My First Marathon - edited highlights

I finish my first marathon in 4 hours, 19 minutes. I am extremely proud of myself. The stats are here!

It was hot but after a while I didn't really notice too much. It was hard for a whole number of reasons and the heat was just one of them!

I did a little dance at the start line and continued it at the finish line. I finished strong (doing 8.21min/mile!) and ran the whole way, even through the water stations.

The route was flat, pretty and included my home turf, which was brilliant - high fives with friends and shout-outs from my neighbours really made me feel on top of the world!
I had a few niggles but most of them came and went - hips, lower back and IT band aches were all overtaken by the pain in my thighs after about 16 miles.

My podcasts were great diversions, especially as, despite the beauty of the East Lothian coast in the sunshine, it is fairly repetitive view!!


I carried my water bottle and refilled it at the water stations, and consumed 7 energy gels.

My mum and her boyfriend Robert were there to cheer me on at about mile 13. That was lovely and lifted my spirits - in fact it made me quite emotional and I was choking back the tears!

I was so excited to see the big orange 25-mile sign and find myself still going strong. I knew that whatever happened I was going to finish the race now. And then I saw my husband and children!! What a thrill - they weren't sure they were going to make it! They gave me a big wave and took my picture - but now I was sprinting with joy! I still had about three-quarters of a mile to go though!!

3/4 mile from the end, grinning like a nutter and FINISHING STRONG!! (Note the non-chafeing bumbag.)

When I saw the finish line it gave it everything I had left, overtook everyone I saw and crossed the finish line with a massive shout of "YES!!", loud enough for race compere Bryan Burnett to comment on! The time on the gantry was 4 hours 36 minutes - the time on my watch was 4 hours 19 minutes!!

I was so happy to get my medal, I fixed my eyes on the medal lady and dipped my head to get her to put it round my neck. She gave me a big smile and said "well done, hen", and I was ridiculously, hysterically grateful and happy.

One I was out into the reunion area, I burst into tears. I'd done it! I'd completed my first marathon! After only 8 weeks of training (albeit after 15 years of building a solid running base!) it had taken me 4 hours 19 minutes to run 26.2 miles.  I could not have been any happier.

I did that little dance I'd started at the starting line (Paulo Nutini's 10/10 was the tune - it had been on the PA but I also had it on my ipod!) and tried to find hubby and weans. It took a while but we were reunited!

"Mum, can we go home now? it's too hot..."

I tried to have a shower but they were freezing! So I had a bit of a douse and put on my clean clothes. I realised my toes were hurting. "Well", said a lady in the changing room, who was a veteran of 5 marathons, "you can't do a marathon without expecting to lose a few toenails!", and she showed me the toes she'd lost nails from she'd lost in the last few years! I was unprepared for this - Marathon Training Academy, you should have told me!

Next stop was the Well Hung & Tender stall for a deluxe burger - featuring onions, bacon and cheese, accompanied with a cup of milky tea. It was so unbelievably good, I can hardly begin to tell you - but my face should give you a hint:

Nothing could have tasted better!

We had a long, hot, uphill walk back to the car, and I had to carry a nearly-five-year-old on my shoulders for most of it! It was possibly the hardest part of the day. But it was closely followed by meeting up with the other Leith Primary running parents in the pub. I was cheered when I arrived, and then hugged, congratulated, quizzed and bought drinks!

Eight weeks ago, I wasn't remotely confident I could run a marathon. I registered for the event thinking that I might well change to the half marathon. I knew nothing about fueling, or the wall, or what I was capable of. I feel like a wiser, better person than I was 8 weeks ago. I feel confident, creative and like I can do anything. Anything I put my mind to. I always knew I could, in theory. Now I have proof.

It remains to be seen if I lose toenails. It remains to be seen how much sponsor money I've raised for the Leith Primary playground fund. It remains to be seen whether I'll do it again next year (although I suspect I'd like to!). But I ran my first marathon in 4 hours 19 minutes. I do have what it takes to run a marathon and change my life. And I ROCK!!!

15 hours to go!

Race day is tomorrow.

