My Marathon Experience - Alison Holmes

I needed a challenge!

I decided I would enter the London Marathon to make me get fit. I started running in September 2006 – up until that point I hadn’t run further than six miles ever.

I entered a half marathon and finished in two hours and four minutes on my birthday in December. I hadn’t managed further than nine miles in training and found the last few miles difficult. I had thoughts like 'how I am going to run a marathon' in my head and I really wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it. Flora London Marathon runners

By December I knew that I hadn’t got a place through the normal ballot but found that I had a bonded place with Epilepsy Action. From the 1 January I started following a marathon training programme and found it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. With my full time job as epilepsy specialist nurse, my family and Brownie Pack I decided that running three times a week was about all I could commit too... no more than two days off between runs!

I like a challenge but really have never committed so much time and effort to anything. Unbelievably I started to enjoy running – I never thought that would happen to me. While I wouldn’t recommend running alone on cold dark nights it was an absolute necessity. I would be out at 10 o’clock just so I could keep to my training plan.

I had also committed to an event called the Four Inns – a 45 mile walk in the Derbyshire Peak District. This event meant that I had to alternate my weekend long runs with a training session in the Peaks…. a break from pounding the pavements. None the less sessions were usually around 20 miles and would include walking up at least two hills (Kinder,Torside or Rushop Edge usually). I found the hill work easier than I remembered (I did the event in 1995). Running was obviously helping.

The Four Inns took place on 31 March and my team (a family affair – dad, sister and brother) completed in 12 hours nine minutes. Unfortunately, I knew from four hours into the event that I had a problem with my left calf. It wasn’t until I stopped that it seized up completely – I couldn’t believe it, only three weeks until the marathon.

I had no choice but visit a physio at a sports injury clinic – no running was possible, walking wasn’t easy! I was beginning to panic about my chances of even running the marathon let alone achieving my target of four and a half hours.

Just the week before I was told I would have a 50:50 chance that my calf would seize up during the event – at least I hadn’t been told that I couldn’t take part, that was a bonus (not that I would have listened).

The 21 April arrived, I had physio at 8am before travelling down to London. I really realised the time had come when I registered and collected my race number: 38421. I tried to get a good nights sleep but it wasn’t possible. Breakfast didn’t go down too well... the nerves had started.

Travelling on the bus to the red start made me feel like a lamb going to the slaughter; the travel guide put the marathon music on that was it! I have to say I had tears rolling down my cheeks. The enormity of the task in hand provoked such intense emotion it is hard to explain. Saying bye to my girls at the runner’s pen didn’t help. Despite the presence of thousands of runners I felt very alone. I wandered aimlessly for a while before sitting on the grass to compose myself. There was no going back now!

The “fun runners” set off at 9.45am. You couldn’t run only trickle over the start line with everyone else. I’d been told not to set off too fast - no chance! It was very hot and got progressively hotter; the showers were a welcome relief and I found myself veering to any piece of shade I could spot.

The children and other supporters along the route were fantastic; people were so kind and supportive offering words of encouragement, fruit and sweets to keep everyone going. I managed to see my family at six miles which was amazing in itself given the numbers of people along the route.

I didn’t see them again until 22 miles – they were a welcome sight by that point. Amazingly, I had felt good up until this point but the last 4.2 miles were hard. The gaps between the mile markers felt longer every time but as I approached the Mall I was able to find a little more energy to run a little faster – not quite a sprint however. I completed in four hours 53 minutes. It took longer than I had hoped but you never really take into account the amount of people who you’ll be running alongside.

Passing the finish line was incredible; my Mum was as emotional as me when I phoned her to tell her I’d done it! Would I do it again... possibly? My medal went to school with my girls the next day – they were very proud of their mummy.

What next... oh yes, Ben Nevis in three weeks' time.

People have asked me my motivation for such challenges. My age for starters! Having a target gave me something to aim for and I’d had several years of doing relatively little exercise prior to this. I found that running for charity gave me additional pressure and motivation, the pressure of fundraising and the motivation to succeed.

I walked to the summit of Ben Nevis on the 12 May – the group were all there for their own reasons. We had a fabulous day for it, beautiful clear skies and amazing views for the majority of the walk. A white out and snow on the top…incredible!

The task now is to collect my sponsorship money – a challenge in itself. By hosting a golf tournament, a Body Shop party, sponsorship and other events I am hoping to have raised in the region of £2,000.00.

I couldn’t have achieved any of this without the support of my family and friends and obviously Epilepsy Action for allowing me to run for them. Thank you.