My Edinburgh Marathon – 23 May 2010.
I type this report in a euphoric state of disbelief, amazement and happiness that I, Jennifer Lynn Owens, completed a marathon.
I remember on a training run early last year Bert saying to me “everyone should run a marathon at least once in their life”. This has stuck with me and in September last year I signed up for the Edinburgh Marathon.
Well it all started back on 4 January 2010 (I did say this was a race novel!), Bert had made me a Marathon schedule to “get me round” the marathon. I remember looking at it and thinking I can’t possibly do this! Where will I find the time to run 117 miles in a cold, wet, snowy, icy January. But I did with the help of Bert, Ricky, Willie, Sally, Shery (too many to mention) everyone who turned out every Sunday morning for the training runs. Even when it was so cold we couldn’t feel our feet, hands or noses, we still turned up and ran the required miles that the schedule dictated we did. Each week running that bit further. After starting January never running any more than a half marathon I got up to 15miles.
Then a frosty February followed with a required 130 miles. This took me to up to 19 miles which was another milestone to get past. I remember meeting at Meggetland to run 18!! Bert taking us along union canal, up the water of Leith, to Balerno, then past Dalmahoy, then onto Wilkieson, returning back along the union canal, when Bert discovered he had miss-calculated and we actually ran 19.24 miles!! I was emotional at the end of this run. It was such an achievement running such a distance (especially when I had been duped in to it).
Then March followed with a required 121 miles, Lasswade 10 miler came and went followed by a pb at Reading half marathon then a 20 mile training run. I was feeling good, getting fitter and the training was going to plan.
April required 122 miles, in which I actually covered 149 miles (all these extra miles count) and the training fairly picked up – managing another 20 mile training run in 2.52, Chris Hoy half in a new pb of 1.38. We continued to take part in the Park Run, getting my pb down to 21.28. After one of the Park Runs we decided to add on another 10miles by running home we were joined by Shery, Steven, Angus and Willie I am so lucky that I never had to do any of my long runs on my own, it makes for a much more enjoyable run when running with others, the miles seem to pass more quickly.
May – My Marathon month, and the 1st of May brought the Edinburgh to North Berwick race, Bert said he would pace me which was just amazing, as he really kept me going and as we had trained so much together he knew what he could get out of me. A very tough race by all accounts, cold, windy, and a few hills, but Bert pulled me through in 2.44!! I remember collapsing into tears at the end thinking how could I run another 6 miles on top of that? But I was assured that race was tougher than the marathon!! Tapering began, which felt kind of weird after running so much, but knew it was the process that had to happen before the big event.
23 May 2010 – Marathon day arrived. I was sooo excited, I could burst, I was like a 5 year old waiting for Christmas day. The day had finally arrived after 4½ months of training, foregoing lots of nights out, abstaining from alcohol (for a whole 3 weeks!) and covering 547 miles, this was it.
We arrived in Edinburgh to a cool, wet reception meeting up with Bert, Alan, Eric, Marc, and Julie. We headed to Regent Road, the atmosphere was just brilliant. I felt like I was dreaming, it didn’t seem real that this day had actually arrived after so much training and such a long wait. No queues for the toilet as Eric and Bert knew a fancy hotel that were able to use. We bumped into a few porties, exchanged nervous hugs and wished each other well.
After a photographic session we then split up and headed to our pens, Marc, Bert and I starting in pink (lucky omen, my favourite colour!). At 9.55am the sun decided to appear, little did we know it was going to stay out and get much much hotter. Well nothing we could do about it now. I was so up for this challenge nothing was going to put me off.
10am and we were off, Marc took off and was quickly out of sight, then it was Bert and I winding our way down Abbeyhill, into Holyrood, along towards Meadowbank. This was it, I was actually running a Marathon and it felt amazing. This feeling carried me on along Seafield and onto the Prom, where the support was fantastic, lots of porties were out cheering us on. Passing by near my flat at the Quay the old faithful Team Jenni were out shouting great support as we ran past. Then onto the race course where it was great to see Johnny and Shery screaming support. Up past Ma Foreman’s, where the music was blasting out, the atmosphere was brilliant.
On hitting mile 10 I still felt like I was bouncing along, this was good, as Bert had told me that I should hit half way as if I had just started running. Well on hitting mile 13 at Port Seton, I was still feeling good, hot, but good, and I still felt pretty fresh. Heading towards Longniddry the front runners started passing us on their way to the finish. We made it to mile 16 in our predicted time 2hours 16mins. I saw my friends at mile 16 and my Mum and Tom, so that gave me more encouragement to keep it going. It was a great run up this road as I was really able to soak up the atmosphere, the crowds were great and it was good to see a few porties passing by in the other direction.
Heading into Gosford house, was when I started to feel the pain, no wall just pain in my quads, and the heat just hit us full on. Going through the estate in eerie silence at some points, it just made me desperate to get out and back onto the road. Getting to mile 19, with sore quads, the sun belting down on us and fellow runners stopping or walking I knew it was getting serious now and I had to focus to get me past this tough part. This feeling carried onto mile 22 at Port Seton. I knew I was slowing down, I couldn’t do anything about it and thinking back now the thought of stopping or walking never entered my mind, running to the finish line was all I had in my mind. Every water station we passed, coach got us water which we used to shower ourselves down with which was so needed. Running through Port Seton and Prestonpans was amazing, there were lots of people who had their garden hoses out and kids firing their water pistols at us, it was so much appreciated. All the cheering and shouts of support where never-ending. A huge thank you for all the porties who were dotted around the course, it was always great to see a friendly face shouting encouragement to us along the way and it means more to me than I can put down into words.
