The Run Liverpool Marathon - My First Marathon

Despite a 50 minute delayed start, sunshine, wind, rain, severe leg cramps, never ending hills, being overtaken by Scooby Doo and a magical mystery tour around two parks I managed to complete my first full marathon: The Run Liverpool Marathon.

I’ve done a few race events now and for me the most stressful part of the day is getting to the start. Running a 10k, half marathon or full marathon for the first time involves lots of training over many months and the anxiety of making to the start line kicks in a few weeks before for me.

“What if I get injured?”

“What if I get a cold?”

“What if I sleep in?”

“What if I wake up in 28 days time and everyone has turned into zombies?”

Thankfully, my last few weeks of training past without incident and after setting and checking my alarm a couple of dozen times the night before, I was up and ready in plenty of time on the day. My wife Abigail very kindly agreed to drive me to and from the start/finish and provide moral support and we set off on time for our journey from Preston to Liverpool.

An hour later we had parked up in one of the designated Run Liverpool Marathon car parks and arrived at Moorfields train station for our short trip over to the race start at Birkenhead Park. We joined the massive ticket queue that stretched out of Moorfields station and I nervously checked the time; it was just before 8 o’clock, plenty of time till the race start at 9:30. We eventually made it to the head of the ticket queue and I think we were amongst the last people to buy tickets before it was announced that they would let people through and tickets could be bought at the other end at Birkenhead Park Station. Down on the platform I tucked into by breakfast, two pieces of wholemeal toast with peanut butter (I still don’t like peanut butter after eating it for 5 months).

After a bit of a squeeze getting out of Birkenhead Park train station (where no one was asked to buy a ticket by the way) we arrived at Birkenhead Park and met up with my parents in law Janice and Stuart would had kindly travelled up from Surrey to lend their support. With my immediate family supporting me from afar down under in Australia, I was very grateful for Janice and Stuart’s attendance and it meant a lot to me to see them there. We all made our way towards the start and I got changed and smothered my feet and inside thighs with moisturiser.

I jogged across the field and back and went through my stretches and then headed towards the blue zone to take my place amongst the waiting crowd. Half nine came and went and we were all still standing there waiting to get moving.

It was a strange feeling standing with all those other runners at the start of my first ever full marathon. Although I was surrounded by strangers, we all had at least one thing in common; we were about to attempt a full 26.2 miles of marathon. I looked around at the faces that surrounded me, some worried, some nervous, some relaxed. I thought about all the hours of training that had gone into this crowd. I thought about the people who wouldn’t make it. I hoped that I would.

Soon it was announced that the start had been officially delayed to a chorus of groans as runners headed back out onto the fields to keep warm and start their preparation all over again. I wasn’t too bothered about the delayed start and was able to find Abi and her parents again for a chat while I stretched again. Forty five minutes later we were given the 5 minute warning and I headed back over to the blue zone to squeeze back in.

I waved goodbye to Abi as the crowd squashed up waiting for the start. At about fifty minutes late the start was announced and we slowly shuffled forward. I kept my eyes on the right hand side of the barriers to try and spot my friends Mark and Charlie. As I approached the start I spotted them and headed over for a high five as the shuffling crowd broke into a run. A few seconds later I past under the start and I was off, I’d started my first ever marathon!

I said out loud “I’m running a marathon” as the realisation set in. After five months of training and a few weeks of fund raising I was on my way. My chosen charity was The Willow Foundation which provides psychological and emotional support for seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds through the provision of special day experiences. For more information about the good work The Willow Foundation do visit www.willowfoundation.org.uk/Home.

Just 26.2 miles to go then I could call myself a marathon runner!

Whilst I had been waiting for the start of the race (for 50 minutes) I was under the shade of the trees. Once I got out in the open however I realised that the sun was actually out and it was quite warm running through the Birkenhead Park for the first mile or so.

Once I was heading out of Birkenhead and crossing the first of the bridges out towards Seacombe, I was hit by a wicked side wind which threatened to swipe my vest clean off me! I’ve always hated running in wind so I just got my head down and carried on.

The next few miles seemed to drag as we all headed towards New Brighton up a never ending hill. We reached New Brighton and turned left to run along the coast. On our right the runners that were ahead of us could be seen running back in the opposite direction. It was at this point that I spotted Scooby Doo, or rather a runner dressed as Scooby Doo, and he was about 25 minutes ahead of me!

A couple of miles further on and I was running along the bank of the river Mersey. This was a very pleasurable and flat 2 mile stretch with excellent views across the river towards the Liver Buildings; my eventual finish.

We headed back into Birkenhead crossing to same bridges as we had several miles earlier and towards the Queensway Mersey Tunnel. I was looking forward to running through the tunnel as I have driven through it many times and I was expecting a unique running experience. As I entered the tunnel My Garmin Forerunner 305 beeped its complaints as it lost its satellite signal leaving me with only my heart rate and time to monitor. Entered the tunnel everything seemed to go very dark while my eyes adjusted. As I headed steadily down hill towards the centre of the tunnel and the centre of the marathon the atmosphere was quite eerie as individuals and groups randomly shouted sending echoes bouncing off the walls.

