Distracted Dad – Brighton Marathon

On April 12th, I’m running the Brighton Marathon.

I have just completed my final ‘long run’ – that’s a technical term – and completed twenty miles. And to be honest, I didn’t think I could make it through another inch.

I now know that the full 26.2 miles – and I reckon I’ll know about the point two when I’m running it – is a Very Long Way. (Yes, that’s another technical term, hope you’re keeping up with the jargon, you can tell I’ve done my research.)

I’ve threatened to enter the Brighton Marathon before but haven’t due to a mixture of poor admin and laziness. I know the atmosphere is great (as a spectator). I like running – or should that be past tense, ‘Liked’ – and it’s a good excuse to try and stretch myself. I’ve genuinely enjoyed increasing distances over the last 6 months or so, but well…I think the official phrase is Enough is Enough.

It’s now real. It’s both A Long Way and A Bit Too Close. However, I’m determined to do it, simply to make up to those around me having to listen to my moaning about lactic acid, achilles trouble or cross-training (which I used to think was simply normal training, but in a bit of a bad mood).

I’ve been doing my research, especially now that I’m at those distances where you run out of natural fuel. I’ve investigated sports gels (which have the sickly consistency of kids’ medication), and I’ve bought jelly babies for the first time in about thirty years, if I ever bought them at all. I’ve started to practise Carb-loading, which is like the horrifying Meal in the Attic of someone on the Atkins Diet. I’ve lessened the wine.

One foot in front of the other. Repeat. How hard can it be?

I used to run because it would allow my mind to both relax and concentrate. Creative thoughts. Problems solved. Now, I simply make calculations around pace and percentages to take my mind off the pain, and converting between imperial and metric seems to be my new special skill. I imagine I’m great fun at parties.

Everyone says that the crowd and the atmosphere help get you through the last few miles, help to drive you on. I’m relying on it. This column too is all part of the plan. It’s my IOU to myself and others, my writing it down so it must come true, the words that will come back to haunt me if I don’t finish. Let’s hope they get me over the line.

If you’d like to sponsor me, my chosen charity is the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity. It is the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and also supports the Trevor Mann Baby Unit.

I am personally grateful to the staff at the TMBU as ten years ago, our elder son’s life was saved by the expertise of the staff in that unit. He suddenly stopped breathing an hour after being born, but thankfully, the staff at the Trevor Mann Unit – based in the floor above – rushed down and were able to resuscitate him.

He was transferred upstairs and spent the first few days on his life in the TMBU while they monitored him, and we are lucky that he is now a perfectly healthy 10 year-old.

We witnessed the dedication and skill of the staff, looking after children much iller than our son, often born prematurely and/or with with much longer-term needs.

I would therefore like to make my own Drop In The Ocean Thank You to donate any money raised to Rockinghorse. Here’s the link to the Just Giving Page: www.justgiving.com/Richard-Hearn

Wish me luck.

Richard Hearn 2015