From: Professor Sir Christopher Evans OBE Sent: 10 November 2010 11:59Subject: MY FIRST MARATHON AND THE MISSING 16 MINUTES!
Hi
Well, I did it! My crazy gang of advisers, quacks, physio, osteopath, trainer and local vet managed to sufficiently repair my torn calf in just 3 weeks to get me to the starting line in New York on Sunday. We needed more time but didn’t have any left. Whilst I hadn't done a big training run in 6 weeks, nor got in any runs at all in last 4 weeks, we gambled on some old Port Talbot muscle memory, a bit of grit and a lot of pride clicking in on the big day.
Sunday morning 6.30am was bloody cold with a horribly sharp wind. I turned up at the starting place in a running vest to find I had 4 hours to kill with absolutely no shelter and nowhere to huddle and hide from the cold. Bloody freezing. I needed some protection so I offered some Mexican dustbin men $5 for one of their bin bags to wear over my vest but they said it was against State of New York legislation or something. So, me and Danny emptied some trash from a big wheelie bin and I put that one on. Brought back memories. Bliss! A real life saver. Strutted around for 3hrs warm and cosy and looking like an extra from Braveheart. Then came the start, I peeled off the garbage bag and went off like a shot.
The sun came out and the wind dropped as we ran across the big open bridges into the City. Beautiful day and I must have given a thousand little kids a thousand high fives as I blasted along the streets. The screaming New Yorkers on the pavement were fantastic and the dozen or so bands playing Bruce Springsteen songs were brilliantly distracting from the hard graft. This is what a marathon should be all about – not just grinding pain in the rain.
Anne was texting me on my mobile to let me know she was monitoring my progress on the internet and was bit shocked as I hammered it to about 28km and looked like I was well on my old training schedule times and could come in at 20 mins under the big 4 hour mark. For a 53 year old fogey not bad! She was more worried about my torn calf than I was.
Unfortunately, dream on Sir C. It was not to be. At around 30k my calf blew out as I'd dreaded and some pundits had predicted and I literally ended up sat on a pavement gutter with a load of rappers and hoodies pushing me back on the road to get back in the race. They were great but my leg wasn't. I walked and jogged for about 20 mins and a pantomine horse, a bride in wedding dress and a bloke wearing a shed all whizzed past me. Demoralising. Then, just as I was semi-recovering a sensible pace some implausibly large American lady I'd just limped past got her revenge by charging into me from behind, smashing my hand into a concrete pillar and trampled all over me for good measure. Hey, who said marathons were for wimps?!
I was absolutely not giving up! A few failed attempts to limp along and eventually I just sort of accepted the pain in my swollen calf and now swollen right hand and got on with a faster jog. At 22 miles other bits began to fall off the Evans lorry and hurt as I was badly overcompensating on my left leg. This was bloody hard work guys!
Then I saw the 25 mile banner up ahead and Bruce Springsteen’s "Born To Run" echoed out across Central Park. Anne and Katy appeared on the sidelines and screamed for me to NOT stop now. There were indeed a lot of runners keeling over at that very last little stretch with just 1.2 miles to go. No way, as I could sniff the finish medal. I put on my best and fastest limp since whingeing to myself in the Bronx and blasted home dragging my dodgy leg with me. I’d only had two sachets of Paul Booth’s legendary ‘PD’ energy drink in the whole four hour race period but boy they worked, keeping my sugar levels high and lactic acid low.
I knew at the outset I wouldn't be able to get a great time under 4hrs for us over 50s mob, not on this occasion with my gammy leg and stopping and walking etc. I was pleased with my finish though at 4hrs 16 mins but gutted that, despite all the handicaps and incidents, I just needed 16 more minutes to have pipped the 4hr mark. Should have taken more pain sooner and for longer - only 16mins! Getting too soft in my old age!
So, that's it. Attached is a photo of me and my accomplice Danny sheltering afterwards in a rather luxurious hotel.
Thank you all for kindly donating to my cause to help The Children’s Hospital of Wales. With monies through my Giving sites, cheques sent in the post and recent pledges made I think I raised approx £20,000. If anyone feels like sending me more then please do so at www.virginmoneygiving.com/ChristopherEvans and I promise never to send another long email ever again! This total raised so far ain’t bad for a first marathon and the whole thing has been a fun experience despite a bit of struggle and pain here and there. As Edward, an investor at EIF put it to me "remember... pain is temporary but failure is forever!". I got the medal, the Welsh hospital got a load of cash and you guys gave me the motivation to make it all happen and not sit this one out.
Thanks for your brilliant support. Just sixteen bloody minutes!! Until next time.......
Cheers.
Chris
If you want to look at his page it is www.virginmoneygiving.com/ChristopherEvans and also www.justgiving.com/SirChris-Evans
We seemed to have missed this http://www.shedworking.co.uk/2010/11/sir-christopher-evans-shedworker.html it looks like he gave an interview to an FT reporter (Gardening).
