Andy and I flew up to Edinburgh on the Thursday so that we could get him used to the altitude before his marathon debut on the Sunday (or for a bit of retail therapy, you decide!!). I'd already struggled with injury and got through my London marathon, in the heat, so of course Andy had to go one better. His training started off well at first, he started running more or less from scratch and built up to a couple of half marathons and a 20 miler in no time - too quick it seems. From the end of March onwards he picked up a few niggles, culminating in shin splints. The shin splints got cured but then a calf injury took its place, meaning not much running for about the last 6 weeks before the marathon. But he decided to just "go for it" regardless of all my worrying that he couldn't possibly do a marathon on the training he'd done but he was confident - after all, he'd played numerous games of golf at Perranporth and had a three day intensive golf holiday, what better training could he do!!!!
After a couple of days spent seeing the sights of Edinburgh, living it up in our posh hotel and socialising with my mum and dad who'd come up for the weekend, we awoke on the Sunday morning to the hottest day of the year - cue yet more worrying from me!!! We'd arranged a 6.30am room service breakfast, which arrived on the dot so we gathered in our dining room (told you it was posh!!!!) for the pre race breakfast and briefing - after all, I am a veteran of two marathons(!*!?!) so I passed on all my last minute advice to a very unworried Andy - if he was worried he was keeping it well hidden!!! So, after a last minute kit check, application of pain killing gel and vaseline in all the important areas he was ready for the 100 metre walk to the start line!!! We parted outside the hotel and I sent him to the slaughter while I set off for my long walk to meet my mum and dad who were staying outside the city.
I then power walked out to the 8 mile point (only about 6 miles as the crow flies!) where I arrived very hot and sticky as the day was already hotting up. Within minutes the leaders arrived, steaming down the road - I took a photo, only to realise when they went past they were relay team runners, getting ready for the first hand over!!! I waited on the corner, spoke to mum and dad so that we could meet up and scanned the crowds of runners for Andy - surprisingly easy to spot in his British Heart Foundation vest, hat and sunglasses. He came round the corner beaming and looking very good - those painkillers were working and the calf injury was but a memory!!! I ran alongside for a few yards, screaming encouragement until he was out of sight, met up with mum and dad whereupon my dad did a good Stirling Moss impression to get us along to the 11 mile point before Andy got there.
We got to about the 11 mile point and managed to find a clear spot of pavement to set up camp - I had my BHF Bam Bams (don't ask!?!) which I was madly bashing together while me and mum spent the time shouting out peoples names and encouraging them. Andy came along on cue, he was more or less doing 9 minute miles and we managed to spot him quite easily each time. At this point he was still going well and still smiling, despite the heat which was really not ideal marathon running heat - but so far so good.
This is when it got difficult for us and him - the traffic got quite bad and there were only a few roads heading down to the coast where the runners were - the main roads were closed because of the marathon so the traffic got more and more chaotic as we went along. We managed to find a spot at about 15.5 miles where the runners came up a road, round a cone and back again (not very enjoyable he said afterwards!!) and me and mum cheered on a lot of the same people we'd already seen before, including a Hayle runner who I didn't know, while dad was poised with the camera doing his David Bailey impression this time! By this time Andy was looking a bit tired, the lack of training was just starting to kick in!!
We then proceeded to the 21 mile point (this is all sounding very easy but my dad was having to cope with very hectic traffic and finding creative parking spaces plus we had to walk quite a way once we'd parked so mum and dad were getting to feel they'd run a marathon by now!!!). The 21 mile point was along the seafront on the way back to Musselborough Race Course which was the finish. We waited anxiously for Andy who was a little behind his 4 hour schedule now - he originally had an under 4 hour time in his sights but due to all his problems was going to be just happy to finish! He eventually ran into view, now looking seriously tired and a bit like a sack of potatoes (sorry Andy, but you really should've done your own write up!!!) - he'd not run this far before and he was getting that 'a marathon really starts at 20 miles' feeling!! We shouted as loud as we could to encourage him and he said this was the point I shouted the immortal words "just one foot in front of the other now Andy" which prompted a bit of a conversation between him and his fellow runners!!!! We then hot footed back to the car to try and get to the finish before him. This is where the serious traffic chaos started and it was all dad could do to get me to the finish( his vast repertoire of impressions now included Jensen Button!!) - I jumped out of the car right at the finish line with a quick goodbye to mum and dad just in case they couldn't park (they couldn't - so they carried on for their long drive down south!!). Andy came along within about two minutes, looking elated that he'd made it to the finish where the atmosphere was abosolutely fantastic - his finishing time was 4.06.41! I made my way round to the meet and greet area and caught up with him as he came out of the runners area - he felt great that he'd finished, a bit knackered but basically I think it was all worth it. We managed to get straight onto a shuttle bus and back to the hotel where we got ready and went out for the traditional post race Indian - just what the doctor ordered!!! We spent the evening and the next day watching hundreds of people limp around Edinburgh - there were even a few climbing the Scott Monument with me on the Monday - amazing! (Andy sat it out at the bottom!!!).
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Will he do another one? Probably yes, he knows he could easily get under 4hrs with no injuries and less sun so he's starting his training for next year now - slowly and surely will be the name of the game and it will either be London or Stratford or even Edinburgh again!!! Watch this space.......
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