we met up early, but it definitely wasn't bright. we'd all been checking the weather forecast obsessively all week, and it had literally been changing by the hour. sunday finally dawned, but you couldn't really tell - it was gray, dark, and dreich, with a dense mist hanging over the city.
undaunted, we met in the drizzling, misty rain to finish our race prep (last minute Clif bars for some, and most importantly, face-painting!)
then posed for a couple of group photos - in what was now no longer mist, but pouring rain - before everyone headed off to their various start points. (helen, i think, has had rather too much caffeine by this point).
leg one (lilith) - 8.3 miles
the starting area was pretty chaotic, and it's fair to say that i had completely gone past nervous into complete panic at this point. after a fair few visits to the ever-glamourous portaloos, i joined my group of runners - the start was staggered depending on your predicted finish time, and despite being quite near the back, i was made even more nervous by being surrounded by so many folk who looked like Serious Runners. (i had uploaded my Glympse tracking info, and i heard from lesley afterwards that all they could see before the official race start was my little icon jigging about & turning in circles!).
once things got going, i felt a bit better - now all i had to do was make it to where paula was waiting for me! i was running the leg that went through the city centre, and the atmosphere was great - loads of folk were on the streets cheering & shouting encouragement, and a few shop & cafe owners along the route were offering use of their loo facilities to nervous runners!! overall the route what was i'd expected - quite flat & good going, with a few good downhill runs - but there were a couple of sections that looked totally flat on the route map, but which turned out to be energy-sapping long, slow inclines (my least favourite type of run!). i'm not used to running with music, so hadn't brought anything to distract me - instead, i kept setting myself little mental challenges to keep myself going (see if you can pass the guy with the incredibly hairy back! keep up with the man wearing a kilt, he's going a good speed! you can't get outpaced by a man dressed as a beer bottle, for heaven's sake!!!). i was also trying to keep an eye out for the official event photographers, so i could do my best Serious Runner face.
pretty good, eh? as we got out onto the coast the sun came through for a bit, but the wind started to pick up, and i could feel myself starting to get tired & slow down. but as we came along the coast into musselburgh, loads of folk were out in their front gardens to cheer us on - blasting music, shouting encouragement, handing out sweets/fruit/water, and little kids hanging over walls wanting to high-five runners - which may explain why i didn't spot the official event photographer who captured what's turned out to be my favourite shot of the day!!
(also, i had no idea that i was faster than Spiderman - & now i have the picture to prove it!!). less than half a mile later, i was being funnelled into the relay changeover point, and handed the relay wristband over to paula for her leg, while i headed off for a shower & some food. i managed to complete my leg in what i thought was a decent 1:26:30 - but when i arrived back at the finish area, i was just in time to see the first place male runner cross the finish line!! it's a little bit gutting to think that someone managed to run a FULL marathon in the time it took me to run 8.3 miles & walk 2 miles. oh well - there's always next year...
Leg Two (Paula) – 5.5 miles
When I stepped off the coach at Musselburgh to stumble towards my start point, it was pretty clear that most of the relay runners had the same idea and affliction, as the queues for the eight Portaloos on site were growing longer by the busload. The rain had just about stopped, which was lucky since I left my umbrella in the toilet and was not prepared to venture back in for it, but being on the coast it was mightily windy and there was no real shelter for my timbers or my nerves.
I’ve probably already mentioned that I’m the non-runner of Team 4ply, and even after the marathon I’m prepared to hold onto that title. What I didn’t mention – to you, good reader, or my teammates – was that I hadn’t been for a run further than the one from couch to fridge since our last team Parkrun three weeks earlier. And as I stood among the other Second Leggers, like a teacup in a storm, I felt completely out of my depth and very close to cracking.
That feeling only really intensified over the two hours that I carb-loaded and spot-jogged around the playing field, trying hard to warm rapidly cooling muscles without knackering myself in the process. A standing start is never the best way to begin a run; a standing around start is more stressful still. Waiting is the enemy of calm.
Tracking Lilith’s progress online was a real comfort though – and I soon had a small group of fellow runners gathered around, checking every few minutes how close their teammates might be. As Lilith reached Portobello, nervous giggling erupted and we all felt the urge to just start running, preferably back to the bus stop.