At 3 miles to go, I cooled myself off with water then powered up to Bert and said “right Bert lets go” this lasted all of 30 seconds!!! We can laugh now, but at that the time there was nothing else I could do. Approaching Ma Foreman’s the atmosphere was electric, my Granny, Auntie and cousins were cheering giving me a major boost to power on. I cannot describe the feeling of running into the race course with all the cheering and screaming, it was unbelievable, I saw my friends, my brother and my mum on the final straight and then Bert and I crossed the line hand in hand in 3hours 55 mins!! Flippin amazing!! I tried to fall to the ground, but my legs would not bend, instead I held onto Bert and cried my heart out!! We had done it!!!
I finished the Marathon in sub 4 which was my goal. Without doubt the toughest, but the best experience of my life!! I finished in a daze (I think I still am) I cannot comprehend I have run a marathon and managed it in 3.55. I honestly enjoyed every minute and would not change a single thing about the day.
We headed to the reunion area, I was on such a high, we got a great reception from my family and friends, and of course there were more tears, but very happy ones!
A massive thank you to Bert for his never-ending and invaluable support and encouragement as without this I would never have managed to get round the 26.2 miles (26.4 on my Garmin). I feel privileged to have had the best help and advice in the lead up to my marathon, he really made the experience so enjoyable, I am so glad he was with me all the way – We did it coach!!
With a lot of hard work and determination (and a fantastic training schedule and an amazing coach) you can achieve your dreams! Also I would like to thank every one who turned up on all the training runs as you were all an important part of the journey to my first marathon and it’s very much appreciated, (the chocolate crispies and meringues were a good bribe!!)
So today (Monday) I am in total agony. It’s sore to sit, to stand and to walk, but worth every second of it. As Lance Armstrong says Pain is temporary, Pride is forever. I am still smiling, in fact I think this smile will be on my face for quite some time, probably about the same amount of time I will have the medal around my neck, its one I will cherish forever. Also pleased to read that Bert and I finishing positions were 2313 and 2314, not bad out of a field of 13,000. So roll on Loch Ness in October – where surely it has to be cooler!!
Jenni Owens – Marathon Runner
BERT’S MARATHON REPORT
I start by saying I don’t normally do reports, but on this occasion I felt I should. My story is a bit similar to Jenni’s as we did most of our training together. The only difference is that this was Jenni’s first marathon and it was my 26th. It was Jenni’s enthusiasm and her willingness to work hard in training and in races that got me involved in doing the marathon. When I first sat down and organised a schedule for Jenni there was no thought of me running it with her but as January came round and the schedule started I thought I might give her a helping hand as the weather was pretty poor (snow, wind and rain ) not great to be out running in that weather on your own. All the training went according to plan and the weeks went by without too much trouble. The miles picked up over the weeks by the end of January we were up to 15 miles and by the end of February up to 19 mile runs in one go. The marathon was fast approaching. There was only one small hiccup in our training, it was the weekend of the London marathon, while a few of our porties runners where down in London for the marathon we were organising (on Saturday night) our usual Sunday run bringing the time forward so we could be home in time to watch the race on telly, we also decided to cut the distance back from 15 miles to 10 miles just as well as Jenni decided she would have a few drinks on the Saturday night as she was at murrayfield Saturday afternoon watching the rugby as the team she was supporting (Lasswade) won the trophy, as we were chatting on Saturday night on the phone about our run on the Sunday when I asked her if she had been drinking she said “only a couple”, what?, before our run on Sunday that’s definitely a no go. The schedule didn’t allow for drinking on Saturday nights. We met on Sunday morning Jenni a couple minutes late not too bad, looking her usual self but not sounding her usual self off we went on our run (walk) probably the hardest 10 mile she has run: don’t think she had another drink again until after the marathon.
Marathon day came the atmosphere was fantastic, all the miles in training had been run this was it the big one, by the way my new word since running the marathon is fantastic, everything on race day was absolutely fantastic. I have done all but one of all Edinburgh marathons and this one was by far the most enjoyable. My job this time was not see how fast I could run the marathon (pb 2.45) but to see if I could get Jenni round in her desired time of under 4 hours, it shouldn’t be too difficult for me, but could Jenni do it? Never ever doubt Jenni. I won't bore you with the race details but the miles went by very comfortably until about 20 mile (hope that’s correct jenni) when I felt the pace was dropping just a little, I turned round to see where my soon to be marathon runner was and she was just behind me I gave her a wee quite word in her ear telling her to forget the 20 miles we have just ran and concentrate on an nice easy 10k to finish, that’s all we had left between us and our goal and that all important first of many marathon medals. We had gained some time over the first 20 miles so we had a wee bit in hand for slowing down. We reached the finish with 5 minutes to spare in a time of 3.55 what a fantastic performance on her first marathon could not have asked for any more effort. Bring on the next one Loch Ness in October.
Report Berty Boy
