F.L.M. marshalling

What a weekend, all set to V.L.M. to see dear Julie complete one of the most challenging things that life can give her, and sitting in the hotel the day before, I must admit I was so worried for her, the emotions that must run through your mind before the run, I well, I just dont know having never done one, but they must be formidable to say the least,I was lost for words to say to her, quite unlike me really. Julie was going to have a quiet day with a trip on the eye and lots of rest.
The rest of us went to the expo and spent far to much money but had a good time then took a boat back to the hotel at Canary Wharfe, we all had a meal together, my foot was hurting a bit and as I was marshalling at the start with Sharon, we were in bed early alarm set for an godly hour. Marshalling seemed like a good idea at the time,giving something back for the help that ive had over the last twelve months, and I thought Id be able to see Julie there, how wrong was I, we saw Julie having breakfast just before we left the hotel gave her our best wishes, quite quickly , as I was so emotional that I was almost in tears, and thought that would not do her any good at all. So we left and started making our way to L.D.R. to get to the start, once of the railway a ten minute walk up the hill, and we were at the start of V.L.M. We found my contact and were allocated our tasks, ours was to stand outside the blue start entrance and make sure that all runners had their numbers displayed on their shirts, so they could pass through the entrance with ease, into the holding area before the race started, cant be to hard I thought, however it had slipped my mind that quiet though it was at 7 am....... between 8.30 and 9.30 some 20 to 30 thousand runnners were expected to go through the entrance we were standing outside. I must just say that as we got busier with pinning numbers on shirts, calming nerves, helping darth vader, directing people to the right start, I did noticed though that some runners, arrive with this sense of disbelief that they have got there at all, theres a glazed look in their eyes, and that moment of fight or flight seems to be there. What a thing to do, just think about it, for a moment, those who have trained like our Julie have been out running at ungodly hours in Bradford in 6 inches of snow ,in the rain, in the hail, in the freezing cold wind round reservoirs, round racecourses, in the dark. miles and miles of running, hours and hours of steady regular runs with the long un once a week, really the marathon is run before you get to the start line ,I knew that Julie had done all the very best preparation and that all being equal that she should do really well.
It was kind of organized chaos really where we were theres no way that you you can get get that many people through to the start without some problems I thought, however it was busy , but manageable, I learnt how to say have a good run, in several languages, curtosy of Sharon who seemed to be fluent in most, we got soaked to the skin as it rained before the start, not ideal for the runners at that stage, but it then stopped, and off they set with all the hopes and dreams for the race in their hearts and the not so small matter of raising around £50 million for charities. we helped direct a few late starters and watched the baggage lorries set of for the finish all 80 of them.
We then went back to see the race, caught some of the elite and champion runners and watched them with awe such grace and speed, not an ounce of fat between them, we were chilled and wet and so changed into dry clothes then went out to watch. at the 18 miles point My eyesight is pretty poor the first person saw was the back of Claire so fast that girl, our club is so proud and lucky to her run for us, then Rob looking very relaxed and hardly a bead of sweat of him, very impressive, then I spotted the lovely Helen from Leeds as fresh as a daisy, and Dave, Baby Bob aka Tony, and then at last the one and only Jules she was looking fantastic running relaxed, if she didnt feel it she certainly looked it really cool calm and collected, smiles all round and then martin went of to see her at the finish. as it turned out not so easily as it should have been, the numbers of people going to the finish meant they shut down tubes for a while. for an hour which meant no one was there to see Jules in, dreadful for her on her own she must have thought we didnt care. After a while we went to meet them and went the wrong way , about right for me ,but caught up with her at the hotel, home safe and looking fantastic with a big tired smile on her face. for Jules LonDone. perhaps an ultra next ? x