First though, we clapped politely, but somewhat tensely, as the pace car and marathon leaders passed by after only forty-ish minutes. Everyone was a little subdued after that as we realised it wouldn’t be long until we were underway, or perhaps that we were never going to make it look as easy as those guys did. All the would-be runners shuffled forwards into our labelled pens, craning our necks to spot our Leg Ones in the oncoming throng.
Then Lilith rounded the bend, and I saw her almost instantly. It put me at a distinct advantage over the rest of the crowd that my teammate was wonderfully conspicuous: pink locks blowing in the breeze, neon shorts and orange vest making doubly sure. And as she reached me, all the logistical anxieties of the day drifted away, and it was finally time to do what I was there for.
So I ran. And, you know what, it was fine. Tough, at times, particularly in the quieter moments, as we ran across long stretches of coastal road without housing schemes to spill out spectators, but then the next town would roll along and the cheering crowds and kindly-offered sweets broke the monotony once more.
Afterwards, I walked the four miles to the finish line, where I ate free chocolate, high-fived complete strangers, and shared a chuckle with Limmy. All in all, not such a bad race day celebration.
Leg Three (Helen/Purlpower) 8.2 miles
So, after much bus confusion (moved from one bus to another twice, bus drivers who didn't know where the race was happening!) I eventually made it to my starting position. The weather was spectacularly bad even by Scottish standards - when even the Castle disappears you know it's a misty morning:
By the time our bus found our starting position for leg three though the rain was starting to clear, although the wind was still quite lively down by the beautiful coast near Cockenzie. There was a tent to shelter from the wind and a nice organiser clearly explained to us that runners of Leg 3 needed to be ready to wait at Changeover Point 2 whereas the nearby Changeover Point 3 was for runners of Leg 4. Seems simple now but in the fug of pre-race nerves and caffeinated energy gels this sounded terribly complicated....I got out my knitting to reduce the tension much to the amusement of my new comrades:
Thanks to the marvel of modern phones Leg Four runner, Steven, and I were able to track the progress of Lilith and that gave us a good idea of when Paula might appear.
It was great to have a fellow teammate waiting with me but without doubt the waiting at changeover point was my least favourite part of the day. Should I go for another wee? Should I take off my extra layers now and risk getting cold? Should I keep sitting down or start moving? If I have another energy flapjack will I explode? And then, suddenly, she was there and it was time to receive the wristband of doom and get going:
Compared to waiting and the race logistics the running itself was a piece of cake...or highly caffeinated energy gel. I was so glad that Paula and I had been to scope out the route all those weeks ago because at least I knew that there were no surprise hills coming up. However I had not realised that my route despite it being called 'the Gosford Leg' would take me through the grounds and past the front door of the stunning Gosford House at Longniddry. It was a good job the course was so beautiful because it took my mind off how bloomin' hot the weather had suddenly become:
In true Scottish style we'd had at least four seasons by lunchtime and as we made our way through the beautiful wooded grounds of Gosford House and past its impressive frontage several people doing the proper marathon began to fade in the heat. All around me people were slowing their pace to a walk, stopping and in a couple of cases collapsing (there was excellent medical help on scene within moments which was reassuring). As a relay runner I was conscious of the fact that although this was the longest distance I had ever raced, it was small fry compared to those who had already done nearly 20 miles by the time I joined in the fun.
The support (and jelly beans) from the crowd at this point was crucial in keeping everyone going. Happily, my parents had made it up from Derby to watch me and although I accidentally hit my mum with a discarded water bottle, I think they had a good time...
My golden rule for being photographed remains 'if you can't look good, at least look deliberately daft' and I kept that tradition going as I arrived Changeover point 3 to hand over to Steven for the final leg. My goal had been to run the whole of my stretch, however slowly, with no walks or stops and having succeeded in that I collapsed on the grass, medal in hand, elated and exhausted.
Leg 4 (Steven) The Glory Leg 4.4 miles
Elaine here, interviewing Steven post-marathon. As he puts it, the thought of writing a blog is more stressful than the marathon!
What were your feelings on the bus journey towards your changeover point?
