Amsterdam Marathon 2021, off we go!
Run a marathon, they said, it would be great, they said...
I'm almost back.
Hi, I'm Sarah.
And welcome back to the final episode in road to my first marathon.
I can't believe it. It is almost time to go to Amsterdam.
If you haven't caught up with the rest of the series,
then quick stop what you're doing.
Click the link in the description below and catch up with what else has been
going on before cracking on with this episode.
But the marathon is only a few days away and I don't know how to feel. Excited,
terrified, nervous. I don't know.
I just want to be on that start line and start running. And
that's it. That was my last 30 minute,
run done in the UK. So now I've got one last shakeout run to do,
and then it's time for 26.2 miles, the big finale.
And as it is the big finale, we want us to do an equally big giveaway.
So I'm currently wearing the beautiful Mizuno and Rijks museum collaboration
t-shirts which you can't buy, but we will be giving away 50. Yes.
50 t-shirts to you lucky viewers,
all you have to do to enter is like this video and drop a comment down below.
If you're not sure what to comment,
have a little guest now of what you think my final marathon time is going to be.
And you could be in with a chance of winning.
Now I need to head home and get packing.
Hello, from Amsterdam. I can't believe I'm finally here.
Now whether your marathon is ten minutes down the road,
or is it a completely different country.
I think the moment that you arrived is always going to feel strange and it is so
surreal seeing the little roads, of where I'm going to run.
I think it's so important to find out what the course is like. I'm scouting it out now.
And it's pretty flat.
I'm going to set myself into doing some tourist activities. Don't worry,
no walking. I'm seeing Amsterdam as it should be seen, from the waterways
and I'm going to take in every single street corner and scout out the route.
Good morning. Race day is tomorrow. I'm going to be running 26.2 miles.
Don't if I can actually do that yet, but before I even think about running,
I need to go pick up my bib number.
We are now back at the hotel and I'm just getting everything ready for tomorrow.
This is actually very exciting. It's my first ever flat lay.
I've got my t-shirt shorts, sports underwear, socks,
trusty Mizuno wave rider, 25s.
I've got a visor in case it's sunny tomorrow. I've got my bib.
Definitely very important. I've got more than enough gels.
I've parked a few more than I think I'm going to need because there would be
nothing worse than getting close to the end, needing a little,
pick me up and not having it. And then that's everything ready to go?
Good morning. It is race day, four months of hard work
has all led to this and what more fitting can you get than
starting in an Olympic stadium. I'm ready for my victory lap. Let's do this.
I can't believe I'm saying this. It is race day. Amsterdam marathon
we are here in the starting pen. There's grass.
I'm so excited. Actually, now that I'm here,
entering the orange pen it's quite emotional this.
You can just feel the buzz and the excitement of everyone,
and everyone's smiling at each other. Everyone's got their little nervous pre race rituals
this is ... indescribable.
So we're edging closer and closer to the start. To be honest, I'm shitting myself.
But, I've got the Mizuno crew up here. They're, this is awesome.
I realized as well up until this moment I haven't said what
my goal, well between you and me, A goal, sub 4, B goal, sub 4:30,
C goal, finished with a smile on my face.
Let's do this. Amsterdam marathon 2021, off we go!
So we are one and a half k in, not feeling tired yet. So that bodes well.
Now my tactics for this, are I don't know if you can see behind me,
but they are wonderful, wonderful pacers with balloons, with a time on.
So I'm going to cling on to them for dear life.
and see whether they can get me the time I wanna finish.
What's really cool about this is that I'm looking around.
Not that many people are listening to music,
but everyone's just listening to the footsteps in this kind of
meditative, running state.
You still feel the same energy that was in the stadium at the start, but
there's less excitement and more kind of drive and determination, love it.
Coming up to six K and we're just on an out and back section.
So you can just watch all these
amazing speedy runners shoot past you. It's brilliant
Coming up to 13K. Everyone's settled in
now. That feeling of nervous energy and excitement is
still there, but now it feels
now it feels like everyone's got a little bit of, Ooh, can I do that?
