Alastair Mavor

Hi there, Almost a week has passed since I ran in the London Marathon. I thought I’d give you a little taster of what last weekend was like! We arrived in London on Saturday afternoon (Mum, Dad, Frances and me), had a relaxed afternoon and had supper with cousins in the evening. I have to say, I was unusually organized on the Saturday night, and everything was lined up, ready for the morning including the chip timer on my shoe which took about 4 goes to get on! My alarm went at 5.30am and my specially ordered porridge arrived at 6am - it always feels a bit weird eating at this hour, but I stuffed it down hoping that come mile 17 all the extra energy would come in handy. I then took a train to Greenwich and walked to what I thought were the main gates of Greenwich Park for my interview with Jonathan Edwards. Unfortunately, I’d been directed to the wrong gates, so I had to trek across to the other side of the park. Both Jonathan and the producer were very friendly, and while my interview wasn’t actually aired, it was a great experience. At 9.45 the gun went, and I was fortunate enough to be near the front of the start area, so it only took about a minute to cross the start line. The first 12 or so miles went without alarm - the atmosphere was pretty amazing and I made a conscious effort to take on Lucozade Sport early in the run. Unfortunately I started to feel blisters forming on the inside of my feet at 9 miles, but I ploughed on (aren’t I a toughie!!!), worried that stopping would cause me to lose my rhythm.  Mile 13 went by as I crossed tower bridge - being passed by a giant fish in the process, and I reached the half-way mark in 1hr 45! All going according to plan. As I ran towards Canary Wharf (with the elite athletes running back in the other direction), the rain came  plummeting down, and everyone was completely drenched in about 5 minutes. But, it wasn’t until I hit mile 16 that the legs really started to hurt, and the last 10 miles became a real struggle/war of attrition (makes it sound more like a WWW1 poem!!). Thankfully my family and several sets of cousins and aunts and uncles were on hand at various points to cheer me on, and I have to say the crowd were absolutely amazing! When I ran towards Buckingham Palace an hour and a half later (my last 13 miles were 45 minutes slower than my first!), an incredible feeling of achievement ran through me, and I don’t think I have ever felt as relieved as I did when getting to the finishing line!! It really was an unforgettable day, and I am so grateful to everyone who was kind enough to help out, donate or support me on the day. I am delighted to announce that we have managed to raise £11,000 for the CF Trust - it would never have been possible without all your help. Now the challenge is to find something even more grueling than a marathon - but I think I might have a little break first if that’s OK?! Perhaps a few years maybe! All the best, and thanks for your support. Do check back next week for some photos. Alastair