Rebecca Deane
Run Becky Run!
Fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis Trust (MS Trust)
Story
Please give generously to the MS Trust. They have provided me with good support during the marathon training period, a top quality running vest, and a friendly post-marathon meeting place, as well as being an excellent source of information for people with MS, their family members, and their friends.
My race morning began with the alarm going off at 4:50am. The train getting into London was absolutely packed. Spent about 2 hours traveling from my front door until I reached Greenwich.
Upon arriving in Greenwich park I spent half an hour waiting in the queue for the loos, during which I did most of my stretching and also ate a banana. Then rushed over to put my kit bag in the baggage truck and entered pen 9 of the Red Start just as the race was about to begin.
From that far back in the line up, it took me about 18 minutes to get to the start line, but it appears there was something wrong with the clock at the start, because it was constantly showing 8 minutes when I got there!
For me the race got off very slowly. I was concious of the fact that I wanted to start carefully and slowly, but the first three miles were really far too slow for my taste. I was surprised at the number of people walking early on in the race. Decided I wanted to make better progress, so I began the task of overtaking people one by one.
Just after the 10K mark (6.2 miles) I saw my husband, only I didn’t recognise him at first. He had put on my Unofficial Runner’s World Forum Running Club (URWFRC) baseball cap and initially I only saw the cap, so I waved and said, “hello Runner’s World person.” I realised that it was my husband just after I went passed him. I stopped to run back and at this point changed my shirt. I had been wearing a long-sleeve shirt under my vest, but it turned out to be to hot for that, so I switched to a short-sleeved T-shirt, which I had put in his bag before the start.
The next three miles I ran well, but around mile 10 I started to notice my thighs showing the first signs of tiring. I eased back on the pace a little for the next two miles.
Suddenly I was at Tower Bridge. This was an amazing spectacle and it was a wonderful feeling to see it looming ahead. Really felt proud of myself and happy at this point.
I really dug in coming down the slight hill after crossing the bridge and went back into the process of passing people. I was still feeling very good and wasn’t tired at all. I noticed that I was running a lot easier than I normally do in training, but this was probably due to the enforced slower pace of having so many people to run around. Saw my husband again around mile 17 and he shouted out to me that Paula had won in 2 hours15 minutes. That really sparked me on and I kept running well. Saw the Unofficial Runner’s World Forum Running Club supporters at around mile 18 and gave them a big wave and a hello, but I wasn’t about to stop as I was still feeling great. Kept running well until about 19.5 miles when my thighs began to hurt more. Decided to stop for the loo at the 20 mile mark and had a little stretch while waiting in the queue. The stop added about 8 minutes on to my time, but I wonder, if I hadn’t stopped for a short break, would it have been harder to continue running? Feeling a little refreshed after the stop, I did well over the next two and a half miles. Then my thighs, hips and lower back were really starting to ache. A mile later and my stomach was just beginning to feel a little bit uneasy. Going over the cobblestones also was tough as I was suddenly aware that there was a blister on the bottom of my left foot. The cobbles made it even more noticeable. The last few miles I ran with such concentration, that I didn’t see my husband at mile 23. I passed absolutely loads of guys who were walking and it was getting frustrating in the places where the course narrowed to have to keep switching my pace to get around them. I slowed down to a jog in the last mile. It was getting difficult – the bottoms of my feet were starting to hurt from the constant pounding on the pavement. My stomach was beginning to feel more unsettled. I wanted to finish so badly and I was chasing the 4hour 45 minute goal time that I knew I should be able to do after all my training. Once I saw Buckingham Palace I began to push a little bit harder and then turning the corner into the Mall I slowly accelerated more and more until I crossed the finish line. My official chip finish time (measuring the time from crossing the start line to the finish line) was 4 hours 44 minutes 4 seconds. After crossing the finish I seemed to be hyperventilating for about a minute – I’ve never experienced it before, but I was breathing in and out so quickly with no control over it. Eventually I seemed to catch my breath and then went to have the timing chip taken off my shoe. I collected my goody bag and it weighed quite a few pounds! Moved on and quickly got my kit bag from the baggage truck. I think the five minute walk to the MS Trust meeting point carrying these two bags after having run a marathon was actually harder than the marathon itself! I am really pleased that I finished in sub-5 hours and delighted that I met my second goal of sub-4h45m. Also, I am proud of the way I ran the race – I only walked when I was refilling my water bottle and a few times when I had to walk a few steps because I couldn’t easily get around someone walking in front of me. I’ve spent 5 months training and have run more than 500 miles in that time! I’ve put in loads of early nights and been out running on Sunday mornings before most people have even gotten out of bed. I have put a tremendous effort into working up to this marathon and have happily had a good race. However, I still have not gotten to my fundraising target. Please do your part in helping me reach my last remaining goal linked to the 2003 Flora London Marathon. Please sponsor me by donating generously to the MS Trust!
