Marathoning in London

London Marathon was my 5th Major and it didn’t disappoint. Marie and I arrived Thursday morning and we adapted well to the time change. We were travelling with a group of 19 out of Montreal, Contact Amerique, and it was so well organized. We really took the time to visit London, we had 2 tours included in our booking (bus and walk). We also visited many areas with the tube.

The Expo:
Getting to the expo by tube is the easiest way since it was in south London. The expo was one of the best organized I’ve ever seen. They were ready to take on the 42,000 runners. Getting the race kit on Friday in rush hour took less than 10 minutes. The expo offered a variety of shops, information sessions and the famous oversized treadmill challenge to match the 2021 London Marathon winner's running pace… not for me lol!

The Race:
Coming up to race day, the weather Gods were forecasting lots of rain but on race day it was 12c a cloudy start until beautiful sunshine by mid-race and 18c. 

I was in the RED Wave 2 for the start but it was somewhat mixed with the slower group ahead of us which made it difficult to pass since the streets are a little narrow for the volume of runners. 

The spectators, bands, and music along the course made this race an incredible experience. At KM 19, runners take a hard right turn to the famous Tower Bridge, what a feeling! KM 40, after a stretch of trees in the shade, you come face to face with Big Ben, another amazing landmark and finally at KM 41.8km… Buckingham Palace just before the finish line. I was privileged to see Marie and Coach Julia a few times along the course.

I had a plan of running 3h30, 5min/k and that’s exactly what happened! I had a steady even pace all along and I knew with this marathon being my 3rd in a 12-month period this was a realistic target. I felt great before, during and after the race. 

The post-race meet-up was awesome! I knew that Marie and Coach Julia were waiting for me. Also a really well-organized area!

Nutrition:
Vegetarian for the last year and being recently diagnosed with Gluten intolerance made this trip a little more challenging. My first meal in London gave me confidence with all the availabilities in local restaurants. Race day was the usual oatmeal, banana, pre-workout, and ReKarb gels. 

Post-race meal with Marie and Julia made this day just amazing and memorable!

Thanks, Coach Julia for your perfect training plan and so grateful to my spouse Marie for her amazing support.


Bring on the next race!!