Day 24 - ONE day of my life I'd relive...

Day 24, question 24 - If you could relive ONE day of your life, what would it be? And would you change anything?

Dublin City Marathon.  An out and out winner!  It started on a foggy October bank holiday Monday morning around 5.30am with a wholemeal bagel and banana, a protein shake (what was I thinking!) and about a litre of water.  After many trips to the loo, with trickles of pee coming out, but convinced I ‘just had to go’, a triple and quadruple check of my backpack, I was ready to go.  One of my friends, another virgin marathon runner, we shall call her Shivemo, called for me and we made the walk from Dublin 4 to Stephen’s Green through the lifting fog, with talks of what we had eaten, how we felt, did we need more water, in X hours it would all be over.  The closer we got to The Green, the more excited I got. I wasn’t really that nervous, or was I? I didn’t know. I’d never done something this big before. I was concentrating on finding the portaloo before the race, dropping my bag in the security area, locating satellites on my Garmin, finding the correct wave, hugging Shivemo and my other virgin marathon runner, whom we shall call Joymo, and headed to the start line.

Runners huddled together for warmth before hearing the first klaxon go (that’d be the elite runners)…then it was time for me to strip off the "Penney’s Best" hoodie and tracksuit….Klaxon 2 went and I was off.  OK Nemo, stay calm, keep at your target pace, don’t chase yer man, don’t try to keep up with Shivemo or Joymo.  Oh wow there are a lot of people, Baby you were boooorn to ruuuuuun, why did I choose Bruce for my first song, he’s more a 14 mile inspiration…one mile down, fuck I’ve 25 POINT TWO more of these to go….O’Connell Street has a bit of an incline, Jesus didn’t notice that before…OK this is OK, 2 miles…Are we human or are we dancer, my sign is vital…this song’s a bit slow, mind it’s probably good at this stage.  3 miles….The Park – yay!!!  By the time I leave this I’ll be 7 miles down….just 19 POINT TWO more after that.  I’ve done 20 miles, I can do 19 POINT TWO. It was in the year of 88 in the lovely month of June, where the gadflies were swarmin’ and dogs howlin’ at the moon – a-ooooo Love that song…. 4 miles…..water stop, sht do I drink, don’t I?  OK I will, I’m quite enjoying this….5 miles….6 miles….SHAAANNNNEEE!! OMG I haven’t seen him since college, oh God I think I’m welling up, emosh much! Chelsea, Chelsea, I believe when you’re daaancin’  Fuck I’ve a stitch…NO I don’t want to stop just yet.  OK crap I have to….eeuuuuhhhhhh touch toes, breath out…OK I’ll go again…. There’s one of the physical therapists – BIIILLLL!! HEYY!!!  Chapelizod, just a few more miles to Crumlin Road and double digits.  I wonder will Dora be out.  She was going out last night, so not likely…wouldn’t blame her.  If you’re not running, you’re just watching people run… I’m feeling good…mile 8….Tommy used to work on the dooooocks, union’s been on strike, he's down on his luck, it's love, oh looooooove. Gina works the diner all dayyyyyy I would SO do Jon Bon!  Mile 9….there’s Sinemo and her mates… SINEEEEMOOOO!!! WOOOOOO!!!  Kilmainham hill, first big hill…..mile 10 – yes double digits! Will this road ever end?  Oh there are so many people out, this is so lovely, my legs hurt, I’m running a marathon, high fiiiivveee!!  Mile 11….It’s just a jump to the left and then a step to the riiiiiiiight. Put your hands on your hips....and bring your knees in tiiiiiiight. What possessed me to put the fricking Time Warp on my running track.  Mile 12…Hey man I’m alliiiiiive I’m taking each day and night at a tiiime.  Yeah defo would do Jon Bon. How old is JB Jovi I wonder? Mmmm, oh!  13 miles!  13 POINT ONE MILES - HALF WAY THERE!! WOOOP!! 

Shit I’ve the same distance to do agai…oh no, what’s that? Darting pain…OK, stop, stretch…OK let’s go again…right, next stop Terenure…shit I forgot Kimmage…oh I’m not as far on as I thought I’d be…what song’s this?  Don’t stop me noooowwwww, I'm havin' such a good time. I'm havin' a ball...I AM having such a good time. It hurts, I’m sore, I’ve walked, but I am LOVING this!! I’m running a marathon!!  Awoopppppp… 14 miles, just 12 POINT TWO more to go!!!  I get knocked down but I get up again, ain’t never gonna keep me down. Yeah could really do without getting ‘knocked down’ or at least not until after a vino later…OMG VINOOOOOOO!!!!  Euw so don’t want vino now but will neck a bottle later! 