My race morning began with the alarm going off at 4:50am. The train getting into London was absolutely packed. Spent about 2 hours traveling from my front door until I reached Greenwich.
Upon arriving in Greenwich park I spent half an hour waiting in the queue for the loos, during which I did most of my stretching and also ate a banana. Then rushed over to put my kit bag in the baggage truck and entered pen 9 of the Red Start just as the race was about to begin.
From that far back in the line up, it took me about 18 minutes to get to the start line, but it appears there was something wrong with the clock at the start, because it was constantly showing 8 minutes when I got there!
For me the race got off very slowly. I was concious of the fact that I wanted to start carefully and slowly, but the first three miles were really far too slow for my taste. I was surprised at the number of people walking early on in the race. Decided I wanted to make better progress, so I began the task of overtaking people one by one.
Just after the 10K mark (6.2 miles) I saw my husband, only I didn’t recognise him at first. He had put on my Unofficial Runner’s World Forum Running Club (URWFRC) baseball cap and initially I only saw the cap, so I waved and said, “hello Runner’s World person.” I realised that it was my husband just after I went passed him. I stopped to run back and at this point changed my shirt. I had been wearing a long-sleeve shirt under my vest, but it turned out to be to hot for that, so I switched to a short-sleeved T-shirt, which I had put in his bag before the start.
The next three miles I ran well, but around mile 10 I started to notice my thighs showing the first signs of tiring. I eased back on the pace a little for the next two miles.
Suddenly I was at Tower Bridge. This was an amazing spectacle and it was a wonderful feeling to see it looming ahead. Really felt proud of myself and happy at this point.
I really dug in coming down the slight hill after crossing the bridge and went back into the process of passing people. I was still feeling very good and wasn’t tired at all. I noticed that I was running a lot easier than I normally do in training, but this was probably due to the enforced slower pace of having so many people to run around. Saw my husband again around mile 17 and he shouted out to me that Paula had won in 2 hours15 minutes. That really sparked me on and I kept running well. Saw the Unofficial Runner’s World Forum Running Club supporters at around mile 18 and gave them a big wave and a hello, but I wasn’t about to stop as I was still feeling great. Kept running well until about 19.5 miles when my thighs began to hurt more. Decided to stop for the loo at the 20 mile mark and had a little stretch while waiting in the queue. The stop added about 8 minutes on to my time, but I wonder, if I hadn’t stopped for a short break, would it have been harder to continue running? Feeling a little refreshed after the stop, I did well over the next two and a half miles. Then my thighs, hips and lower back were really starting to ache. A mile later and my stomach was just beginning to feel a little bit uneasy. Going over the cobblestones also was tough as I was suddenly aware that there was a blister on the bottom of my left foot. The cobbles made it even more noticeable. The last few miles I ran with such concentration, that I didn’t see my husband at mile 23. I passed absolutely loads of guys who were walking and it was getting frustrating in the places where the course narrowed to have to keep switching my pace to get around them. I slowed down to a jog in the last mile. It was getting difficult – the bottoms of my feet were starting to hurt from the constant pounding on the pavement. My stomach was beginning to feel more unsettled. I wanted to finish so badly and I was chasing the 4hour 45 minute goal time that I knew I should be able to do after all my training. Once I saw Buckingham Palace I began to push a little bit harder and then turning the corner into the Mall I slowly accelerated more and more until I crossed the finish line. My official chip finish time (measuring the time from crossing the start line to the finish line) was 4 hours 44 minutes 4 seconds. After crossing the finish I seemed to be hyperventilating for about a minute – I’ve never experienced it before, but I was breathing in and out so quickly with no control over it. Eventually I seemed to catch my breath and then went to have the timing chip taken off my shoe. I collected my goody bag and it weighed quite a few pounds! Moved on and quickly got my kit bag from the baggage truck. I think the five minute walk to the MS Trust meeting point carrying these two bags after having run a marathon was actually harder than the marathon itself! I am really pleased that I finished in sub-5 hours and delighted that I met my second goal of sub-4h45m. Also, I am proud of the way I ran the race – I only walked when I was refilling my water bottle and a few times when I had to walk a few steps because I couldn’t easily get around someone walking in front of me. I’ve spent 5 months training and have run more than 500 miles in that time! I’ve put in loads of early nights and been out running on Sunday mornings before most people have even gotten out of bed. I have put a tremendous effort into working up to this marathon and have happily had a good race. However, I still have not gotten to my fundraising target. Please do your part in helping me reach my last remaining goal linked to the 2003 Flora London Marathon. Please sponsor me by donating generously to the MS Trust!