Virgin London Marathon – School Boy Errors

Paul Hine reports

I was fully prepared as I drove to the bus kindly organised by Poole Runners, don’t go off too fast it said.

I met the others and got on the bus, it felt like I remembered when I was about to do my school exams, had I revised enough, was I prepared? We settled in the bus and a lad from Poole Runners sat next to me, we exchanged names and pleasantries, I was still feeling nervous, ‘What time are you hoping for George?’, 2:24 he said, suddenly I felt nauseous, I wasn’t sure whether to continue to talk or ask for his autograph. The remaining journey was uneventful but being from London originally it was great to see the sights.

From the hotel at Mile 14 on the Marathon the WACers went by rail to the Exhibition and registered etc, Adie in his bright pink Grizzly shirt was my companion and great company he was, having done this many times before. I certainly couldn’t lose him. A great meal at the Italian was organised by Nikki and it was time for bed and whatever sleep I could muster.

The day, I was as nervous as a kitten, talking rubbish quickly which Clare H politely said was helping her nerves. In a flash it was time to bag drop and head to Blue Start Pen 4, I had hoped to run with Annie D on Green Start Pen 2 and we had an infallible plan to meet up in the opening miles. A surge just before the start somehow got me to touching distance of the start amongst the elite for age runners and celebrities and it took seven seconds to cross the start line, how that happened I have no idea. We started and I enjoyed a brief chat with Gordon Ramsey.

Mile 1 7:10

Mile 8 60:00

My infallible plan to run with Annie had failed, my pace band showed I was four minutes ahead of it and it was a 3:30 pace band, I felt great, I was flying, I clearly wasn’t thinking…….

Mile 9 I saw Jerry and the others now he looked surprised to see me, can’t think why …….

Mile 10 and my calf went tight, no pain no gain I thought.

Halfway 1:38 I think!!! I was eating gels and guzzling Lucozade like they had sponsored me personally, what could go wrong…

Mile 20 in 2:48 that was my Mad March Time and still no Annie D. I had spotted three friends from my hockey days in Hertfordshire though. Six miles to go, I felt grim, those roads in London are very hard and it was hot. Sub-4 hours I can do that I promised.

Mile 23 and my sponsor made a personal appearance, gels, Lucozade Sport and breakfast all over the pavement and violent stomach spasms, I couldn’t move for many minutes, a very kind spectator climbed through my vomit bush to give me a bottle of water, all I could do was apologise. I pressed on.

Mile 24 and quads went into cramp.

Mile 25 no change.

Mile 26 no change. Birdcage Walk, I lifted as I saw black and red balloons and the finish and all I can say is thank goodness.

26.2 miles 4:01:59, two minutes slower than my last and only marathon (London) in 1994 so I have to be happy. Frustrated that I didn’t get under four hours but loved it, well the first 20 anyway …… I hadn’t gone off to fast, I had made a school boy error and gone off way too fast!

Paul Hine 26834