15 miles, I can’t wait to see Bemo at mile 18. I’m longer than I thought I’d be, hope she’s not waiting too long, she’s going to be waiting a long time cos I am way behind!  16 miles – Terenure…awww, that woman was so nice I just talked to. She’s expecting her child and hubbie at mile 17….Mile 17, Rathgar, LESS THAN 10 MILES LEFT!! I aaacchhee…but I’m running a marathon. Fuck me, I never thought I’d actually do this. 

We got to,  We got to,  We got to,  We got to, Kick that gangster shit, Come on, we got to kick that gangster shit. Jesus I’ve been singing those lyrics wrong all these years…Mmmm.  My sellotaped adductor actually doesn’t hurt, but my ass and my hips are focking KILLING ME!  Oh there’s the ambulance crew. I wonder if they’ve deep heat for my calf, that’ll bring me the rest of the way.  Milltoooowwwwnnnn… MILE 18!!!  Oh there’s Bemo BEEEEMMOOOOOO!!! I am not looking great or fresh but I love you for saying I do – thank you, thank you!  Thanks for coming out.  Aw shit the hill. I’m walking this hill.  There are so many people, they’re all cheering.  I’m walking! 

OK, brothers will be at miles 20 and 21 so I better be running when I see them… Shit there’s the camera bike, head down Nemo…19 miiiillles!!  Bird Ave is flat right?  WRONG!  OOooo m’hips!!!  Well I’m not the kind to kiss and tell, but I’ve been seen with Farahhhhhh… God I loved the Fall Guy when I was younger.  Great running song.  Oh!!  There’s my bro, with my gel and water…. BROTHAAAAAAA!!!  SISTER IN LLAAWWWW!! WOOOPA!! Love you for cheering me – thank you … yes I know 6 more miles. 6 POINT TWO more miles… Aw man Foster Ave hill coming up, ok brother 2 is up there so I’ll have to walk some to be able to run past him.  Oh my God this is the longest and farthest I’ve every run – 21 MILES!! BROTHHAAAAA TWOOOOOO!!! THANK YOU!!! Love you!!!  OK I can walk again when I get out of sight….Mum Fish, Dad Fish and Sister Fish are at 24 miles, so I only have 3 miles to get on my own.  High five little children, woooop! I’m in agony, every joint and muscle of my body is aching, but I AM IN HEAVEN!!!  UCD 22 miles….that flyover looks soooo steep! Oh it’s sore to run down it too….owowowowow!  I’m running a marathon – woooop!!  Nutley Lane, shit there are ramps here, that’s gonna hurt. 

Here I go agaiiiin on my ooooowwwwnnn, goin' down the only road I've every knooooown…Jesus I have seriously suspect taste in music.  More water, do I need water, do I want water? I’ll take water….thank you wonderful amazing volunteers…OK I have to walk some of Merrion Road…mile 23…OK I think I may cry…my hips hurt, my ass hurts… I am having the time of my life…  Right, folks are up here for sure, I’ll take out the headphones….There’s Dad!  DAD!! Oh he’s so cute, running to Mum.  Oh shit Mum’s crying. Mum stop crying or I’ll start, Little Fish Sister thanks for the water and gel.  LOVE YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT…MWAH!!

Mile 24.  Shit I am wayyyy behind in time…JUST TWO POINT TWO MORE MILES!!!!!!  OK I can’t run anymore, my hips, quads, arse, OW!! I am doing a marathon.  This is amazing Nemo, AMAZING!!  Oh there’s Lemo and her hubbie and mum.  Thanks so much for coming out. Sure, you can run with me but stop crying as I don’t have the oxygen to cry J  Talk to me, don’t ask me questions, tell me about work, distract me from the pain.  I do not look fresh, I look like shit but thank you for saying otherwise! 

Mile 25, OK if you don’t mind I want to run this last mile on my own, thank you so much for joining me and coming out.  ONE POINT TWO MORE MILES!!!  OK, headphones off, savour this experience.  Come on fellow runner.  Come on, just a little more left, it’ll be OK…I know I hurt too…Go you!!!  There’s Trinity…oh my God all these people, it’s amazing.  Thank you all … I am looking at you and you’re looking in my eyes, it’s like you know me. You really want me to succeed. YOU guys are amazing!!  I love you alllll….Fuck there’s 5 hours, that fucking POINT TWO mile!!!  There’s the blue carpet. Run Nemo, wave, smile, cheer, WOOOP!! I did a marathon. WOOOOOP!!!! Oh shit I’m sore. 

I DID A MARATHON. It hurt, it was hard, it was emotional, I'll never do that again, but I wouldn't change a thing!! IIIII I wouldn't change, I-I-I-I I wouldn't change...OK enough of my dodgy music.