I've made it though the last eight weeks without getting a cold, or getting injured. I've completed my training programme, and I've enjoyed it. I've got my running kit and fuelling sorted out. I've planned how to get to the start line, and packed my post-race bag. After 10 hours sleep last night, I've spent today resting, not getting dehydrated and stretching. Later on I'll load up my ipod with podcasts and eat my last two, carefully planned post-race meals.

Today's been more about mental strength than any other day in the last 8 weeks. 

Change in the Weather: The last week has been sunny and hot, which is extremely rare in Edinburgh. As I run before 7am, I'm not accustomed to running in warm weather - in fact, this week was the first time this year I've run without a jacket!  Where I live, by the coast, sunny days are usually preceeded by a good few hours of haar before the sunshine kicks in, so early runs are invariably cool, even in summer.

Today: When I woke up at 7am today the sun was beaming through the house. I went from asleep to hysterical in about five minutes flat. I couldn't think about anything else all morning - how the hell was I going to cope with running in those conditions? I was panicking. When I got some time to myself I did my best to distract myself (recollecting my most amazing night at Club Bellydance on Thursday night!) and trying to surround myself with postive thoughts instead of panic.

The Bright Side: The forecast for tomorrow is for early fog, and the temperatures are not as warm as today, only 16 degrees. Most of the marathon course is coastal so there should be a nice breeze (in different weather I'd be more worried about the wind!) There's going to be loads of water stations, and I'll take my running bottle with me too. I've run in heat before - last year's Haddington Half Marathon was practically mediterranean, and I survived that (although it wasn't a pretty sight!) And I bet lots of locals living along the marathon route will be spraying us with their garden hoses - they did that last year and it wasn't even all that hot!!

My goals: I want No Negative Thoughts to creep in, and I want to Stay Positive throughout. I was hoping to finish in 4 hours 30minutes but if the weather makes me slower, so be it. I'll aim for 9m45s/mile.  I want to keep running the whole race and I want to finish strong. I'm going to be thinking of how good I'll feel when I cross that finish line, and how amazing it'll be to meet the other Leith Primary School runners in The Parlour later on, having completed my first marathon. I'll be thinking of pizza later, and fish, chips and icecream with my daughter (which we've promised ourselves as a post-marathon treat for weeks!)

The Pep Talk: I have what it takes to run this marathon. I have trained and prepared for this marathon. I will give this race all I have, and leave it all out there on the course - no point in taking anything home with me. It will be hard, but I've done things that are hard before, and succeeded.

Bring it on!!

Hooping Fantastic

Today I was at a hooping - aka hula hooping - workshop. I adore hooping. I love it because I get to move to pop music (when most of the time I'm dancing to more challenging Egyptian tunes); I get to follow someone's instruction (when usually I'm the instructor); and I get to be on my own (when usually I'm with my lovely children). The hoopers I've met are quite a friendly bunch so that helps too.

Our teacher is Ann McLaughlin, who, like me, teaches bellydance. She's friendly and cheerful and her workshops have a nice atmosphere.  The hoopers ranged from total beginners to some ladies with some really lovely moves, with lots of us who'd only been to Ann's last workshop in Edinburgh. We were at the Pilmeny Youth Centre, which is as bright and sunny as the day was.

The pace was good and my heart rate was up for most of the hooping time. I usually practice at home on my own, so it's very easy to go at a comfortable pace and not challenge myself! When we were working on getting the hoop to spin at an angle - higher at the front than at the back - which involves tilting your pelvis upwards and pushing up from your heels - I got sweaty and really felt like I was working hard.

The continuous hip movements required to keep the hoop round your waist come from the feet, and really work up and down your core. Moving your hips side to side - which also keeps the hoop in motion - really work the sides of my butt - I think that's the gluteus medius and minimus. We also did hoop spinning overhead with one hand - a real challenge to keep going with a heavy hoop for more than about 20 seconds, good for upper body strength.

On the way home I stopped in a couple of parks with my daughter, enjoying the unseasonal warm Scottish weather. While she clambered, swung and slid, I did a bit of showing off with my hoop, practicing NOT thwacking my nose as I lowered the hoop from over my head to on my waist! It was so much fun, being out in the sun and being active.

 The wisdom of making fitness something you enjoy doing makes hooping a perfect workout for me. All I need now is sunny weather and a great big garden with a stereo and I'll get everything I want from hooping!