| Date added : | 16-Nov-2009 |
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Nov 7th Athens Greece Travel Day
Tried something new on this trip in that I got a 00.45 bus from Galway to Dublin airport. My plan was to try and sleep on the bus but no such luck. Anyway I arrived in Dublin at stupid o clock and got an early flight to Amsterdam then a connection onto Athens. I arrived in Athens and check into the Hotel then registered for the race, food and bed. As always no time for anything else except get sorted and get some sleep. Bit of a snag on this trip in that my bag never arrived from Amsterdam and I was told that I would get it at about 3am. At 1am I made it to bed and sure enough 3am my bag arrived at the room. I could not get back to sleep after this and had to get up at 5am anyway but none the less to say I was tired was an understatement. Nov 8th Race Day By 6.30 I was now on a bus to the marathon start 26.2 miles away, it was lashing down with rain at this time and I was already drenched. Waiting around then at the start at 9am in the rain was a test in itself but none the less here I was. The race\started at 9am and I was cold and wet and very tired. At mile 2 I started to get a little pain in the muscle around my knee which started to worry me but I pressed on. The route seemed to goes go straight ahead back towards Athens which was boring enough but every now and again there were a few groups of people on the street giving support to the runners. By mile 13 I was finding it hard as I had no energy then mile 16 bang I felt a dart of pain in my knee that completely stopped me in my tracks. I stopped and started to walk slowly and again a dart of pain came and I stopped. Well this was a first for me not knowing whether to just pull out or what. I came across some first aid on the route and they bandaged up my leg but as I started off just walking the pain was still there so I knew it was no good. I hobbled and walked then for the next ten miles but for sure it was the hardest of all the marathons I have done. I remember Ray Darcy telling me after the Dublin marathon that he found it torture and I remember thinking to myself how fit Ray was and how he would say that he found it so hard. Well despite the fact that I had injured my leg I still would have found the race very hard due to the fact that I was knackered before the race even started, however you have your good days and your bad days and this was my bad day. I finished eventually in just over 4 hours and as I crossed the line I actually started to cry, I think due to the fact that I was just so glad it was over. It was a strange emotion for me as the last time I remember crying as I crossed the line of a marathon was my first marathon in 1985, that time I was crying with joy, this time just pure relief. The Athens marathon I found was ok, the route is plain really, just a straight road from one town to another. The city itself is beautiful although I didn’t have time to do anything, just fly in, run and then fly out. Next up Singapore, let’s hope this is easier. Johnny x |