Marathons 7 and 8 - Manchester and Southampton virtual marathons: the ones I ran in lockdown

Manchester non-marathon 5 April. 

So much had changed in the 40 days since my last marathon on 26 February in the wilds of Kent. 

The temperature had risen significantly but alas so had the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in mid-March we retained a hope that some mass participation events would carry on as normal, but within a month we had reached a point where not only was their cancellation inevitable, it was ordained by government, and the likelihood would be that we’d be lucky to enjoy one again by the end of the year. 

Initially I was gutted that not only was the Manchester marathon postponed, but that our planned trip to the North West and onward to Scotland would have to be reorganised for another time and date. I had the Manchester marathon in my sights as a sub-4 hour race and one where I could reach more supporters in another part of the country. However the disappointment soon paled into insignificance as the reality of the deathly pandemic set in. 

I took some time to consider whether to go ahead with the marathon but on speaking with colleagues at Sands, running friends and local friends including one in the Police, I worked on a plan which would ensure I minimised the risk of not keeping to social distancing measures, whilst not venturing too far from home nor over-stretching the limit of one daily exercise.

I agreed on a route which would be four laps of my usual Sunday 7 at 7 run, and I’d set off before dawn to avoid as many people as possible. I prepared well and, having resisted the temptation to embrace lockdown booze, set the alarm for 5am. At 5.50am I was off and running. The sun was beginning to rise in the east and it was a pleasant 7 or 8 degrees. I was pleased that I would be home by the time it got really hot. I was also pleased not to have to carry my backpack, as I’d be able to take on board any gels and water etc at home around once an hour. 

Early start in the dark

I completed the first lap of almost seven miles bang on pace at 9 minute miles, grabbed a gel from the window sill and headed off again. I was feeling reasonably strong and on track to hit my target of 1m57 for the half marathon, with the aim of then completing the second half in 2h03. My in-laws kindly left a bottle of lucozade sport outside their driveway overnight ready for me to grab on my way past, at about 9, 16 and 23 miles. At 10 miles our friends and most ardent supporters Kev and Suzie shouted out from the other side of the road that they wanted to cheer me on, so keeping well behind me they shouted me up the deserted road towards the turn off at the Itchen river. It was great to also see Charlie coming from the other direction to offer a shout of encouragement from the other side of the road. I left K&S at the river and headed back home. Apart from these three friends I must have seen only a couple of keen dog walkers in the first 1/2 of the run. I arrived back home at about 1h58 but probably spent too long changing t shirts and high-fiving the family to keep me on track for the time I wanted. 

It didn’t really matter though as this was not the point. What I wanted to do was to keep the marathon challenge on track. 

Like so many other charities, Sands has had a difficult few weeks to say the least, with income dropping rapidly given the number of events being cancelled, not just running but so many others, sky-diving, cake-baking, cycling and so on. I wanted to do my part as long as it was safe to do so. 

The third lap was probably the hardest as the tiredness began to kick in, despite the boost of seeing my parents-in-law waving out of their window. I was back home at mile 20 and Jayne joined me for the last lap. it was great to have her with me and although the quads were beginning to get sore I felt the strongest I had done thus far. 

I was on for a decent time as we approached the final hill at 23 miles, one I had accomplished so many times before but one which now seemed more like the Himalayas than just the gentle incline it usually appears to be. We push on and having forced myself over the railway bridge we were on the home straight. I knew I couldn’t get below 4 hours by now but was determined to run my fastest time of the challenge thus far, and completed it in 4 hours and 4 minutes which took another 4 minutes off my time in Kent. 

We waved to a couple of other friends on the other side of the road out on their daily walk and headed for home about a mile away. 

Just finished Manchester Marathon in Hampshire! But no medal...

it had been strange to run without crowds, and there was no medal or t shirt as reward for my efforts. However, a number of donations had been received - upwards of £400 - and the target was now approaching £2,000. this was a huge encouragement for my efforts. I collapsed into the shower and an afternoon in our ‘beer garden’ enjoying a pint or two of Badger was just the tonic. Susannah is becoming a fabulous chiropodist / foot-masseuse and really helped the general recovering from what was a very strange race indeed.

