This year saw me face the biggest challenge I have ever set myself. I walked 26.2 miles during the night to raise money for Cancer Research, and despite the 10 hours it took me to complete, I did it. I have never been a natural athlete and was always the last to be chosen for teams in PE and even to this day, I don’t really enjoy exercise, but I know it’s something I need to do to help me lose weight and stay healthy.
On a good week, I’ll go to the gym 3 or 4 times and my routine will consist of spinning, body combat, cardio and weight training with the occasional swim. I’ve tried the alternative route with Yoga and Pilates, but realised very quickly I have no balance and if this were something to consider full time, I would need to enrol in a beginners class rather than try and compete with the regulars who have obviously been doing it for years. One class I do enjoy is Zumba, but even that has lost its appeal lately. Perhaps it the time of year, or perhaps I’m just using that as an excuse!
Walking however is something I’ve always enjoyed. I used to walk to and from school everyday unitl I had to get the bus because of the distance, so instead I walked in the evenings. I had my routine and as long as I had music to listen to, I was happy. Even when I ventured into full time work, I went by foot. I remember the day I got the 1 hour hike down to 40 minutes and the feeling of satisfaction I had for achieving that goal was incredible.
Why I never looked into joining a ramblers club I don’t know, but after completing Race for Life in July, I found myself searching for a new challenge but nothing stood out. That was until I happened to check my email junk folder one evening (something I never do) and stumbled across one from Cancer Research promoting their “Shine” London Marathon walk. I didn’t hesitate to sign up because I was immediately drawn to it, but my only reservation was deciding whether to do the half or full marathon but I took the plunge and signed up to do the big one. Before I knew it I was committing myself to a 12 week intensive training programme which saw me build up from 2-3 miles a day to more intensive walks 5 times a week. Sunday’s were the hardest because I would embark on 10, 12, 14 and 16 miles and the pain my feet were in afterwards was enough to not want me to walk again, but my mind was strong and I carried on.
The day of the event arrived and I was feeling quite apprehensive but also excited. I had my camelbak ready to keep me hydrated and along with 10,000 other people including my aunty and cousin, we began. The first few miles took longer than anticipated and I wasn’t achieving my target 15 minute mile, purely because of the number of people in front of us. We gradually started to overtake though and picked up pace which soon got my adrenalin pumping.
The first pit stop was easy because it was only 3 miles in, but the water and energy bars given to us came in handy. That and the enormous amount of support shown from passers by and Saturday night party goers spurred me on. I have never felt so much relief seeing the mile 13 mark before, but all that was going through my head was knowing we still had another 13 to go. By now, I was beginning to feel lethargic and a little stressed because I wanted to stop. We had lost the passers by and I had lost my enthusiasm, so by mile 17 I was ready to stop. In fact I thought I was going to have to pull out because I started getting dizzy spells and felt sick. I had no choice but to sit down. I knew my feet would burn the moment I did, but it was either that or get taken back in an ambulance. The latter was not an option, so after a lot of deep breathing and more water, I was just about ready to continue. Standing up at that point was excruciating and any pace I had left in me was gone so I found myself hobbling for a few miles before getting back on track. Soon enough we were into the last 5 miles and it dawned on me how quiet London was despite the amount of people around me, but I realised it was because we all felt the same – exhausted. There was a strange eerie feeling surrounding us, almost like we were Zombies walking through the City. When we realised we were on the last mile, relief began to pour down my cheeks. I was desperately looking for the finish line but it seemed to take so long to reach. When I got there, I cannot tell you how thankful I was. People were cheering us, taking photos and we were given a medal to acknowledge the achievement, but it was all a blur. I needed to lie down and sleep, and it wasn’t long before I was doing that in the back of the car going home.
“Never again” is what I said to myself when I finished that walk, especially as I couldn’t function properly for a couple of days, but thankfully the training I did prior to the event meant my recovery was quick. It’s now two months later and despite the pain I endured, am considering doing it again next year. I have already registered my interest but whether I do it remains to be seen. Either way this has without a doubt been an eye opening experience. There were some extraordinary people taking part that night, some who had lost friends and relatives to cancer, and some who were suffering or recovering from the disease and that is what kept me going. On reflection, I have learnt I am a lot stronger physically and mentally than I thought and despite telling myself I will never be good at sports, I know now I am. I may not be able to catch a tennis ball or jump over hurdles without falling on my bum, but I can walk a marathon and that is something I will always be proud of.
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