depart from the hockey club by coach at 6:45 am
precisely. The coach is filled with excited runners all
of whom are chattering at the same time and creating
the most irritating cacophony. We take these carbon
loaded individuals to Blackheath for the start of the
race. Once they alight, the baggage team continues
on to Pall Mall, in silence I might add and glad they
are gone, where we get off. After reporting for duty
we make our way to MacDonald’s in Whitehall for
breakfast..
By 10am we are in the Finishing Area ready and
waiting for the baggage lorries to arrive. Once in
position, all thirty four of them, it is our job to arrange
the bags in the lorry allocated to us (number 19 this
year) in numerical order, about 1200 in total, ready to
hand back to the runners after they have crossed the
finishing line. This process takes about one hour and
it is strenuous physical work.
Len working hard…
5
It is not rocket science, you just have to be able to
count, John Sanger usually struggles during this
period. That completed, we have a short respite until
the runners start to arrive and we hand the bags back
to their owners, including all the contents.
It really is fun, believe it or not. This year it rained and
so we got a bit wet but, hey-ho, into every life and all
that. We normally get away from The Mall at about
4:45 pm and return to the hockey centre at about 6 pm.
After five days I am tired, I have had enough of the
London Marathon and I just want to relax and
Francesca goes off to church, which is why we are
never at the Cricketers, but I know that by next April I
will be ready for it again.
This year’s baggage team consisted of;
1. Joy Bebbington
2. Dave Cording
3. Penny Cording
4. Len Edmonds
5. Jackie Fletcher
6. Jane Fuller
7. Tom Gort
8. Malcolm Gray
9. Francesca Morri-Edmonds
10. Peter Openshaw
11. Paul Rogers
12. Tim Ryan
13. John Sanger
14. Denise Wells
Next year’s team is already half full, if you are
interested and think you are up to it just ask me. A
£20.00 note will ensure your inclusion.
If John Sanger tries to sell you a new jacket with the
label in, don’t believe him!
Sporting red jackets, we have the delightful models
of Trent Park Running Club ….
Len Edmonds
PS. By the way runner number 21995 this year
th
completed the course in 4:43:23, was placed 22007
th
rd
overall, 15997 in the gender category, 1293 in the
50-54
age
category
and
is
named
Sathanandasundaram Alaganandasundaram, wow!
Results
Results
Paris Marathon, 15/4/12
Steve Clayton
4:01:25
Liz Jackson
4:44:33
Neil Kapoor
2:54:49
Milton Keynes Marathon 29/4/12
Scott Aiken:
2:59:35
Anthony Plewes
3:32:31
Neil Kapoor:
3:44:13
Brighton Marathon, 15th April
Martin Morgan: 3:34:02
James Joy:
4:13:07
Christerbel Mate: 4:57:05
Shakespeare Marathon, 29/4/12
(Half Marathon due to weather)
James Joy:
1:46:35
Results
London Marathon, 22/4/12
Alison Bateman:
4:54:55
Anne Roberts:
5:10:25
Chas Taylor:
3:55:54
Darren Charters:
3:45:56
Darren White:
3:44:48
Dave Mellor:
2:57:06
Foulla Green:
4:00:59
George Georgiou:
3:37:22
Hat Abdullah:
4:29:33
James Joy:
4:37:43
John Demetriou:
4:50:24
Judy Prior:
3:43:45
Martin Cullen:
4:29:53
Mick Green:
3:58:36
Mus Reyman:
4:39:34
Neil Kapoor:
3:42:50
Paul Ward:
3:28:31
Peter Goldfinch:
4:06:35
Tom Cursley:
3:37:22
Trevor Duke:
6:53:23
6
How do I run slower?
This seems like a very arrogant question for
someone who has just managed to slip under 4
hours for the London Marathon. Perhaps the
question should be ‘how do I go faster?’. This is a
serious question and maybe the two questions go
together.
By Chas Taylor
“I need to go slower in
order to go faster.”
When I start a Marathon I vow to myself that I am
going to go slowly in the early stages. My plan is to
take it very easy and see if I can keep running right
to the finish, something I have never yet achieved.
A marathon is the only race I feel you need to go
into with a very strict plan. Obviously I don’t start
the handicap at the same pace as a half marathon
but it is subconscious control. All I do is put one foot
in front of the other and the pace that happens is
what happens.