We then began contemplating what the next three weeks would bring ahead of the Southampton non-marathon in 3 weeks’ time. 

Southampton non marathon 26 April

Three weeks had passed by since the previous marathon and during that time we had celebrated two birthdays and an Easter weekend in the family. We had got into a routine of either me or Jayne running one day, with the other taking the children for their daily walk/exercise. This meant I only had 3 runs to play with each week, and with the onset of the lockdown I found it hard to focus and ‘train’ for the non-marathon. I was also feeling that, whilst not against the letter of the law, going for such a prolonged period outdoors was maybe seen by some as going against the spirit of the law. The ‘rules’ were a bit ambiguous - the primary rule being only go out for essentials including daily exercise and on your own. Whilst there is no official rule about a one hour maximum, it is apparent that some feel this way because of a comment made by Mr Gove a few weeks ago. Yet I know how much bereaved families need Sands right now more than ever and the compulsion to continue to run to raise further funds was equally strong. 

So I spent a few days feeling really conflicted as to whether to run this one at all. I only decided about 4 days beforehand that I would do it, but concocted a plan that would mean I would leave even earlier to avoid as many people as possible, whilst ensuring I ran the full distance on the day the Southampton marathon would have taken place. I also resolved that I would pause the challenge for a while as soon as this one was over, as I just didn’t have the headspace to deal with whether I should, where I should, how I should, etc. The May and June marathons in Kent and Hampshire had been cancelled by this point, so I figured that I should push the pause button for a while until things were much clearer in terms of guidance for outdoor exercise and resume later in the summer, or autumn, or winter as required. So I probably won’t finish 15 in 15 months, but I think people will understand why.  

Nutters' alarms

I didn’t really watch my nutrition or my training in the days ahead and suddenly we were at 11pm on the Saturday night. I had set three alarms but was awake by 4am and by 4.50am I was out in the dark with a head torch on, making my way around a local course I had designed with the help of some friends. They had left a bottle outside on their porches overnight so that I could travel light, with my energy gels and mobile phone. by the time I reached my first stop at 5.45am there was no need for the head torch, but I was in real need of a toilet! Probably because I was up at an unearthly hour and of course nowhere was open… I couldn’t knock on anyone’s door either given the regulations! I felt a bit sluggish again probably due to the early start and just not ‘feeling it’ today. At 5 miles I would expect to be running at a steady 9 minute mile pace, but I was already a couple of minutes over 45 minutes and although I pulled some back in the next 5, I knew in my heart that the sub 4 wasn’t on today. 

After a downhill stretch from 5-10 on road and through fields I started uphill towards the the half marathon mark and arrived bang on 2 hours, feeling pretty tired already, though spurred on by friends waving out of their window. Such a smile can bring such encouragement. I counted the people out and about on a Sunday morning, and in the first 20 miles the people on foot (runners, walkers and dog walkers) beat the cyclists 13-11. All easily avoided by running onto the road or on the opposite pavement. 

Disinfected gels and water outside friends' house

In the next mile or two it became apparent that, like the race we are all running at the moment, it was more about survival than smashing records. Strangely around mile 17 I got a bit disorientated even though I was in familiar surroundings, and spent a good half hour going round in circles trying to find my way back onto the main track. In one sense it didn’t matter because I knew I was meeting Jayne at Eastleigh station at 8.30 come what may, in another I found it quite disconcerting and it added to the mental challenge. I had another couple of stops for water outside friends’ houses and met Jayne as planned, if ever there was a sight for sore eyes this was it, however by this point I was only at mile 22 rather than the planned mile 23.5, so we had to do a couple of laps circling Eastleigh before heading for the final 2-mile straight back home. 

