Posted by Sean Connelly on March 23, 2016, 9:05 am
Hi All,
I'm a very quiet person by nature so even though this is a very impersonal form of communication I always think twice about posting on here in case of what you all must think.......but I soon get over it when I think about why I'm doing it!
You’re all probably thinking this is way too early in the year to be reading this and in some ways you are correct. Well I've only gone and got a place to run in the London Marathon on Sunday 24th April. This will be my first attempt to run the full marathon distance (26.2 miles).
What was I thinking! Right now I’m wondering the same especially after my hamstrings are really sore & tight this week so having to rest for a week from training. But overall I’m very pleased with how the training has gone and I’m actually looking forward to running the course as it should be somewhat flatter than what I’ve been training on......well I'm relying on that to get me round the last few miles!
This will be a huge achievement for me to do this and one I’m not sure I’ll repeat, so wanted to make the most of it and would like to raise money for charity at the same time. I’ve decided to run the London Marathon in memory of my dad who died 10 years ago this year after suffering a severe stroke. I will therefore be looking to raise money for the Stroke Association in his memory. I'm sure it will be an emotional day for me as the start line is in Greenwich where my dad was born.
Therefore, as always I would be very grateful for any donation you can make to the Stroke Association to make this a very memorable day for me and the memory of my dad. I'm always humbled by the response we've had from everyone in the past in all our charity endeavours and it really does make a difference on the day.
This time round Louise will be chief spectator and bag carrier and for some reason is quite happy not to be running!
As always I've set up a Virgin Money Giving web page which is an incredibly safe & secure way to donate and ensures that the money reaches the Stroke Association quickly along with the Gift Aid your donation may be eligible for. The link is at the bottom of the page.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for your donation.
Regards
Sean
P.S. If you have time, you might find these few words from Stephen Fry amusing
The good news is that I successfully finished the 2016 London Marathon on Sunday in a time of 03:25:49 which I am very, very pleased with!
I had an amazing day. The whole event was very well organised and executed and the support from the crowds was simply stunning! For the whole 26.2 miles they made so much noise cheering and shouting our names, I know I would have struggled so much more if it wasn't for their support.
Waiting at the start I did get cold quite quickly but once we were on the move I seemed fine and despite 30 seconds of hail and the occasional northerly wind when we turned a corner I think it was pretty much close to ideal running conditions. First few miles were busy but I soon settled in to a pace I felt comfortable with (7:45 a mile maybe quicker) which I think was due to the fact that the course has very few hills.....well only the odd incline. I kept positive just enjoying the support from the crowd and ticking the miles off as they came. It was only at around 20-21 miles that I could see my pace had slowed to well over 8 minute miles. I had no real pain other than my knees were sore and legs were getting stiff. I pushed as hard as I could and could barely manage any form of sprint finish but was so glad to cross the line. That is when it hit me, I felt so cold, so stiff and physically sick. I couldn't bend to try and doing any stretching without a muscle cramping including my stomach. Luckily Louise was soon on hand to provide support and warm clothes. Something to eat and drink followed by a quick leg massage courtesy of the good people of the Stroke Association I soon felt well enough to head back to the hotel to a hot bath and a proper meal.
I am amazed I managed to finish the course and in such a respectable time. I feel I have achieved something great and will always treasure the memory and the medal J I also feel proud to have done this for my Dad and for the Stroke Association raising over £1000 (including gift aid) due to your very kind generosity so I really do mean thank you very much!
I also couldn't have done it without the support from Louise who has put up with all my training these last 5 months and then on the day. She battled the cold and the congested public transport system to see me off at the start; to see me pass under London Bridge and then to pick me up off the floor at the finish.
I can now start my recovery phase which may take a while as every muscle in my legs are still sore to the touch and my knees really don’t like anything that involves bending especially going down the slightest of incline let alone stairs!
Thank you again for your support, especially Dave, Tony & Nigel.
Sean
P.S. I've updated the webpage with a picture of me at the end with my medal.....and yes I am smiling....just!