In this year’s London Marathon, like my previous
four, I started really relaxed and supposedly slowly,
which for the first crowded mile was true but the
next few, according to my Garmin were not. The
problem was I wasn’t sure how to slow down. I just
felt relaxed and easy, I thought I would trip over my
feet if I tried to go any slower.
The spooky thing is that on a Thursday night run I
can go at nearly a minute a mile slower than this
and struggle to keep up, feel slaughtered and that’s
only over 6 or 7 miles. It may be race conditions,
adrenaline or maybe I’m kidding myself in a race
and I’m pushing my body faster than I can really
justify.
If only I could learn to go slower, particularly in the
early stages of a marathon, I am sure my overall
performance would be so much better. I need to go
slower in order to go faster!
I have now been running for just under 6 years and
have run the London Marathon 5 times. I was
injured in 2009 when I also had a place. Taking into
account my views on always going too fast you
might think it is time to join the ‘never again’
brigade. However, being bloody minded I am
scheduled for 2 more marathons this year. I will be
in Edinburgh in a few weeks time and Abingdon In
October.
My time at this year’s London Marathon was my
second under 4 hours. It was about 15 minutes off
my best but the good thing is that I believe it
qualifies me for a ‘good for age’ for next year. I am
currently checking this with the Marathon authorities
but I think it is ok. I have managed this because I
reach a new age group when I hit 65 six days after
the London Marathon. I think part of my problem in
the past is that I have been trying to do 3:30 which
is the ‘good for age’ target for 60-64.
This is a time I have always wanted to achieve but
it would only ever happen if I got everything
absolutely right. As you can tell things have never
gone anything like right, never mind absolutely. I
fear this target has got away from me now but 4
hours is still something to be proud of as an old
age pensioner.
I’ve been very negative in my analysis of some of
my marathon difficulties. I don’t want any of you
readers thinking I am not very happy with my
running career (am I sure I mean career?).
Running has been a great revelation to me. In the
6 years of running I’ve lost loads of weight (as
some of you will have seen in previous Park Life
articles), I’ve had some great racing, challenged
myself in all sorts of ways and made many great
friends.
When it comes to challenging one’s self the
marathon is the ultimate. It is about strategy, it is
about control, it is about self- doubt, it is about
pain management, it is about emotion and it is
about commitment. It is this challenge which
keeps me coming back. People keep asking me if
I enjoyed it. Enjoyment is certainly not the right
word. I’m not sure there is an accurate word,
maybe satisfaction is closer. I can say I’m
satisfied however much I flog myself for not
getting it right or how much I think I could have
kept running when I started walking. I’m satisfied!
This satisfied marathon runner is determined to
run slower at Edinburgh in a few weeks’ time and
Abingdon in October and next year back again to
experience the unique atmosphere of the London
Marathon. Hopefully this slow running will get me
a faster time.
7
Le Marathon de Paris
I’m not too sure exactly why I entered the Paris
Marathon but when I looked back at the receipt, I
noticed that the day I entered coincided with our
wedding anniversary, so maybe Mr Jackson and I
had one too many glasses of wine and decided it
would be a good idea – or maybe he got muddled
whilst trying to book a romantic weekend in Paris
(unlikely).
Anyway, enter I did and so the training began in
earnest, although perhaps not with the
commitment that a race like this demands. I tried
hard, I really did, to run more than 3 times a week
but unfortunately I am an expert in making
excuses not to run more – and sometimes I even
convince myself they’re true. What did go well
about the training? Well, the tapering did and also
the re-fuelling post training. Ray Bull summed it
up when, after having not seen me for several
months, he commented, “Training for the
marathon Liz. I thought you’d be a slip of a thing
by now.” I don’t think I actually put on weight but I
certainly didn’t lose any.
And so, like all marathons, one minute the big day
was months away and the next minute we were
stepping off the plane at Charles de Gaulle
airport, bracing ourselves for an encounter with
the Paris Metro system. We survived and arrived
safely at our hotel near the Sacre Coeur.
The next morning Mark and I took on the Metro
system once more to pick up the race pack.