Initially after struggling to find the right bus amongst all the tourist buses in the centre of Edinburgh, I was finally on my way. Everyone around started pulling out their lunch. Generally being a laid back kind of guy, it hadn't occurred to me to bring any food along. It'll be fine I thought. The buses made their way through Edinburgh, until we hit an unscheduled stop on the by-pass. Judging by the gesturing and accusations between the drivers, it appeared that we were lost...
How did everyone react to that on the bus?
A few people started to stress as they realised that their runners might beat the buses to the changeover point. We started bonding in panic, google-mapping our location, and trying to figure out where we were. We did find the road that would take us back to Prestonpans, however it was blocked with runners for some race ...
As we eventually drove back to where we were meant to be, blue skies appeared, and the sun came out, bringing back memories of my run last year in the EMF 10K for the MS Society. That day had been hot, hilly and hellish, and I swore I'd never do it again. [Elaine - Sorry about that!]
Fortunately, reaching Prestonpans, I realised the nice cooling sea breeze would be behind me to help push me along the route.
Arriving at the changeover point, I met up with team-mate Helen, and together we waited for Paula to arrive. Due to the extremely busy mobile networks, we pooled our device resources to try and figure out Paula's eta, and what was happening with the supporters back at the finish line. [Elaine - We had zero signal, and very little idea of where anyone was. I had received a text from Steve a while back saying the buses were lost, and radio blackout since. We too were trying every mobile in a vain attempt to get some information. All my texts and calls were never received by Steve]
Paula arrived, and Helen took off with bracelet of doom to do her leg, which involved coming back to the same point where she left us.
Soon after Paula left to claim her victory massage at the MS Society tent, and I was on my own. It'll be fine, I thought.
What was it like while you waited for Helen?
I went off to get changed, test the porta-loos and do a bit of stretching. I had nothing to eat, but wasn't really hungry so I started trying to set up my Glympse link, repeatedly sending it through to Elaine. [Elaine - who eventually received the text, but had zero 3G to actually retrieve the link to his location.]
The other relay team members started coming through and exchanging their bracelets, including one team who appeared to be sharing one pair of trainers for some unknown reason.. And then all too quickly Helen arrived and it was time to snap a quick photo, put on the bracelet of doom and I was off at last! It was about 2 pm by this point, and we had met up for pre-run photos 6 hours earlier.
What was the run like?
The run was good. I guiltily passed the marathon runners on their 22nd mile with a spring in my step and my playlist in my ears. Until I hit the numerous piles of water bottles, orange quarters, energy gel packets and comedy scenario banana skins. Dodging through these without incident, I plodded my way past the power station and cheering crowds. [Elaine - I don't think everyone made it through these piles without incident, as we saw one woman while we waited at the finish line who had clearly fallen on the route, but carrying on with a steely determined look on her cut and bloodied face]
What was it like coming up to the finish line?
I was starting to feel it by the 26th mile, well, the 4th for me. I was also feeling like a bit of a fraud, as the supporters were so enthusiastically cheering us on, and I was running alongside runners who'd been going since 10 this morning, while I'd only been running for 50 minutes. I got a boost when I spotted all my team mates cheering me on at the final corner.
After a comedy half hour trying to relocate the whole team with no-one having any mobile signal, and in some cases battery power, the team were finally reunited at the MS Society tent!
So, after much bus confusion (moved from one bus to another twice, bus drivers who didn't know where the race was happening!) I eventually made it to my starting position. The weather was spectacularly bad even by Scottish standards - when even the Castle disappears you know it's a misty morning:
It was great to have a fellow teammate waiting with me but without doubt the waiting at changeover point was my least favourite part of the day. Should I go for another wee? Should I take off my extra layers now and risk getting cold? Should I keep sitting down or start moving? If I have another energy flapjack will I explode? And then, suddenly, she was there and it was time to receive the wristband of doom and get going:
The support (and jelly beans) from the crowd at this point was crucial in keeping everyone going. Happily, my parents had made it up from Derby to watch me and although I accidentally hit my mum with a discarded water bottle, I think they had a good time...
Leg 4 (Steven) The Glory Leg 4.4 miles
Elaine here, interviewing Steven post-marathon. As he puts it, the thought of writing a blog is more stressful than the marathon!
What were your feelings on the bus journey towards your changeover point?
