Jacqueline with running partner Simon Wagstaff after the 2007 London Marathon

This weekend my thoughts are very much with the elite athletes, club runners, charity runners and “just about get round” joggers and runners of all descriptions who will be taking to the streets for the London Marathon on Sunday. Sunday will see the culmination of months of training in one of the most extreme winters we have had for years. Marathon hopefuls have endured training sessions through floods, snow and ice. As if this wasn’t enough to contend with, the Icelandic volcano has bought travel chaos to runners who’d escaped to sunnier climes for a few days rest and relaxation before the big day!

Deciding you want to run a Marathon normally has huge implications for everyone around you. Many of the runners will have been trying to balance high mileage training with working full time and family commitments. By the time the big day comes around your long suffering work colleagues, friends and family may feel they have lived every training mile with you! You have probably bored them to tears with analysing your speed session, the steady state run, the long run, gels or energy drinks (?), training routes and injury niggles. You will be talking in a mysterious new language of “carbo loading”, “overpronation”, and “ITB syndrome” to name a few. If your Marathon place was gained via a charity you will have mastered the magician’s art of producing something out of thin air – namely your sponsor form (you have had it cunningly concealed about your body just waiting for the right moment) – at every available opportunity!

I’ve taken part in two previous London Marathons; lining up on the start line with 35,000 other runners is an experience I will never forget. This Sunday will be a day of mixed emotions for me. Relief that I haven’t had a winter of panic at the first sign of illness or an injury that might interrupt training or bring the Marathon dream to an abrupt halt, envy – because other than my children’s births it has to be the best day of my life and pride because I know I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt(s) and the medal(s)!

Sadly, some of the runners won’t make it. Despite months of training (although in some cases not enough) things do go wrong on the day. But those who do complete the course can wear their medals with pride. My advice to them is wear the medal everywhere and anywhere for a long as possible. Wear it until the ribbon is worn, your neck is sore and people are screaming at you “Take that blasted medal off”! Go ahead you’re earned it.

Good luck to all the 2010 London Marathon runners.

Tags: London Marathon