Fortunately, a helpful Parisian noticed our
dilemma at the ticket machine however
unfortunately he misunderstood my French accent
(O-level 1976) and thought we were tourists
wishing to visit the Palace of Versailles. Not
having a suitable map, we didn’t realize that this
was nowhere near the marathon expo and hence
we followed his advice. Sometime later that day,
we eventually arrived to pick up the race number
and, as you do at all marathon expos, spent
money on running gear we really didn’t need. It
was great to bump into fellow Trent Park runner,
Steve Clayton, who too was spending an
unnecessary amount of cash.
Finally the big day arrived and we headed for the
Arc de Triomphe where the race was due to start.
The organisers were not big on signs and it was
pretty chaotic however I managed to find the
correct starting pen and stood, with 40,000 others,
admiring the shops of the Champs Elysees. After
about 45 minutes of climbing over mountains of
discarded clothing (it was really quite cold) I
reached the start line and began running, waiting
in anticipation for the cheers of the supporters.
The first thing I thought was, “Where are all the
barriers to keep the crowds under control?”
By Liz Jackson
A friendly group were
handing out wine and
Powerade
(a
strange
combination I thought)…
This was swiftly followed by, “Where are all the
crowds?” There was the odd dog walker and
bemused teenager returning from a night out –
in places the supporters were even one deep –
but for large chunks of the race there was no
one. (I imagine that if we’d been on two wheels,
the situation might have been very different.)
After a while, when I realised it was not going to
be like running in London, I very much enjoyed
the peace and the rhythmic sound of the runners
feet, and it became more like a (very) long
Sunday run. Hats off though to the French fire
brigade who turned out in full force - firefighters,
fire engines and even a brass band. There were
also many other bands along the route including
a group of older men in full hunting gear playing,
obviously, French horns.
The course itself was fantastic. It was totally flat
and passed alongside many famous Parisian
landmarks, with about 12 miles being run
through two massive parks.
It was quite
amazing to turn a corner and be faced with the
Le Tour Eiffel which, from a distance, looks
remarkably like the Blackpool Tower.
My
Northern advisor tells me the Eiffel Tower was
modelled on the one in Blackpool however I
suspect it was the other way round – although I
don’t think there’s a derelict Woolworths store at
the bottom of the one in Paris. The roads were,
in the main part, very wide so, despite there
being 40,000 runners, you never felt cramped.
The total lack of barriers (and very few
marshalls) did mean however that anyone, and
anything, could join the race course at any point
– and they did! One moment you’d be dodging
a motorcycle, the next you’d be joined by a 10
year old. Even a road sweeper, complete with
vehicle, was seen making his way along.
8
Le Paris de Marathon
Cont../d
It was all going very well and then I hit mile 20 and the wheels literally fell off. After spending a
while regretting my lack of training I formulated a
plan to get me to the finish. At the next feed
station I tried everything on offer which included
bananas, oranges, sugar cubes and raisins –
this, too, I regretted. The next move was to run
along the blue line (the shortest possible route)
and follow the feet of the runner in front. Sadly
none of this worked and my brain and body were
screaming at me to stop running and walk – so I
did.
In my limited experience of marathon
running, I think the race after mile 20 becomes
more a psychological one and, ashamedly, I
simply don’t have what it takes to keep going. I
watched all the other runners around me and
knew that they too were probably going through
the same emotions however somehow they
were able to keep plodding along.
I began to get a little tearful when, all of a
sudden, I noticed the Arc de Triomphe in the
distance and realised in was only a mile to the
finish. A friendly group were handing out wine
and Powerade (a strange combination I
thought), music was playing, people were
speeding up, marshalls were pulling people
without numbers off the course , I spotted Mark
and Rosie in the crowds (being a student, she
never turns down a free holiday) ......... and
eventually I crossed the finish line. Four hours
and 44 minutes – not fast but still, for me, a
huge achievement and an incredible experience.
What advice would I give to anyone thinking
about entering a marathon? Well, I’m not sure
I’m qualified to hand out running advice but just
a few practical tips. Firstly: do yoga or a similar
core strengthening and stretching routine.
Secondly: lose weight. Thirdly: don’t fly back
home on the day of the race - it is virtually
impossible to walk down the steps of the plane.
And finally – join a running club. Without the
advice, support and encouragement of the many
members of Trent Park, this task would have
been so much harder and not nearly so
rewarding. So thank you to all but especially to
those who accompanied me on the long Sunday
runs - Alison, Jill, Tina and Dawn - and
Madeleine (on the short ones!).
Q&A with the
Runners Part 1
What was the first thing you thought of as
you crossed the line?
