| Slough and Eton Dolphins Swim Club |
| Home Page > Members > News > Francis' Marathon Run |
Sunday 22nd April 2007, the 27th London Marathon, and one of the hottest on record so far. It's certainly a day I'll never forget. I finished the course in a time of 4 hours, 32 mins, 32 seconds. It was a slightly slower time than expected, but as it was my first marathon, and the heat was almost unbearable at times, it was a time I am satisfied with. There were a lot of casualties along the way, but I managed to run the whole way, something I put down to my training. You may know is that this is the 5th year I had applied for the marathon, but the only time I have been accepted. What you may not know is that while applications are submitted in October, you do not find out if you have been successful until December. In my opinion, 4 months is not enough time to train for a marathon, so every year for the last 5 years, I have been training a long time before December. I think this is a good lesson - no matter what your goals, as long as you have somewhere you want to be, you can make it happen. Swimming for over 15 years certainly gave me the discipline I needed to train: early mornings, dark evenings, Sunday afternoons, through rain, sleet, and even snow! Sometimes even the best training can't prepare you for things you might face on the day. On the way there, one of the trains broke down, meaning I had to walk 3 miles to the start. Not ideal preparations, but I'm glad I left plenty of time, and was able to get to the start with 10 minutes to pare. I'm not sure I would have made it all the way round without taking on board enough fluid. As well as running for 4 and a half hours, if you take into consideration the heat, I'm glad I was well stocked up before, during and after the race. They always used to tell me to drink loads when I was swimming competitively. It's the same with running. Drinking fluid before a race helps to keep you ready at all times; drinking after a race helps recovery. Unfortunately there wer a number of casualties on the day, most of them due to not taking on enough water. However, even with the best training and preparation, support is a major factor when it comes to any event, not just a marathon. There is no doubt that the crowds at the event helped me to keep running, even when I was feeling tired. As well as this, there is the support behind the scenes that often do not get recognised. In this case, I'm talking about everyone who was kind enough to take time out to go to their wallets and sponsor me. You were all in my mind throughout the course, and especially at the finish line. I went along to the Dolphins' social event after the marathon, and was lucky enough to meet some of the people who sponsored me. I was amazed to see how big a turnout the event received, an indication of the underlying support for the club. I want to say a massive massive thank you to my family, and everyone who sponsored me, and excuse the plug, but also a big thank you to anyone who wants to sponsor me retrospectively!! Sue and Nigel also deserve a big thank you for their role. Without them, I wouldn't have collected any sponsorship money! I'm just glad I could make a difference. With your support, the club will continue to be a great success. See you all soon, Francis |
|