Half way through both the tunnel and my first ever marathon, suddenly I was running up hill and towards the tunnel exit. This was by far seemed like the longest and toughest hill I had ever run up but I was determined to keep going while people around me were slowing and dropping into a walk. I took a left and as I headed towards the exit I could literally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I could certainly hear the drums.

Leaving the tunnel, the huge Royal Liver Building which I had admired from the other side of the river miles earlier loomed over head. The cheering crowds contrasted nicely against the quiet loneliness of the long tunnel. My legs felt heavy after the long ascent out of the Queensway tunnel but I now knew I was over half way through which felt great.

Just a few minutes out of the tunnel I heard my name called and I looked to my right to see my wife and my parents in law shouting and waving frantically. I ran over with the intension of stopping for a chat and a stretch. As I approached Janice shouted “well done, keep going” and I found myself taking her advice and running on past them. I was glad to have left the tunnel behind and the climb out had left my legs feeling heavy but it wasn’t long before I would be facing another hill challenge.

Turning left onto Parliament Street I could see a huge hill stretch out in front of me. I kept a steady pace and got my head down and plodded on. The Hill seemed to go on and on and I could feel the heaviness returning to my legs. I was determined to make it up the hill without stopping and about ten minutes later I finally reached the top and levelled out allowing my legs to recover slightly as I headed towards the first of the two parks.

Entering Princes Park my legs were tired but apart from that I felt fine. I made the decision to stop and stretch at some point in one of the parks. I passed the 19 mile mark and closed in on the big two zero.

My left leg was aching quite a bit so I decided it was time to stretch. I pulled over on the right hand side and stretched against a tree. It felt strange to be stood still after more than 3 hours of continuous motion. After quite a painful stretching session I continued on my quest. After another ten minutes or so of winding around the park the ache in my left leg had grown into quite a pain so I decided to stop and stretch it out again. I moved over to the side of the path and found a tree. As soon as I stopped my whole left leg cramped up! The pain was immense and shot up and down the front and back of my leg as I slumped against the tree unable to even walk!

A concerned lady on her daily dog walk through the park approached me with some advice “keep moving son, not long to go now”. Without looking up I thought to myself what is she talking about, there’s still loads to go! I took her advice however and started to stumble forward as best I could. I turned around to thank the woman but she was gone. Each step was painful and my leg felt on the verge of another full cramping. When I tried to run the pain was too much and I thought my race might be over. I thought my marathon could be over and I felt terribly sad that I might not be able to finish.

I walked slowly for about another five minutes then eventually broke into a steady run. I ran for about five minutes then the pain in my left leg became too much and I had to slow to a walk for a few minutes while the pain faded away.

This was to be my routine for the last five miles of the Run Liverpool Marathon. I would run for a while as the pain (now in both legs) increased, slow to a walk to let the pain fade, then run again.

Once the winding pathways of the parks were behind me I knew that I was only a few miles from the end. I headed down a very welcome downhill section back down the Parliament street hill which gave my legs a bit a recovery as the crowds spared me on. At the bottom of the hill I turned right and I knew it was in the home straight.

The crowds all along the course had been brilliant and their kind words of encouragement really helped in the tougher sections and they were needed and well received in these last few miles.

I knew from studying the course layout that there would be a final left turn a couple of hundred yards from the finish line and I strained my eyes trying to spot it.

I struggled on through the drizzle and when I finally did spot the last bend I felt a huge relief and great sense of achievement. Almost an hour earlier I had been slumped against a tree unable to walk and I thought the marathon had beaten me, but now I could see the end, the end of five months of training, dozens of early mornings and hundreds of lonely miles.

As I rounded the last corner I heard the familiar voices of my personal fan club, I looked over to see Abigail, Janice and Stuart smiling and waving fanatically. I managed to raise an arm and wave as I turned to face the finish line.

Crossing the finish line I slowed to a walk and then stood still as the fenced off crowds around me clapped and cheered.

I’d finished, and on the same day that I’d started!

I struggled through the finishing area with the rest of the other satisfied finishers. Someone put a medal around my neck, someone else gave me a banana, another person gave me a bottle of water and yet another person wrapped a futuristic foil blanket around me and then I was released out into the crowd.

I met up with my supporters and posed for some photos. My legs were killing me as I stretched them out and I needed a sit down so we headed to a nearby coffee shop.

After a rest and meeting up with my best mate Gaffa and his daughter Ava I said my goodbyes (and thanks) and Abigail and I set off home.

The next day had been booked off work to allow me to recover. I spent the day sitting on the couch watching DVDs apart from a two hour trip into town to prevent my legs from stiffening up. It was painful to bend my legs and I felt generally very tired.

It was a few days until the aches disappeared and I started to feel normal again and a week after I was missing running and looking forward to getting back to the gym and back out on the road.

Below is a screen shot from my RunKeeper activity from the Liverpool Marathon…

The obvious question which I’ve been asked quite a lot is “are you going to run another one”? My answer for the couple of days immediately after was “no, definitely not”, then after a few days it was “well, maybe”, then a full week after I found myself looking at a calendar and list of upcoming marathons in the north of England. As I write this I am currently not booked in for any other events but I think it’s only a matter of time until I get the urge again.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored me.