Running helps me help others: Andrew's blog: Virtual London Marathon 2020 ... in my backyard!

Round and round and round we go.

This wasn't the London Marathon experience I had planned ...

It's the Covid Marathon year. None of the majors had races for the public (Tokyo and London had elite events, which, sadly, they didn't invite me to!)

Instead we turned virtual. And I took to the backyard.

The 40th London Marathon was supposed to be in April, then it was postponed to October, and then it was virtual only.

Disappointments are all part of the marathon experience and they always have been. While the marathon can bring out the best in people, it also has its downsides. Pain. Injuries. Anguish. Defeat. Disappointment.

I'm always surprised when people say to me "oh, you've run plenty of marathons you'll have no problems doing another". This shows a clear lack of understanding of how each event is separate. Just because I ran one previously doesn't mean that without training and approach I can do another anytime soon.

So disappointment was a bit of a theme:

Disappointment for the runners

Yes, we wanted to run in April. We trained and booked flights and planned holidays around a 'big trip'. But the coronavirus had other ideas. Shutting us down. But kudos to the organisers - they kept going.

This was the 40th running of the event and they had big plans....

Disappointment for the organisers

Eliud Kipchoge vs Kenenisa Bekele. The fastest 2 marathoners ever - separated by about 2 seconds - going head to head. What a headline act.....

Only for Bekele to pull out the day before with a calf injury (I know what that's like, I had one ten days prior to this event). That's like Federer vs Nadal for the Wimbledon final only for one to withdraw once everyone has taken their seats and the chair umpire says "Play". Anticlimax. Disappointment.

But, true to their word, the organisers enabled all of us to participate with a virtual edition of the event.

Disappointment for the charities

One of the things that impresses me about London's event is how its a massive fundraiser. The biggest single day fundraising event on the planet. 66m last year - and that's pounds, not Aussie dollars. So double that for the conversion rate.

This year their charity sector is going to have a huge hole. My charity, Terence Higgins Trust, were fantastic the whole way through. Great communication and constant affirmation that "your spot is safe".

Disappointment for the runners.

We trained and trained but, alas, a virtual was the only alternative.

Hardly a European vacation on offer, but I decided that I was keen to be involved (FOMO took over big time I admit) and the uniqueness of the idea took hold.

Disappointment of Covid-19

Now there was another twist of the pandemic that impacted the idea of running in Melbourne. Thanks to the pandemic we had been in lockdown for the most important part of the lead up. We could only go outside for 1 hour a day and go no further than 5km from our home. Hardly good marathon preparation! We couldn't join our friends at our running club or run with more than 1 other person. Suffice to say that a proper training programme just did.not.happen.

Round and round and round and .....

Planning for the day became part of the fun. How many laps around our backyard would it take? Time was not an issue - first because of the lack of training there was no time goal and second, because we had 24 hours to complete it in. This meant I could start at 10am my time (midnight in London) and take as long as necessary.

Sunday dawned and a rather freak 28 degrees in Melbourne was counterbalanced by 50mm of rain in London! Such a contrast. 7kms around my impromptu 400m loop course started the day, followed by my (now extended) 2 hours of "freedom" outside my home doing a half marathon distance. (I even saw a small group of people wearing 'virtual London marathon' tshirts and had a little chat with them!). Then it was back home and around and around and around ,.....

I appreciated some company on our 2 hours of freedom ...

It was so different though. I had set up a little drinks/snacks refueling table outside and, given the humidity and heat, even took my time to have a shower, and changed running outfit 3 times!

Just 'cos I could!

This was not a 'pain program' (like a race is where in your head you constantly repeat "push, push"), this was a participation event that required totally different tapping into yourself. No crowds to cheer you on, no adrenaline, no incredible locations - just round and round and round ....

The closest I got to Big Ben was seeing my son, Benjamin!

My 'CheerDogs' gave up and watched from the comfort of inside!

The London team had put together an app to track your distance and also give motivational messages at every mile marker. The messages were great (like "You're passing 10km and you would have been on the Tower Bridge.....) even if the distance accuracy wasn't too flash - compared to my running watch the app made me cover an additional mile!

The finish line was a very unmomentous middle of my driveway announcement with a fake crowd 'cheer'. Not even my dogs raised their heads.

The CheerDogs quickly got bored with my running in circles ...

No-one applauded. No-one gave me a medal (although one will be sent in the mail) or a celebratory drink. No, I would have to find satisfaction within. But was this disappointing? No! There was a connection. I felt like I had participated with 45,000 other international runners. I felt like I was a marathoner again.

So a very different experience, but one not to be disappointed about at all.

Also, thanks to Terence Higgins Trust I have my entry ticket for next year's 41st London Marathon on October 3rd 2021 to look forward to. And, hopefully, to train, to plan, to vacation and to go all out at. Will it happen? Who knows? I pray for those making vaccines and those trying to allow us to conduct big events again,

Will it be another story of disappointment? I don't think so. I can't see how you can be disappointed with participating. Once competing and worrying about your time goes out the window (because you have no control over covid) it can't be disappointing.

I ran, I fundraised, I helped others, I helped myself. That's why I run - and that's why I'll never be disappointed.

At the end of the days running, I sat back on the couch with a beer (thanks Dan) and watched the broadcast of the elite events. Amazing. The men's finish; incredible. Sara Hall (one of my favs - below) in the women's finish ; breathtaking. The men's wheelchair race; 6 within seconds; wow.

There were many disappointments amongst these events. And there always will be in marathons. Eliud Kipchoge - the G.O.A.T - who finished 8th (and first time not winning for years) said it with typical grace:

“I’m truly disappointed, but, all in all, this is sport. Sport is run by today you are up, tomorrow you are down.

"It's what normally happens in sport. Its not the end of the world. Its not suicide for Eliud Kipchoge to be beaten. I have more marathons. I will come back again".

So will I.

Just what you need to help recovery after a hot sweaty 28 degrees - a hot dog!

ANDREW'S RATINGS!

Organisation	10	Hats off to London organisers. What a crap situation they had to plan through. But they get top marks for perseverance and for delivering an elite spectacle and a mass virtual event. Was it perfect? (The app, the comms, the system) No, but it was bloody good. But they enabled us to run, To engage. To dream. To train, To find motivation. Thank you,
Course	1
Atmosphere	1	Hahahaha. I have to laugh, Its interesting to see what I include in my rating system. Course - atmosphere - crowds. Obviously these are the things I rate as important for the big marathon experiences.
Crowds	1	That score is for my dogs - they could have done better!!
Expo	0	Not relevant
Medal	9	Nice to get 'the 40th' medal posted out. And I hear they have included a little tag update so you can include the updated date. I got this one 'virtually' as soon as I crossed the 'finish line'.
Runner’s pack	6	Apparently we also get a tshirt in the post - haven't seen it yet. I like how they keep it secret!
Injuries	0	No pain = no injuries. Best recovery ever!