Martin Cullen: I was so relieved it was over.
I'd failed to get my time but just managed to
squeak under 4:30. From there I just wanted
to speak to my family who I'd missed on the
course.
James Joy: Where is my baggage truck?
Need to stretch and re-fuel.
Judy Prior: Cant breath!! Hope I won’t end
up on the floor.
Chas Taylor: Thank God I got under 4
hours; thank God it's all over; I really hope I
don't have to get down there and remove my
own chip.
Martin Morgan: Check my watch to see how
much did I shaved off my PB.
Steve Clayton: I can’t believe it! Really didn't
think I could get round recovering from
injuries.
Alison Bateman : Shall I have a pint of beer
or a large white wine with my water?
Part 2 on Page 16.
The Prior’s Magnet Fridge …
Judy’s time above & Mike’s situation.
Mike is taking on the Marathon later this year
in Amsterdam.
"Some people don't have the guts for distance racing.
The polite term for them is Sprinters..”
9
Dedication is what you need
Hello All,
My name is John Demetriou. In 2007 I was 18
stone and suffering from many weight related
problems. The turning point came when I went
to the doctor and he told me I was clinically
obese. This shocked me into action!
My friends had been trying to get me cycling for
years so I now took up cycling with gusto and
started eating more healthily and sure enough
the weight began to drop off, the energy levels
began to rise and the health problems began to
ease. By November 2011 I was down to 14st
9lbs and felt like a teenager again:). So much
so that I had decided it was time for a new
challenge to keep the new healthy lifestyle
going. I had never been able to run so decided
that that's what I should do and what better goal
to set than the London Marathon!
By John Demetriou
Thanks to the
advice and
guidance I have
received from the
club and my new
hero Chas;)
In December 2011 I received a charitable place
in the Marathon, I was to run for Hope & Homes
for Children and needed to raise £2000 for the
charity.
On 11.12.2011 I did my first run since the
obligatory 3 miler at school more than 20 years
previously! The distance was 2.16 miles in 20:29
I began training but my training lacked direction
and I was always running on my own which I
found quite lonely and a little boring at times.
Every Tuesday my eldest boy Leonardo aged 6
would have football training at Trent Park
Hockey ground so I would take him to football
and run while he practiced. This led to the
discovery of Trent Park Running Club and my
running was never the same again:)
I was welcomed with open arms and must say
that everyone has been lovely and helped me at
every step of the way. My running has improved
immeasurably thanks to the advice and
guidance I have received from the club and my
new hero Chas;)
Then all to quickly it seems the London
Marathon was upon us, all the training had been
done I am now 12 stone 10lbs, my wife Hayley
says I am too skinny !! Found myself doing my
pre marathon prep the evening before, laying
out my kit. Is it going to be hot or cold do I wear
the long tights or the shorts, sod it take
everything!
The alarm sounds but I'm already up, nervous
tension means I'm straight out of the bed quietly
as possible so as not to wake my pregnant wife
or my two young boys. Then its down the stairs
porridge on while getting dressed then vitamins
and a nice cup of tea and out the door, damn
forgotten my head phones so its back in and
then we are off!
Arrive at the hockey club car park and the coach is
already there with more people than I had been
expecting all dressed up against the cold. I'm in
Lycra shorts, maybe I should have worn the
leggings! We all get on the coach the sense of
anticipation is palpable, everyone is talking
nervously about the race ahead, previous races last
minute prep and then on time the coach doors close
and we are off, no escape now we are actually on
the way to the London Marathon!
We pass the Olympic park, wow! Its amazing to
think in a few short months the worlds elite athletes
will converge on our fair city and some at least will
be running the very same route we are going to run
today:) Then we are here and exiting the coach
onto a cold but thankfully dry and sunny Black
Heath. There is a quick team photo and then we
disperse to our pre determined areas.
Even though it is cold I am already glad I wore
shorts as I can already start to see that if the sun
stays this bright it may begin to be a problem, we
were expecting rain !! There are thousands of
people everywhere, all kinds of crazy costumes,
tigers, lions, a rhino and even a horses ass! So
much is happening it is hard to take it all in my
senses are flooded with sounds and sights and then
that's it we are called to take our kit bags to the
trucks and make our way to the start line. People
are discarding the old clothes and black bags they
have been wearing to keep warm and then we are
OFF.