Hi
Well, I did it! My crazy gang of advisers, quacks, physio, osteopath, trainer and local vet managed to sufficiently repair my torn calf in just 3 weeks to get me to the starting line in New York on Sunday. We needed more time but didn’t have any left. Whilst I hadn't done a big training run in 6 weeks, nor got in any runs at all in last 4 weeks, we gambled on some old Port Talbot muscle memory, a bit of grit and a lot of pride clicking in on the big day.
Sunday morning 6.30am was bloody cold with a horribly sharp wind. I turned up at the starting place in a running vest to find I had 4 hours to kill with absolutely no shelter and nowhere to huddle and hide from the cold. Bloody freezing. I needed some protection so I offered some Mexican dustbin men $5 for one of their bin bags to wear over my vest but they said it was against State of New York legislation or something. So, me and Danny emptied some trash from a big wheelie bin and I put that one on. Brought back memories. Bliss! A real life saver. Strutted around for 3hrs warm and cosy and looking like an extra from Braveheart. Then came the start, I peeled off the garbage bag and went off like a shot.
The sun came out and the wind dropped as we ran across the big open bridges into the City. Beautiful day and I must have given a thousand little kids a thousand high fives as I blasted along the streets. The screaming New Yorkers on the pavement were fantastic and the dozen or so bands playing Bruce Springsteen songs were brilliantly distracting from the hard graft. This is what a marathon should be all about – not just grinding pain in the rain.
Anne was texting me on my mobile to let me know she was monitoring my progress on the internet and was bit shocked as I hammered it to about 28km and looked like I was well on my old training schedule times and could come in at 20 mins under the big 4 hour mark. For a 53 year old fogey not bad! She was more worried about my torn calf than I was.
Unfortunately, dream on Sir C. It was not to be. At around 30k my calf blew out as I'd dreaded and some pundits had predicted and I literally ended up sat on a pavement gutter with a load of rappers and hoodies pushing me back on the road to get back in the race. They were great but my leg wasn't. I walked and jogged for about 20 mins and a pantomine horse, a bride in wedding dress and a bloke wearing a shed all whizzed past me. Demoralising. Then, just as I was semi-recovering a sensible pace some implausibly large American lady I'd just limped past got her revenge by charging into me from behind, smashing my hand into a concrete pillar and trampled all over me for good measure. Hey, who said marathons were for wimps?!
I was absolutely not giving up! A few failed attempts to limp along and eventually I just sort of accepted the pain in my swollen calf and now swollen right hand and got on with a faster jog. At 22 miles other bits began to fall off the Evans lorry and hurt as I was badly overcompensating on my left leg. This was bloody hard work guys!
Then I saw the 25 mile banner up ahead and Bruce Springsteen’s "Born To Run" echoed out across Central Park. Anne and Katy appeared on the sidelines and screamed for me to NOT stop now. There were indeed a lot of runners keeling over at that very last little stretch with just 1.2 miles to go. No way, as I could sniff the finish medal. I put on my best and fastest limp since whingeing to myself in the Bronx and blasted home dragging my dodgy leg with me. I’d only had two sachets of Paul Booth’s legendary ‘PD’ energy drink in the whole four hour race period but boy they worked, keeping my sugar levels high and lactic acid low.
I knew at the outset I wouldn't be able to get a great time under 4hrs for us over 50s mob, not on this occasion with my gammy leg and stopping and walking etc. I was pleased with my finish though at 4hrs 16 mins but gutted that, despite all the handicaps and incidents, I just needed 16 more minutes to have pipped the 4hr mark. Should have taken more pain sooner and for longer - only 16mins! Getting too soft in my old age!
So, that's it. Attached is a photo of me and my accomplice Danny sheltering afterwards in a rather luxurious hotel.
Thank you all for kindly donating to my cause to help The Children’s Hospital of Wales. With monies through my Giving sites, cheques sent in the post and recent pledges made I think I raised approx £20,000. If anyone feels like sending me more then please do so at www.virginmoneygiving.com/ChristopherEvans and I promise never to send another long email ever again! This total raised so far ain’t bad for a first marathon and the whole thing has been a fun experience despite a bit of struggle and pain here and there. As Edward, an investor at EIF put it to me "remember... pain is temporary but failure is forever!". I got the medal, the Welsh hospital got a load of cash and you guys gave me the motivation to make it all happen and not sit this one out.
Thanks for your brilliant support. Just sixteen bloody minutes!! Until next time.......
Cheers.
Chris
If you want to look at his page it is www.virginmoneygiving.com/ChristopherEvans and also www.justgiving.com/SirChris-Evans
We seemed to have missed this http://www.shedworking.co.uk/2010/11/sir-christopher-evans-shedworker.html it looks like he gave an interview to an FT reporter (Gardening).
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