After vowing never again how on Earth could I turn down the amazing offer from Sense UK to run in the Worlds Best Marathon with my Wife, Son and Daughter and in doing so become the first Family of 4 to compete and complete the Virgin London Marathon.
Our story started in January 2017 when to be honest I couldn’t even run for a bus, I was the type of person that lived for today and didn’t even know where the bathroom scales lived.
Its incredibly easy to take your eye of the ball and over eat and drink and become the size of Michelin Man..My Daughter Charlotte showed me a photograph of myself outside Buckingham Palace and I cried. Little did I know then that I would be running past there a year later in the London Marathon..
But it was the kick up the pants that I needed, my Wife was also overweight and needed to lose weight..
My size at that time was mainly a larger version of Jacamo XXXL and at 22 Stone with 52inch chest and 42inch waist line I couldn’t deny the fact that it wasn’t muscle any longer. My Daughter entered me into the Beaverbrooks Blackpool 10k and of course I was overjoyed at the thought of running 6 miles, but kept on telling myself that its for charity and the local Hospice needs funds..
And we did…
The Next Milestone was of course a Half Marathon..! really I had been entered into a Half Marathon but I had only just started out, little did I know at the time that the bigger picture had been sofa to Marathon within 1 year..!
Along the way meeting and making the most amazing Friendships, this is what running does, we are all in it together
My Daughter had already secured a spot at the 2018 London Marathon and I had given up, then out of the blue whilst walking home after work one November teatime a number on my phone starting with 020 ( London) was calling me, I just knew that it was Marathon related and it was, I had a wonderful chat with Emma from the charity Sense and little did I know that this conversation would actually change my life forever.
With my place now secured I ran all the way home ( 400yds) jumping for joy like a lovestruck teenager, me in the London Marathon this really cant be happening, I couldn’t wait to tell my Wife the great news..!
She was happy for me, but also wanted to run with me and Charlotte, she applied and also received the superb news that she was in..!
Sadly Bradley who trained with us and ran in various Half Marathons at 17 was too young to be considered as the rules are that you have to be 18.
The 2018 Virgin London Marathon was an incredible experience in more ways than one, it was also the hottest London Marathon on record, we were incredibly thankful that we completed it.
Fast forward to 2019, to be given this amazing chance to run it again for Sense that I consider to be an honor and a privilege . The support from the Blackpool people and Unite the biggest UK Union was incredible.
But it was definitely not going smoothly, training was becoming harder because we all worked different shifts and we needed to run together and I was injured but kept it quiet, my back and left hip was in bits and I could on some days barely bend over to lace up my shoes, I was very worried, and then the icing on the cake Charlotte is injured in a road accident..I was starting to think that its really not meant to be..!
I confided in a Friend my injury woes and was given the number of a talented Sports Therapist, after 1 hour of his superb care I felt cured, my back had been in spasm..Rhys Daley you saved my Marathon.
Charlotte also received treatment but had to go with what she had, and Bradley for one reason or another had never been tested above 13.2 miles so London would be the first time, so much pressure and stress with lots of what ifs..
We made a plan that we would just go for it from the start without fear and see where we ended up..We have been blessed with so many amazing friends much love to you all..X
We had originally planned around 13/14min miles taking it very steady but ended up doing 11/12min miles for the first 10/11 miles and to be honest it felt very comfortable.
Louise sadly started to get a niggle in her hip and pubis bone and Bradley severe chaffing, so we adapted to the situation and lost the shorts, he ran over Tower Bridge in just his underpants with his shorts on his head, at that moment I was concerned about his mental health..!
But at least he was still going, but we decided to slow it down a touch , as we headed towards the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf we needed to take on salt as we started get get cramp, luckily my Daughters Boyfriend Will was on hand to supply us with the necessary foods, if you are running the Marathon next year its a good tip to plan ahead..
At Mile 20 and heading back to the center of London, for some reason I was incredibly emotional this year and had moments of spontaneously crying. I couldn’t understand it and it was worrying me to be honest, especially when on 2 separate occasions a Marshall asked me if I was ok..? I asked my Wife if I looked unwell or in distress, and she replied by saying you just look Pink dear..! So that’s normal then when you are running..?
So we reach Embankment and in the distance Big Ben and more tears..Not long to go now and that sports massage and food..!
We see Buckingham Palace and try and smile at every camera lens that’s being pointed in our direction, but the camera only shows what’s left of the shell of a person, inside you really have nothing left, trying to stay upright and remembering to try and put one foot in front of the other, it really is so difficult and we as a Foursome link arms in that final 400 yards proudly flying our Union Flags to the amazing London crowds that had shown us all so much support over the 26.2 Miles.
We reach the closing stages music blaring out loudly and the Man on the microphone calling out our names and then says something like ‘Its The Mowbrays’..
When we did cross the line we all let out the loudest scream of joy that we had just done something incredible and went to receive our amazing Medals.
As most people are now aware I am a Vlogger and like in 2018 I filmed our London Marathon adventure, its a 70 minute film that shows all the best bits of the London Marathon, I hope that you enjoy it..
Our journey has hopefully inspired others, with training anyone can run a Marathon and we have proven that. We have all applied for the 2020 London Marathon via the Ballot.
If we fail to secure a place we will be running at the Manchester Marathon on the 5th of April and then the 2nd World Major Berlin in September 2020, and then back to London in 2021..but it all can change so quickly
See you all around the various running circuits, stay safe..
All the best X
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