Empty roads

As we crossed the railway bridge there was a cheer from 50 yards away as Kev and Suzie appeared, waving their support in their Sands t-shirts, out on their Sunday morning run. Without doubt it brought a tear to the eye. Clearly they must have timed the run to see me towards the end, at a safe distance, but close enough to ensure I not only heard their encouragement but to see the familiar bright orange Sands logo on the blue t-shirt. I stopped not only to wave and shout but also to stretch my hamstrings which had been playing up since about mile 17. I have missed my trips to the gym between marathons to work on my leg strength! Joe Wicks’ PE lessons have been fantastic in helping improve core strength but there’s nothing like resistance training to build up leg muscle either. 

Stretching the hamstrings. OWW!

We trotted back towards home and I check to see the finish time, a disappointing 4h17, well I say disappointing in the sense that it was much harder than I had expected and the time was disappointing compared to the last couple, but I also frequently say that there’s no such thing as a bad marathon, as any run of 26.2 miles is a great achievement in itself! I was proud that I had pushed through the mental barrier and completed the run. And at least I was home for breakfast and church, not something I have been able to say after any other marathon! When we get back we see that more money has been raised for Sands and that’s a great comfort and encouragement in itself. A cold Badger Beer in the garden that afternoon also helps of course.

More Badgers

Exactly a year ago I was in Southampton with the family cheering on local hero and ex-Saints FC defender Francis Benali cycling back to the Guildhall after his incredible 7 days of ironman challenges, and it was this that had inspired me last summer to think about a challenge that would take me outside of my comfort zone and to raise funds for Sands. Without doubt it has done that. I am proud that I have completed 8 marathons in less than 8 months, from the first in the New Forest in September via Reading, Kingston, Pompey, Gloucester, Deal and now back home. I am within sight of my fundraising target of £2,500 and without question we’ve raised awareness about the tragedy of stillbirth and neonatal death and its impact on families.

Online virtual marathon caption

After that first marathon I blogged that I had realised I was running an endurance race of my choosing to support those bereaved families who were running a lifelong endurance race they did not choose to enter. Some of the stories I’ve heard over the past few weeks of bereaved families has made the need for our care and support even greater than ever. Similarly during the run up to this most recent marathon it dawned on me that the entire globe is now running a race that we didn’t voluntarily enter- the Corona Marathon, We are having to embrace new tactics and strategies for endurance, adapting almost on a daily basis, juggling work and family tasks in a way we’ve never encountered before. As we entered lockdown I blogged about having a marathon mindset for the weeks and months ahead, and that sometimes a mile would feel like half a mile because we’re in the rhythm and things go by quickly, and at times it would feel like 5 miles because the legs are tired and the mind is weary. Certainly this last marathon, particularly the second half, felt like the latter. At times it feels like there’s no end in sight and we’ve not got the energy or mental fortitude to finish the race, and that we’re being told that this is an ultra-marathon, not a marathon after all. But as ever, the support of friends cheering you on, the knowledge that you’ve overcome huge hurdles beforehand, and the enjoyment of a cold Badger Beer at the end of a marathon give you the determination that it’s not all been in vain and that we can pick it up and go again. Also, the medal and t-shirt for the Southampton virtual marathon came through a few days later and it was great to have something tangible for the effort. 

Southampton medal

So I’m not ready to quit just yet.

Southampton Marathon T-shirt

I’m ready for a pause, and a change of strategy, at least for this interim period. To that end I am delighted that we are hosting an online Quiz on Saturday 9th May. We were due to host a curry night in Southampton that evening after the Bewl Water Marathon in Kent, but have changed it to an online Quiz. Lots of people have already signed up and we’d love you to join us. Do get in touch if you’d like to play. We are asking for a £5 donation via our Just Giving page, www.justgiving.com/fundraising/marc-harder4 - there are some great prizes too, donated by local friends and the local pub, and wouldn’t you know it, Hall & Woodhouse Brewery. They’ve generously contributed a crate of Badger Beers. The agony of giving a dozen free bottles away to one of our winners, could yet be my biggest challenge of them all :-)