The Wall

1985 in Berlin with the Wall as the front line of the the Cold War I was serving with my Battalion.  We has a strong fitness ethos in our battalion and in a rush of enthusiasm I had entered the Berlin Marathon. Armed with the arrogance of youth and burdened with ignorance of training for endurance events I relied on martial fitness and a  few long runs around the Berlin Grunewald Forest.

Mass city marathons  had only been going for a few years, the London marathon was first run in 1981.   There was very little information on training programmes or nutrition, it was just running after all. I had heard about the ‘wall’ the point at about 20 miles into the race where you just ran out of steam. The military mentality is just tough it out so my simple race strategy was just to keep going.

The backdrop to the start was the 2nd World War ruined Reichstag separated from us by the Wall.  The race did not start well, in 1985 there was no chip timing, when the gun fired the clock started.  I hadn’t bargained on the 15 minutes it would take me to shuffle from my position at the back of nearly 10,000 runners to the start line. Then I was off with no idea of pace except I didn’t like when I was passed by runners who looked as I should be able to beat them.   At about 18 miles I hit the wall, my legs filled with lead and every step became a personal battle.

I was plodding around the inner stadt ring and eventually I hit the Kurfurstendamm where the finish line was located.  The Ku’damm is long wide and straight with a gentle slope downhill slope. There was still over a kilometer to go but I started to feel boyed up at least I was going to finish.  There was a large clock above the finish line and I had the awful realisation it was rapidly ticking towards the 4 hour mark since the start. I desperately wanted to at least beat 4 hrs and so started to pump my legs. Finish time 3 hrs 59 min 58 sec.  Not so much a sense of achievement but one of survival. The marathon has always felt like unfinished business.

Since then I have dabbled with triathlon endurance events but I have remained in the league of completer athlete not competers. Each year I’ve watched the London Marathon on television and been inspired so when I was offered the chance to run in 2019 came up I seized the opportunity. My attempts at triathlon were frequently dogged by minor injuries and always by insufficient training to get a really good time.

Faced with the magnitude of the event and the prospect of a 26 mile slog without the benefit of youth I’m endeavouring to plan and follow a training programme.  So this is my journey to the London Marathon which coincides with the glide path to retirement.

My attempts at triathlon were frequently dogged by minor injuries and always by insufficient training to get a really good time. Older definitely, wiser hopefully, I’m putting a great deal of effort into planning. I’ve set 3 objectives for having a worthwhile experience:  

1. Get to the start line uninjured.
2. Enjoy the race and finish in good order.
3. Get a respectable time.

I’m writing these blogs as part of maintaining  motivation and to draw attention when the time comes to start asking for sponsorship.