As I looked down at the road I noticed that the person next to me was in bare feet. I moved my gaze to his T shirt – ‘The Bare Foot Society’. That was my first introduction to the London 2012 Marathon, as I took on my first marathon in aid of The Big Issue Foundation. If he can do it bare feet, how hard can it be I thought?
I had managed to cajole many people to sponsor me – most, it turned out, with the view that I wouldn’t make it given my lack of long distance training. Well, they were very nearly proved right. It started so well…slowly but well!
I got to 12 miles which was just over Tower Bridge and then realized that I was only half way there. My left knee was starting to grumble by mile 15, it was very angry, by mile 20 it had given up talking to me and decided not to bend. When I saw The Big Issue team at mile 24 (I think it was mile 24, I had lost any sense of timing by then), we all had a smile (well, they were laughing actually!). But I made it and just as the rain started.
What kept me going was my stubbornness but mainly that this was the least I could do to raise money to enable us to support our wonderful vendors.
Now, next year….hmmm
