LONDON MARATHON 2009 I MADE IT.

26.2 miles, 5 hours 23 minutes 37 seconds, 19 inches smaller and 24 pounds lighter.



www.justgiving.com/katfrancois

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You can view my pic's at the link above.



So here I am three days after the London marathon, reflecting on what was one of the craziest, funniest, toughest things I have ever done (considering I’ve not had any children).

I have so far managed to raise just over £1200, for the Muscular Dystrophy campaign. Still got £300 to go so if you haven’t donated yet, feel free to go to my Just Giving website and help me reach my target. Thank you so,so,so, so, so much to everyone who has donated, every penny helped to motivate me to complete my mission.



Special shout out to Rob for his never-ending support, love and commitment, for following me yet again on another mad journey.





PRE-RACE

Did not sleep that well due to all the excitement and nervousness, but was not worried, ate and drank well during the week, lots of water, pasta, potatoes, and fish. The morning of the race I was up early, nerves again, stomach started to play up and not wanting any accidents on the way around I popped a couple of immodine in my mouth to settle me down and luckily it worked. Had a small bowl of porridge with a sprinkling of nutmeg and all spice straight from Grenada.





All I needed had been packed from the night before so all I had to do was get changed and go. The journey there was a bit mad. London Bridge station looked like a white version of carnival, but instead of revellers, nervous runners pacing up and down, trying to squeeze on over packed trains, and people shouting at the staff, what’s new?



I was in the red start which kicked off at Greenwich. As soon as we arrived I tried to find a toilet but no joy, so got changed into my outfit instead, orange tutu, orange cap, gave Rob the other half my tracksuit, took some pictures and headed off to the start line. Said my goodbyes soon after, it was strange walking away from him thinking that this is it, what I’d been working towards for months, the reason why I was out running the streets during one of the coldest winters in years.



Next task to find a toilet which are always a major issue at these events, especially if you’re a lady, not like you can use a bush! There in front of me was a sign for a female urinal! I had read about them and said no way was I using that, but with my bladder ready to burst I bit the bullet, asked a few ladies coming out what they were like and they said as long as you had a sense of humour you’d be fine. Well I got plenty of that so I headed in and was confronted by bare bottoms, leaning over urinals, and ladies squatting in corners. I took a cardboard funnel thingy and done what I had to do. Luckily my tutu covered my blushes so all in all the experience was not too bad, and when you got to go you got to go.



Then was it time to go to the start, masses of people nervously waiting to head off in to the distance. Rob and I managed to find each other again through the fence, had a few pictures taken and then that was it, the mass of people started moving forward and I was on my way, after 8 months of training, and many trails and tribulations......