Tension as the Athletes Arrive, Amsterdam 2005
11.00am. The gun goes for the start of the marathon. The field is headed by the great Ethiopian distance runner Halie Gebrselassie, who is attempting to set a new world best marathon time. I am also in this starting line-up and so can claim to be in that elite group of athletes who has raced against arguably the greatest long distance runner in history, and lost. One lap of the track and out into the streets of Amsterdam.
HG Out in Front, Amsterdam 2005
11.15am. The 10km race starts. In this field is Walking Dave in his debut long distance race. Having been enthused by my marathon preparations Dave decided initially that he'd like to come along, and then as there was a 10km event on offer saw it as a good opportunity to join in. Despite my recommendation that he should follow a proven training regime of gradual mileage build-up and a generally healthy lifestyle Dave decided to devise and trial his own, which he named the Beer and Rugby Method. He explained that the secret of his philispophy was simplicity: Play a lot of rugby and drink a lot of beer. Basically it meant he didn't have to change his routine at all.
The Amsterdam marathon is a really nice event. It's based out of the Olympic Stadium in a leafy district outside the city, although the course does wind through parts of the city centre. By modern standards the stadium is small and old fashioned, but it is a proper seated amphitheatre with a proper red running track. It is a wonderful place to start and finish. The marathon is the focal point of the event, but there is a coordinated schedule of events throughout the day designed to provide ahtletes with plenty of choice and onlookers with a fairly continual stream of entertainment. There is a half marathon timed to finish at a similar time to the slower marathon runners, shorter fun-runs for children, and a 10km race timed to warm-up the stadium crowd for the climax of the marathon.
During the course of the 10km race a large crowd gathered in the stadium in anticipation of the appearance of Haile Gebrselassie and the witnessing of a new world marathon record. The arrival of the 10km runners ahead of this served as a warm up to the main event, stoking up the sense of excitement. At the back of the 10km field and detached from the pack, Walking Dave approached the stadium only a few minutes ahead of the leading marathoners. From the road leading to the stadium he entered the stadium gates, then thorough the shadow of the tunnel and out onto the track.
The crowd stood and cheered in unison, expectation having been set that next athlete to appear would be the svelte African. It took a few moments for it to register that a stockier figure had arrived instead. Could it be that against the odds the great man had been outpaced by a prop forward? Or maybe Walking Dave had eaten Haile Gebrselassie?
Before long the stadium announcer restored calm by explaining that this was the tail of the 10km race and the marathon leaders would be along presently. Walking Dave completed his lap to warm applause, finishing in a personal best time. Soon after Haile Gebrselassie won the marathon race, but narrowly missed breaking the world record.
After eating lunch near the stadium Walking Dave and Carol travelled back into the city by tram, did a little shopping then rested at the hotel for a while. After freshening up they then returned to the stadium to take their seats to see the tail-end of the marathon, and waited.
Done It, Amsterdam 2005
After some more time I appeared through the tunnel to complete an emotional and exhausted final few hundred metres around the track. It had taken me a very long time, but I had done it. I was a marathon runner.
Hard Won Medals, Amsterdam 2005
Queue celebration. I spent the next few hours eating, then took a shower and changed. We set out into the evening with the full intention of celebrating in some style, but peaked early and overtaken by the exertions of the day retired to bed well before closing time.
Warm-Down at Basjoe's, Amsterdam 2005
This was a triumph of mind over matter. Proof that with good preparation and effective management of my imitations I can achieve things I'm not supposed to be able to. I suspect more of the same is about to be required. After 2005 I know it can be done and I also know the sense of elation and satisfaction of achieving something hard won. It is a powerful motivator. I want that feeling again.
At Home in the Hills, Tongue 2010
There is also something about the hills that changes me, in a good way. I feel I am at my best there. And whilst my training hasn't been all I wanted it to be I think I am in a good place.
The practical preparations are now complete. My big yellow holdall is packed bar one or two last minute items; I may do one more walk but my training is done and that will just be to stretch out. Pretty much everything on my plan is ticked off as complete. There are 51 versions of this, each one tracking progress or amendments to future tasks. Soon I will have no further use for it. I will miss it.
I think my key job now is to prepare myself mentally. I must discipline myself to savour the journey and not to be too impatient to finish. I am driven by getting a result and quite often I only derive my satisfaction by looking back. I want to get the satisfaction whilst I'm doing it as well as at the end. This might be harder to manage when fatigue sets in, but manage it I must.
I'm not sure how I feel actually. For now there is still some business as usual to take care of. I still have a few important days at work, we will spend a normal family weekend together, and the routine for the first part of next week will be the same. It's also the case that until very recently I have been preoccupied with preparations and not really thought hard about the walk itself.
There is no doubt though that the anticipation is starting to build, and this will surely grow and accelerate over the final few days. Perhaps the main change I have seen is in those around me. People are starting to mobilise. Jo confirmed her plans this week in an exited email and will meet us in Grasmere. In a frenzy of phone calls Juliet and Douglas have already booked for a couple of stints, and will be regular visitors to the walk. Even Carol has started to put a few things to one side in preparation. Rob alone is maintaining the order of things. He is still to get the additional gear he'll need for his 100 mile stint. Why rush Rob?
I am very fortunate to have such a close circle of family and friends who support me in every way, to the point of volunteering their time to join me in my adventure. Just in case though I am careful not to mention too often the likelihood of rain and snow, of blisters and aching bones, of the fatigue and breathlessness to be expected during the climbs. I'm sure they would come anyway (?). Sharing this journey with them will be a special thing.
I'm also receiving increasingly regular messages of encouragement and good wishes at the office. Some like-minded colleagues (we have quite a strong hill-walking community) are secretly envious of my expedition, yet others consider it a very strange way to spend a holiday. They are a very human bunch.
So I may not yet be exited like it was Christmas, but I am apparently becoming overcome by sentimentality. Humbug. I really need to get started.
Finally, I know for sure that when I leave home in a few days the realisation of what I'm doing will hit me in a wave of exitement and trepidation. I won't sleep on the first night and I will be delighted to be heading north at last. I will have rehearsed the start on the beach and St Bees, and quite possibly the triumphant march into Robin Hood's Bay. I wll be ready.
Summit Satisfaction, Ben Hope 2010
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