Initially after struggling to find the right bus amongst all the tourist buses in the centre of Edinburgh, I was finally on my way. Everyone around started pulling out their lunch. Generally being a laid back kind of guy, it hadn't occurred to me to bring any food along. It'll be fine I thought. The buses made their way through Edinburgh, until we hit an unscheduled stop on the by-pass. Judging by the gesturing and accusations between the drivers, it appeared that we were lost...
How did everyone react to that on the bus?
A few people started to stress as they realised that their runners might beat the buses to the changeover point. We started bonding in panic, google-mapping our location, and trying to figure out where we were. We did find the road that would take us back to Prestonpans, however it was blocked with runners for some race ...
As we eventually drove back to where we were meant to be, blue skies appeared, and the sun came out, bringing back memories of my run last year in the EMF 10K for the MS Society. That day had been hot, hilly and hellish, and I swore I'd never do it again. [Elaine - Sorry about that!]
Fortunately, reaching Prestonpans, I realised the nice cooling sea breeze would be behind me to help push me along the route.
Arriving at the changeover point, I met up with team-mate Helen, and together we waited for Paula to arrive. Due to the extremely busy mobile networks, we pooled our device resources to try and figure out Paula's eta, and what was happening with the supporters back at the finish line. [Elaine - We had zero signal, and very little idea of where anyone was. I had received a text from Steve a while back saying the buses were lost, and radio blackout since. We too were trying every mobile in a vain attempt to get some information. All my texts and calls were never received by Steve]
Paula arrived, and Helen took off with bracelet of doom to do her leg, which involved coming back to the same point where she left us.
Soon after Paula left to claim her victory massage at the MS Society tent, and I was on my own. It'll be fine, I thought.
What was it like while you waited for Helen?
I went off to get changed, test the porta-loos and do a bit of stretching. I had nothing to eat, but wasn't really hungry so I started trying to set up my Glympse link, repeatedly sending it through to Elaine. [Elaine - who eventually received the text, but had zero 3G to actually retrieve the link to his location.]
The other relay team members started coming through and exchanging their bracelets, including one team who appeared to be sharing one pair of trainers for some unknown reason.. And then all too quickly Helen arrived and it was time to snap a quick photo, put on the bracelet of doom and I was off at last! It was about 2 pm by this point, and we had met up for pre-run photos 6 hours earlier.
What was the run like?
The run was good. I guiltily passed the marathon runners on their 22nd mile with a spring in my step and my playlist in my ears. Until I hit the numerous piles of water bottles, orange quarters, energy gel packets and comedy scenario banana skins. Dodging through these without incident, I plodded my way past the power station and cheering crowds. [Elaine - I don't think everyone made it through these piles without incident, as we saw one woman while we waited at the finish line who had clearly fallen on the route, but carrying on with a steely determined look on her cut and bloodied face]
What was it like coming up to the finish line?
I was starting to feel it by the 26th mile, well, the 4th for me. I was also feeling like a bit of a fraud, as the supporters were so enthusiastically cheering us on, and I was running alongside runners who'd been going since 10 this morning, while I'd only been running for 50 minutes. I got a boost when I spotted all my team mates cheering me on at the final corner.
[Elaine - Steven running past, balancing a small man on his head]
And then I was at the finish line!
We would all like to say a massive thank you to all our sponsors - you helped us to raise an amazing £1488.11 for the MS Society Scotland!! More than double our original target! At the risk of sounding like an Oscars acceptance speech, you helped to motivate us to keep on going when it was cold, raining, and (in the early days of training) dark. You helped us to push through the self-doubt that we'd taken on more than we were capable of. And most importantly, you helped the MS Society Scotland to fund research into relieving the symptoms, and looking for a cure for MS.
Thank you from team4ply! Paula, Helen, Lilith, Steve and Elaine x
PS - there's still time to donate, and to enter the prize draw. Don't forget that to be entered you NEED to email teamfourply@gmail.com. We'll be keeping the draw open until midnight on Friday the 13th (UK time) and then we'll draw the prizes over the weekend.
Thank you from team4ply! Paula, Helen, Lilith, Steve and Elaine x
PS - there's still time to donate, and to enter the prize draw. Don't forget that to be entered you NEED to email teamfourply@gmail.com. We'll be keeping the draw open until midnight on Friday the 13th (UK time) and then we'll draw the prizes over the weekend.
