Well, we did it. The MoFo team achieved its goal (all finishers) and individually we all ran as hard and well as we could. As we stood around the finish line we were satisfied with our efforts, although in varying degrees of physical breakdown.
The day really began with the team meeting at the start line; until you have been to a race start you don’t realise how many ultra-fit looking people there are milling about in everyday life. Everyone else looked like they were born to run. The MoFo team did look in good shape, if a bit nervous. There was lots of bravado sloshing around and good humoured ribbing – Marathon J took the brunt for the fact that the whole ridiculous idea was decided at his works Christmas event (looking forward to my invitation this year!). But, before we knew it the final 30 mins had gone and all that was left was to exchange a final ‘good luck’ and line up at the start.
Team MoFo at the start - look at the naive smiles this would be the final time we smiled for a few hours...
Marathon B was ready with his mobile phone and taxi fare - should it all go wrong!!
The tale of my run is fairly uneventful. I started gently, spoke to Marathon C briefly as he sped by, and settled in to my running at around 8 min miles. The miles seemed to pass steadily (3 miles @ 24:50) and I managed to resist the urge to speed up too much. As we passed the halfway checkpoint (51:30ish) I decided to get the legs turning over a bit faster. I passed Marathon C at 8 miles and by then was running at a decent pace. Miles 10 & 11 sped by with a slight hiccup getting water onboard (almost drowned and had to run for 100m coughing heartily)…Then we hit the final massive downhill section, I cruised down this quite quickly, recalling the training on the hill by my house. Managed to carry some of the momentum from the hill into the final mile – and it wasn’t until I checked my watch with 400m to go that it dawned on me that I had a chance of breaking 1:40…I dug in and ran the final 400m at a brisk pace to finish in 1:39:42 (unofficial – but my Garmin shows every step!).
Marathon T finishing strong & feeling like death....
Marathon C - basking in the glory of the finish....
Marathon J - Keep running you're not finshed yet fella!!
Marathon J finally spots the finish line...
Marathon B - looking good as he breezes across the line....
Victorious Team MoFo...Is it just me - or do the smiles seem more forced than a few hours before?
After all of the team had finished we went down to the ‘watersplash’ pub for a well deserved Brothers cider (that’s rehydration the MoFo way!)….After the second pint, and before we all fell asleep – we decided to call it a day and dropped Marathon B off at home ready for his next Marathon (travelling 24 hours to Thailand)…
For my part – this whole experience has been fantastic. It has rekindled my enthusiasm for training and running….I am now determined to carry it on – the full marathon in October looks possible, and running it with the old codger will be an amazing experience.
My thanks have to go to the whole team for the camaraderie that has been exhibited over the past 5 months…It made me focus on each and every gym session – especially when the pressure was on and I felt like stopping, it made sure I never slacked off or swapped in a few easy days when I knew I needed to put the miles in. I just thought of the pains that the other guys had been going through that week and the determination to carry on came flooding back.
So, what now? Well, we have already agreed to run another half Marathon in Nottingham in September; in preparation for our full Marathon’s in October (me in Jersey, Marathon’s B & J in Amsterdam)….so there is a lot of life left in this blog yet.
I am just off for a 4 mile run over lunch…want to loosen the legs – although to be fair they do feel scarily ok today. Maybe there is more to be shaved from that PB? And the final thing Marathon B said to me before he left? “Find a 10k in July sometime,” I might not be the only one hooked on the experience….
Marathon T
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