Linda Parr
Paris Marathon April 5th 2009!
Fundraising for The West Wilts Portage Service
Story
Well my friends, I bloody did it! Slow yes, but we got there!
My running mate Alison and I flew from Bristol to Paris with her husband Bernard. We checked into our hotel - having first tried the classy hotel in the street we were ignominiously transferred down the road to our less expensive abode - which was brilliantly positioned near the start and finish of the race - thanks very much Howard Edgington for such a good booking. The hotel also coped with the rooms being used as hostels for the clan with very good grace.
The next day we registered for the race, receiving our electronic shoe tags and "bib" numbers, a T shirt, little duffle bag and reams of adverts for all the other marathons of the world eg trans-Sahara and hill-climbs no thank you. We also signed up so that our nearest and dearest could receive news of our progress by text, the organiser was charming but disconcertingly laughed at the fact I was running... come to think of it most of our fellow insane (in Seine?) were a lot younger taller fitter...
The day before the race, as the "what on earth have I got myself into now feeling" was growing, was highlighted by the arrival of Emma Pendle, Alison's daughter, and the Williams' Peugeotmobile bringing Jenny, Sarah, Claire Whitney, and Elizabeth Southgate and the amazing arrival of Owen who had travelled from Guernsey to Jersey then a mis-booking sent him via London and Eurostar to meet us eventually outside the Louvre.
My attempt to eat pasta that evening resulted in the one and only bad meal I've ever had in France - penne and gloopy cheese with not even any wine to wash it down.
The morning felt unreal. We ran the first 10 or so miles quite fast (for us), beautiful route down the Champs Elysees west to Bois de Vincennes, about the same time as the winners came in! The water and food pit-stops were very slippery under foot following over 40,000 discarded banana skins and orange peel, but walking through them was always part of our master plan! (and to be fair to us we had run over 620 miles in our training laps round the delightful and salubrious West Wilts Trading Estate and on the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal). Despite the leg pains and the palpitations we were determined to keep going. and we did do our best to remember to enjoy the experience. We ran back along the north of the Seine, and at the Eiffel Tower there was Owen & Jenny & Sarah & Claire & Elizabeth to hug and cheer me on. Paris looked fabulous, there were bands and music all the way round and even towards the end passers by would shout "courage' and cheer. I stopped for a blister break but the first aider stuck the plaster on the actual sore bit...healed nicely by now! Alison had some palpitations - my legs felt like fire - so we were both very happy to walk the last six miles, as completion without injury was always our aim - but we ran the last mile and went over the line hand-in-hand with beaming smiles.
Medals were awarded and the girls had an emergency & restorative Leffe ready for me,
and I've hardly stopped smiling ever since.
Our training together, starting in the dark whatever the weather through the winter, has forged a firm friendship for me with Alison, and getting fit and determined to do this has been a tremendous personal acheivement for me. I was choked with emotion that my kids were there (DG in Australia) and despite my tardiness in cheekily approaching friends for sponsorship I have been overwhelmed by their kindness and support, we have raised between us over 4,000 pounds which I know will be so much appreciated.