10
Dedication is what you need Cont../d
It takes ten minutes to get past the start line and
that's it I am actually running the London Marathon.
I am in a sea of people all shapes and sizes, has so
much Lycra ever been assembled in one place?
Unlikely!
The miles start to go by and the heat of the blazing
sun on my shaved head is beginning to affect me.
We are at mile seven and the tell tale sign for me
that I am dehydrating, cramp!! Oh no I can feel
cramp in my left calf. I realise that I must start
taking water and lots of it. At the next water station I
poor half the bottle over me and sip the rest,
thankfully there are many water stations and also
thankfully shower stations that prove a god send. Its
half way now and I seem to be on top of the
hydration issue. We've just crossed tower bridge
half way, still 13 miles to go.
Its now mile 24 tired but determined there's no way
I'm stopping so don't even think about it, totally
focused on finishing. I have arranged with Hayley to
meet her and a couple of friends at the end of the
Marathon, unbeknown to me she has also brought
our two boys and has got them to the barrier at mile
24 to show them the race and then she sees me
running past! She tells me that they all screamed
their heads off but I did not hear them! Glad I didn't
because if I had seen the kids I would have burst
into tears!! There is 100 yards left and the clock is
at 4:59 I don't know where I get the energy but I
sprint the last hundred yards as if my life depends
on it!
Like Mr Norris
McWhirter used to say
"dedication is what you need". And then its
all over…my first London Marathon. I feel a
sense of jubilation and achievement, I did
what I set out to do, raised £2000 for a
fantastic cause and also feel very humbled
by all the people running for so many causes,
lost loved ones. It gives me a sense of hope
that so many people are willing to give so
much.
So to sum up the London Marathon: it’s an
amazing day that will stay with me in many
ways for the rest of my life, oh and you get a
really nice medal:)
Some of the Marathon runners at the Clubhouse, showing off their well deserved medals.
From L-R:
Trevor Duke, Mick Green, Martin Cullen, Judy Prior, Foulla Green, Tom Cursley, Hat Abdullah, Liz
Jackson, John Demetriou, Ann Roberts, Paul Ward, Alison Bateman, Peter Goldfinch & Chas Taylor
11
Brighton Marathon
By Martin Morgan
Helped on by my cheering friends and family in
the latter stages I crossed the finish line in
3:34:02, which was 35 minutes faster that my
London Marathon time - I was delighted!
The Brighton Marathon is well worthy of the praise
it's received over the first couple of years. The
organisers say this year's event was the biggest
and best to date and the success is sure to
continue into 2013 when it enters it's fourth year
when more than 12,000 runners take to the city's
streets.
This was my second marathon having run the Virgin
London Marathon in 2011. My preparations had
gone well - I had more confidence knowing what I
was in store for over 26.2 miles. I'd avoided injury
and kept free of colds and I also found it easier to
get miles under my belt as I incorporated training
runs into my commute to and from work.
Similarly to London, you have to collect your race
number by attending the pre-race exhibition. The
event at the Brighton Centre is a fraction of the size
of the pre-London expo but I enjoyed the buzz and
excitement it generated. I met up with my cousin
and his friends who were all running and we
headed into town for an Italian meal for a last bit of
carbo-loading.
I certainly recommend the Brighton Marathon to
everyone. The atmosphere from start to finish is
fantastic and the cheering crowds are plentiful, full
of voice and they're really enthusiastic. You can't
fault the organisers either. The event is extremely
well
organised.
Their
regular
email
correspondence is very informative and helpful.
The carnival atmosphere starts the moment you
arrive at the start in Preston Park and the finish
straight takes some beating too.
The Brighton Marathon also has a couple of other
unique features, which appealed to me; I liked the
double-back nature of the course. It gave lots of
opportunities to see the elite runners as they
covered ground we were yet to reach. The official
website was great too as it has a speedy video
run-through of the course, which proved to be a
useful visualisation tool. On completion of the
marathon the organisers also send a snazzy
interactive re-run of your own personal marathon
experience with photos, race videos and a course
plan which tracks your pace progress against
other runners.
If you don't manage to get your London 2013
place give Brighton a go. It really is a great city
marathon that's sure to continue to go from
strength to strength.
On race morning we woke to find near perfect
marathon conditions. It was sunny but cold. The
atmosphere in Preston Park was great as runners
limbered up and made their final pre-start
preparations. I bumped into James Joy among the
other 9,000 runners. We exchanged best wishes
and we all headed off to our starting corals ready
for the off.
