Marathon #5: The Marafun, Orpington

Well this was a great marathon, one of my favourites!

Wasn't feeling so up for this one, I don't mean I felt negative about it, I think just being busy with some other stuff at the moment, I hadn't had the normal build up of thinking about the marathon for a while beforehand. It kind of crept up, and all of a sudden it was only one day away! And I didn't feel prepared for it in my mind. Plus, when my alarm went off, I thought it was because I had to go to work...normally I sleep quite lightly before a race because I'm scared I'll sleep through the start, but was out like a light last night!

Anyway, I finally woke up properly. Orpington is in Kent and only 30 min on the train from Victoria so should be easy. Although, to get there, have to catch 2 tubes, 2 trains and find the start from the station. And that will probably go wrong somewhere....so that is why I look half asleep at Victoria....

It's so COLD today! Totally hadn't noticed till waiting at the station. Completely inappropriately dressed, if it rains I'm buggered. Well, it's May, I didn't think I'd need layers or waterproofs, it's Spring!

Finding the start is easy, and I feel much better once we get there. It's ridiculously early, people are still setting up! but it's a nice relaxed atmosphere and leaves plenty of time to get our race numbers and take some last minute fuel on board:

The Marafun is 9 this year. It's organised by a chap called Martin Print, who set up a charity called Footsteps International with his wife, to raise money for street children who live in Kenya. There is no race fee, but when you register you can make a donation to the charity in place of this, so all the race fees go straight to the charity, which is great, and then you can raise money on top of this either for Footsteps International, or your own chosen charity. It's a great idea, and  because it's essentially a free race, it has a nice 'community' feel to it, there's no chip timing or road closures or police, all the people helping out are volunteers and all the cakes and drinks are home made, and it feels as if everyone involved really wants it to go well. It's a nice feeling, and a lot of people were very kind to me, and it was a really touching experience. 

1. Ready: 

2. Set:

3. Go!

The route is really beautiful, it's mostly along roads, but pretty roads. The race is relatively small, but full of lovely friendly people. I met a chap called Neil who is a '100 marathon runner'. He stopped to chat at about mile 10, and asked about my '13 marathons' which is on my top, so I told him about it, and he asked if I'd done many before. So I said today is my 10th ever marathon. I feel quite pleased about this, I'm in double figures now! But I said, that's not as many as you! No, said Neil, I've done 500 - odd. WOAH! I feel a bit stupid and think he will just run off. But he is very friendly and has so many running experiences and tips to share. It was a privilege to run with him, and I will definitely be doing some of the races he recommended. There were several 100 marathoners there today, wearing their blue and yellow tops. I like their tops. I guess I could cross out the final '0'. Or keep on running..... 

Also, there are lots of 'undulations' (hills) which I actually found myself enjoying?! I had a conversation with my Mum about hills recently. She and my Dad had done a long walk (a very long walk, they are worse than me) along a canal, and she said that coming upon a hill was a relief because they had been using exactly the same muscles for hours walking on the flat, and a hill gives a chance to use different ones. Walking also uses different muscles, and that is why often runners will walk up some or part of a hill during a long race, to give the muscles that you use the majority of the time a break. You may loose some time going up the hill, but you will probably get that back once you are back on the flat.

The race went by really quickly, I think that this is happening more lately, the mile markers seem to come along more quickly than they used to. I felt really good the whole way up until the very end.....

Where I went the wrong way!!!

Idiot.

Instead of turning left and going straight on, I went straight on....and on...and on....until finally realizing there was no left, I had seen no arrow markers for some time, and unless I was in considerably worse shape than I felt I was, I had definitely not seen that giant teddy outside the 'Dreamland' shop on lap one. So, around I turned, on a main road in front of dozens of cars. Why don't I ever make mistakes in private??? Back to, literally the water station, and to the arrow that was right in front of my face when I ran past it. 

So I completed 26.65 miles, my longest officially timed race, in 4.01! Result!

I was expecting to finish around the same time as Andrew, who did the half marathon, well I was frightened he would beat me to the end ;-) In fact, he did 1.42, amazing time! And we finished at about the same time = draw! 

Some coffee and chocolate cake, oh, and some crisps (oops)...back on form!

I am proud to say that the Marafun is 13 in 2013's Number 5, and to everybody today who helped me out and helped me through, thank you, I will always remember this one, and I will definitely be back for more :-)

http://www.marafun.co.uk