Gareth John's Blog

Chasing Pavements (Part 21!)

Taking part in a Marathon once is a bit of a mad thing. Taking part twice is, frankly, certifiable. And yet here I am, two days away from doing just that. The fool.

Surely I haven’t turned into one of those hardcore endurance sports obsessives? Thankfully, one look at my belly tells me no. But then again, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t more than a teeny bit excited about lining up in Greenwich on Sunday.

Anyone who’s ever taken part will tell you that the Marathon is London at its finest. An amazing event, the greatest sights and the BEST crowds anywhere. Where else would you find finely toned Olympic athletes treading the same path as a bloke in a giant banana outfit and alongside Bernie Clifton’s ostrich??! I love Marathon day. And thankfully this is one sporting event where you CAN say “it’s not the winning that counts, it’s the taking part” and really mean it.

So what else am I looking forward to? Well, a medal would be nice. And if I manage to get my hands on one of those, then I’m guaranteed a finish-line bacofoil cape too (it’s the closest I get to a superhero outfit).

I’m also looking forward to the costumes….the pantomime camels, the Elvis’s (Elvi??!), Wombles, even the 2-legged tin of beans that pegged it past me at mile 21 last year. Hope I get to see the 6 spear-wielding Massai Warriors taking part this year, too. Although I might not be quite so keen if I was one of those people dressed as a rhino….might make me run a bit faster if I was, though.

And I’m SO looking forward to not eating pasta. It’s got to the point each evening this week where the only kitchen decision I’ve made is WHICH pasta to go for….penne, fusili, farfele, tagliatelle…oh for a burger & fries.

Any fears?? Yeahh! Loads. It’s 26 miles….TWENTY….SIX…MILES!!! Even if you say it fast it still sounds like a mighty long way. It is! And 26 miles means one big long risk of jogger’s nipple. Ouch. Vaseline….do your best!

So that’s it. Training’s over. I’ve officially registered (I’m no. 39630 this year) & like thousands of others, I’m counting down the hours ‘til Sunday morning. Forecast looks pretty good. Nice and cool for the runners and not too many showers to worry the spectators. I just want to get going now.

Then when it’s all over I can put my achy feet up & enjoy a nice pint of London Pride…it’s the official beer of the Marathon! Quality.

And if you’re taking part this weekend or supporting someone who is, don’t forget to post them a good luck message here at Heart – we’ll be featuring loads of them on Sunday morning as the runners make their way to the start line.

Good luck and keep those legs moving!!

Big love

Gx

Here’s where you can read more about my charity, SANDS: www.uk-sands.org
And here’s where you can check on my fundraising: www.justgiving.com/gareth_john

Posted by Gareth John on April 11, 2008 at 09:43AM

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