I knew the early stages of this marathon had some
tight turns so I thought it best to avoid congested
areas and take the first four miles at a fairly quick
pace. I planned to slow the pace as I reached the
mid-way point. Still feeling good at 13.1 miles I
continued at my early sub-8 minute mile pace but I
had to pay the price between miles 19 and 23 when
aching quads slowed my pace to 9 minute miles! I
pressed on as best as I could and finally picked up
a more respectable pace over the last two miles.
Judy Prior looking fabulous at
Mile 24.
"Success isn't how far you got, but the distance
you travelled from where you started."
12
3 Marathons in 3 Weeks
By James Joy
Why?
Actually it was not planned. I didn’t think “well I did 2
last year so need to go one better”. It was just a twist
of fate and circumstances.
I already had Brighton booked (had it booked before I
crossed the start line last year) and was unsuccessful
in the lottery that is London. My cousin, who lives in
South Africa, wanted to come and run a marathon in
the UK and was also unsuccessful getting a place for
London and left it too late to get a Brighton place. He
had a look around and decided on the Shakespeare
Marathon, which is the week after London. I thought
that will be fine, run Brighton, then 2 weeks later
Shakespeare. So plans were made, flight and
accommodation booked, etc. I then received an
email telling me I had won a place for London. I did
consider not accepting it, but it is 2012 and you don’t
get these sorts of chances very often so I accepted.
Training
I trained in the same way everyone else does for a
marathon. In fact I trained slightly less as I missed
some long runs due to other commitments. However,
I did all the important long runs 18, 20 and 22. I also
ran an off road marathon (in appalling conditions) in
early March.
Brighton
I love the Brighton marathon, all the atmosphere of
London with a lot less people. Arrived at the start with
plenty of time, it was cold so condition looked good.
First 4 miles are around the city centre, before
dropping down to the coast road and heading east
out of Brighton. This section is a slightly up hill and
has little crowd support. As you head out you can see
the elite runners heading back into Brighton on the
other side of the road, followed by everyone else.
Feel remarkably good at this point and looking
forward to the course change this year that removes
a bottleneck. After a couple of 180 degree turns, all
the inclines where over and it was the fast descent
into Brighton to the halfway point.
Still feeling good I picked up the pace a little and
pressed on. As we headed through the city centre,
the crowd support was incredible. Through mile 16 I
could feel myself slowing, I spotted the 4 hours paces
amount ahead of me. If I can keep them in sight I
could sub 4. Mile 17 started to feel myself slowing,
things where starting to hurt and I felt odd. Why?
Pacing ok, things hurt but nothing broken, what is
going on. When did I last take a gel? Oh cr*p I
missed a gel at mile 15. Started to feel light headed,
this is not good. Time to switch from sub 4 mode to
survival mode. So I walked, took an energy gel and
energy bar and kept walking until the next water
station.
Got to the next station, drained half the bottle and then
started to run. Pace very slow now in the boring
harbour section, little crowd support. Did a combination
of run walking through this section as still not feeling
great. Onto the sea front and still run walking time
ticking away, a sub 4 was out the window but if I keep
pressing I can sub 4.15 and PB. Off the sea front and
the finish line seemed to be getting further away. 1 mile
to go and really need to push. Finish line in sight and
put in everything I had to cross the line in 4:13 PB by 5
mins.
London
Early start as I had to drop Myia off in Silver Street first
for the mini marathon coach before driving over to
Trent Park. Felt surprisingly ok and quite relaxed on
the journey over to Blackheath. After a quick photo call
I walked over to the Green Start. Very few people
around so found myself a spot learning up against a
sign and soaked up the sun whilst I waited for the off.
After stripping ready for action and dumping my bag at
the baggage truck, I walked over to my starting pen.
Only 3,000 people at the green start, so even in pen 5,
I was close to the front.
Of we went and I was across the start in 2 minutes.
First half a mile it was easy to pick my way through the
crowd before joining the mass blue start. Settled into a
reasonable pace as was feeling ok. As we ran south of
the river the miles seemed to fly by and I was
concentrating more on keeping a 1 meter “safe zone”
in front of me so I could see any obstacles (bottles,
feet, curbs, etc). Remembered to take my gels and
keep plodding on.
