London Marathon
Finished in 2:55:18. Happy happy.
The first 20 miles were easy and the last 6.2 were hellish. I was four minutes up on my splits (i.e. heading for a 2:51 finish) until mile 21 or thereabouts, when my hamstrings started cramping up and things became a touch painful. Luckily the crowds start going bonkers at mile 23 or 24 and I surfed the wave of noise all the way to the finish.
Most inspirational t-shirt slogan: "Never give up. Never surrender."
Least helpful advice from a crowd member: "Keep breathing!"
The results are up already (is this the best organised race in the world or what?) although confusingly I'm listed as "Ben Saunder" (runner no. 32500). I'll write more once I've had a bath and stuffed my face.
{ Filed under Training on Sunday, April 23rd, 2006. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site. }
Ben Saunders is the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole and holds the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton.
andy K wrote:
I think I saw you on the TV while I was having my dinner. Had to turn it off in the end as it was giving me a stitch!
April 23 2006 · 6:05 pm
Jon Willis wrote:
Congratulations Ben - glad to hear you had fun!
When I ran the New York Marathon in 2003 (in a much slower time than yours - but I did it :-) ) there was a poster from one of the sponsors above a bridge - it had a foot landing in a puddle and next to it it said:
"Some people won't even drive 26.2 miles today - you're special".
God only knows what' they'd have to write about you - keep inspiring people and doing your thing - as long as you're having fun that is!
April 23 2006 · 6:15 pm
Preben Arentoft wrote:
Well done Ben. I think I saw your after mile 22. At that time I was
a bit tired running on the other side of the road. Funny thing -
recognising one of my favourite bloggers in my very first marathon.
April 23 2006 · 7:47 pm
Ben wrote:
Thanks guys. Preben - I was probably wearing a pained grimace at that point :D Did you make it round in one piece? If so, congratulations on your first marathon - it's a huge achievement in anybody's book…
April 24 2006 · 3:58 pm
Alan M wrote:
Congratulations, and in a great time. You can get the Ultra bug now ;-)
April 24 2006 · 5:45 pm
Mags wrote:
Congrats, Ben. How's the training and prep for SOUTH coming along?
Mags
April 24 2006 · 8:05 pm
Preben Arentoft wrote:
Well, I did think you looked like you were concentrating a bit :-) Thanks, I did make it around despite my heavy legs. It's a great race. I'm told only New York Marathon surpasses it.
April 24 2006 · 11:03 pm
shan wrote:
Well done, Ben! How do you manage to excell at everything you do??? I'm hoping to run my next marathon in under 4 hours and you did it sub 3.
Congrats,
Shan
April 25 2006 · 10:53 am
Nikki wrote:
Congrats on your finish, Ben!! Please let me know when you plan to
run the Boston Marathon!! I'd love to go out and give you a shout
and meet you! Maybe next year?? ;-)
April 25 2006 · 5:07 pm
Ben wrote:
Preben - I feel very unpatriotic saying this, but the New York marathon is my favourite race in the world. If you're thinking of entering another marathon, I can't recommend it enough.
shan - the secret to excelling at everything I do? It's simple - I make sure I never go anywhere near a football field, a kitchen, a tennis court, an algebra class, a pool table, a disco, a karaoke bar, a swimming pool (I'm useless at all of those ;))
Nikki - it won't be for a while, but Boston is on the list of marathons I'd love to run one day (as is Chicago and the Marine Corps marathon in DC)…
April 25 2006 · 5:39 pm
Preben Arentoft wrote:
I think I've seen you air that about the New York race before - either here or in your Flickr stream. Everyone at my running club who has run NY think the same as you do.
I should have run both London and New York last year but got an injury 3 weeks before the London event. This year I'll be ready for New York :-)
If you ever get time to come to Denmark you should consider doing the North Sea Beach Marathon. I ran the half marathon last year and it was fantastic running in the sand very close to the waves.
April 25 2006 · 6:08 pm
Rich...! wrote:
So the chinese food didn't throw you afterall. Rats, foiled again!
Well done bro, now go get yourself some calves…!
April 26 2006 · 3:39 pm
Wil wrote:
Ben, you're just devil fast. Incredible. Congratulations!
May 5 2006 · 2:28 pm