Just before the halfway point I pulled over to answer a
call of nature and then settled back in. Mile 16 and
thinks started to hurt. Was it the efforts of last week or
something else? My hips felt tight. Tried running and
lifting my knees a bit more to see if it would ease off, it
didn’t. Started walked and doing some walking lunges
to see if I could stretch it out. I couldn’t so I ran until the
pain became too great and then walked until it eased
off. As things progressed the runs became shorter and
the walks longer.
"Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity." Michael Johnson
13
3 Marathons in 3 Weeks Cont../d
I made the effort to at least run past the Trent Park
Cheer station and kept going as long as I could, but
soon had to revert to walking. One last push down
Birdcage walk and to the finish and I crossed the
line in a disappointing 4:37. However, had survived
to fight another day.
Shakespeare (the marathon that wasn’t)
Bit of a weekend away for all the family as we drove
up Friday night to meet my parents and cousin from
South Africa, in our home for the weekend, a lovely
barn conversion.
Saturday we visited Stratford-Upon-Avon for a bit of
sightseeing, lunch and to work out where we
needed to go the next day. Weather was cold and
windy so we skipped the sightseeing and just did
lunch.
That night we could hear the wind and the rain
battering our barn. As morning broke we realised
that the weather reports where rather optimist. That
7 degrees and light rain, was around 5 degrees and
heavy rain. This was going to be tough, especially
for my cousin who has never run in single figure
temperatures, let alone heavy rain and high winds.
We drove over to Stratford hoping for a break in the
weather. We parked up and sat looking out of the
window. My cousin said “This was not what I had in
mind. I thought it would be a nice day out for all the
family”. They had taken one look out the window in
the morning and decided a day of board games was
the better option. As we slowly removed layers in
the comfort of the car it reached the point we had to
go outside. As I forced the car door open against
the wind and I thought I better sub 4 as I don’t want
to be out in this too long.
As we crossed the start line I spent the first 2 miles
dodging around slower runners before settling into
a decent pace. All going well as we reached the
highest point of the otherwise flat course and a
rapid downhill towards mile 8, a PB on the cards.
However, as we crossed the River Avon the wind
and rain picked up. Driving rain stinging my face
and legs and wind pushing you all over the place.
I pushed on glancing down at my watch I noticed
that my pace was dropping, but I was pushing
harder. When the wind dropped my pace would
increase by around 30 seconds! As I turned into the
Greenway section we went from tarmac to a
compacted gravel path. Puddles everywhere filled
with a chalky muddy water. At first I tried, along with
everyone else, to dodge them, I was in road shoes
and not sure what was at the bottom of these.
However, the quickest line was straight through the
middle not breaking stride to keep going at the
same pace, so that’s the option I took.
We hit the tarmac again and I increased the pace
as we were slightly sheltered from the wind. Mile 12
came by and I realised I was not going to PB, but I
could get close. As we headed into the park I could
see the finish. It was in the middle of the grass, as I
turned the corner for the finish all I could see was a
sea of mud worthy of any cross country race.
Crossed the line in 1:46:35, very close to a PB.
However all I could thing about was getting warm
and dry.
We dropped our bags off and took the walk to the
start line. Queued for the toilets and tried to push
through the crowd to get a better positions for the
start. 5 minutes to go and then came the
announcement that due to the weather and
standing water on the course, there is no marathon,
everyone will be doing the half. Disappointment,
followed by rapidly changing race plans.
My cousin was trying to calculate Kilometres to
miles and work out his race pace. I thought about
what pace I needed to run at to PB as I don’t want
to be out here for too long.
Two down, one to go!
"When you cross the finish line, no matter how slow or fast, it will change your life forever"
14
Inspirational Men
By George Georgiou
George Georgiou raising money for
GOSH, with Tom Cursley, at the
Mile 24 cheer station.
George at Mile 25
“Teams share the burden
and divide the grief.”
I've wanted to run the London Marathon for many years and finally made
the effort to start training seriously after watching my sister run the 2010
event. I was due to run in 2011 but a calf injury meant my place was
deferred to 2012. What was a charity run for Great Ormond Street Hospital
became a run in memory of our son, Sol, who passed away at the hospital
in February.
An injury to my right leg on my final tapering run was very worrying, but
most of the pain eased off before the big day. Unfortunately, the pain
returned after a couple of miles of the race but there really was no other
choice but to run through it. As well as giving high-fives to the kids along
the course, the main highlight was crossing Tower Bridge - that was really
awesome!! The final six miles were very hard and my right leg was really
aching. As I crossed the line, I suddenly broke down with emotion,
although funnily enough there were no tears. The pain in my right leg
came back with a passion and now I'm writing this while waiting for an xray at Finchley Memorial!
I will try to run the Marathon every year if my legs will let me. My advice
would be to buy the right socks and shoes; use energy bars and gels and
drinks and increase your training very gradually. Most of all - try to avoid
running on your own (it was sooo boring).
George & Tom in the last 100m
Finally, a big ‘thankyou’ to Tom for running with me throughout the race.
He was perfectly able to pull ahead and finish much quicker than we did,
but his selfless attitude was a huge help.Thanks again mate.
“There is no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bear witness that a man has the greatest of
courage, the courage to suffer.”
Frankl
15
Q&A with the Runners
Part 2
What advice would you give to someone who hasn't run the
marathon before?
MC: Do it. Enter a race, train properly and take advantage of the
fantastic array of experience we have at our club.
Alison Bateman
has been a club
member for 3
years, working
mother of 2
children. “Life is
stressful so running
my saviour.”
MM: Follow a training schedule as closely as you can and ensure you
enter a half marathon in preparation for the big one.
AB: You can't get away with no or little training and running with other
club members makes that a lot easier. Also get a good sports bra (if you
are a lady of course).
Why did you do it?
MC: Many reasons. The chief of which was my determination to break
the 4 hour barrier as I did 4:01 last time. For various reasons I was
unable to train to the extent I wanted to which, ultimately, cost me.
MM: I ran the Virgin London Marathon in 2011 and raised £2,900.00 for
‘Help the Hospices’ after my father lost his battle with cancer. I ran
Brighton this year because I gained so much through completing the
tough challenge of the 26.2 miles.
Martin Cullen,
Hard core Bolton
football fan. Has
been a member of
TP for 3 years,
married with a
daughter.
Martin Morgan,
York City football
fan and a member
of TP for one year.
Martin married last
year and is a dark
horse on the track!
AB: For the high of running over that finish line!
What was your *high* moment of the day?
MM: Friends cheering me on at mile 24 and 25 and getting the call from
my cousin when he finished (it was his first marathon).
MC: Cutty Sark. It's a special place as I'd seen it all those years
previously and missed it in 2010 due to the refurbishment. I saw John
Rose, Ian Johnson and Jacqui Hardwick there too and was feeling
strong. Also the cheer stations around the route but especially the
Embankment one.
AB: My high moment was when a chap whose daughter had the
condition I was raising money for said some very inspirational and
generous things - he was also running. Seeing all the amazing runners
raising money for charity and running for others is to me what the
London Marathon is all about. I know some people have the view the
London marathon has been spoilt by slow charity runners like me; but I
completely disagree.
When did you feel the most pain?
MM: Mile 20-23 (I set off far too fast!)
Will you do the Marathon
again?
MC: Never say Never.
MM: I ran the Virgin London
Marathon in 2011 and raised
£2,900.00 for ‘Help the
Hospices’ after my father lost
his battle with cancer. I ran
Brighton this year because I
gained so much through
completing
the
tough
challenge of the 26.2 miles.
AB: It’s my 4th marathon and
at both mile 13 and mile 23 I
made my husband (who was
in the crowd) swear never to
let me do another marathon
but I always say that. It is like
child birth -you quickly forget
all the bad bits!
MC: Between 14 and 20 miles. Severe cramps in both calves limited my
running to the extent I had to walk a good deal of the way.
AB: Mile 21 when I hit the wall-again and my legs cramped up. It’s my
fourth marathon so you would think I would learn by now.
"To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run is like trying to explain color to
someone who was born blind."
Jerome Drayton
16
TP Gallery
From Top Left: James Joy, Steve Clayton & Friend, Foulla Green, Gillian Ranson & Mavis Healey, Peter
Cowley & Sylvia Goodman, Jane Studd, Andrew Ryde & Gillian, Darren White
Thanks to everyone who contributed in this Edition! More importantly, ‘Well Done’ to all of you Marathon
runners. You are an inspiration! Equally the volunteers and supporters who gave their time.
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” H.E. Luccock
17