Have I got this in my locker, or at least
I'm definitely feeling that. I can still see the pacer balloons,
whish I was a little bit closer. So I had their words of encouragement,
but I'm not going to try and catch up, just gonna play my own game.
Keep, keep going on. Keep going strong.
If you can see behind me, but that's just a casual then
I don't even know what that's called. Hovering above the water. Anyway,
almost 15 K time for gel Number two, feeling good.
Just coming up just 16 K feeling a little bit tired.
Erm, and I just realised,
I haven't given it an update yet on what was happening at the end of the last
episode, where my left leg was in a bit of a state. Well,
I went to go see Manni.
The resident physiotherapist at The Running Channel, and he gave me some great
exercises,
which I've been doing twice a day to help strengthen my hips
and alleviate the pain in my knee.
So we did a video on The Running Channel this year about the London marathon
and um,
I think one of the points in that video is don't get sucked
into the,
the 10 or 13 mile trap, where apparently you feel great
and you got sucked in and you want to go faster. I can't relate.
Since about 10 miles.
I've felt absolutely dreadful, talking makes me feel a little bit sick.
So sorry for the lack of enthusiasm,
But, hello, still, hello - good running!
no caught in the trap. I'm feeling slightly better.
I'm on track for
30K in 2 hours 50,
which puts me on track for sub 4. If I don't slow down,
Just having a little walk.
Which is fine. Which is absolutely fine,
I'm hoping that in the last 5k,
my legs forget that they've run 40,
no 37 K
and just bomb it to the finished. I'm setting,
myself little goals like this 30k marker,
going to start running again. Marathons are hard,
really hard. You go through all of the emotions and right now,
I'm at despair, come on I said I'd run,
Off we go, straight onto hill. Brilliant. So, sub 4,
doesn't it like it's on the cards, but it's okay.
I just want to get to the end.
I don't even have the words I want to be in that stadium. So, bad,
I think, what's hard as well is
it's so easy to have a number in your head. Sub four hours.
That's what I wanted,
but it's tough and it's not going to come first time round.
And that is okay.
And now it is about getting to that finish
and I'm sure I will look back and think I
didn't get sub 4 though. But, I'm going to remember this moment
of perseverance. Cause that's what a marathon is,
Persevering. 37k just a parkrun to go,
3 hours 49 minutes. Well, you know,
and 17 seconds,
ah no, I'm on 37.3km
This is going to feel like the longest 5k of my entire life.
We're into the last kilometre.
There's a house that we've been driving past all weekend
which is this one, on the other side of the road.
And every time we've driven past it, Graham, at Mizuno, has said,
you'll know, you're almost home when you see that house,
I'm almost back.
500 metres to go,
Come on!
This is really special.
B goal, sub 4:30, is on!
175 metres to go,
I can see,
YES! Thank *** that's over!
That was the hardest thing I've ever done.
I battled with things there that did not come up in training. And,
That was relentless, absolutely relentless,
but like the crowds,
the people around you who go like no, come on you can do this,
I have no words, that, if you are considering signing up for a
marathon, press that button right now. It'll hurt, but it's worth it!
Look! That's weighty that is. So happy!
Amsterdam marathon complete, and no,
I'm not going to be taking this off for a very long time.
Yesterday was so special and yes, not everything went to plan.
I took an. energy drink rather than water.
One of the aid stations by mistake.
And I think that just really messed up my stomach for the second half,
but I'm proud of how I had such a strong first half, if anything,
I'm proud of the fact that I managed to drag myself to the finish line
throughout the second half.
when all I really wanted to do was just curl up in a ball, and have a little cry.
I think running a marathon is such an incredible achievement.
And if you have one coming up, whether it is your first or your 100,
then just be so proud of what you've achieved,
because it is simply incredible.
I guess all I have to say is massive. Massive. Thank you, firstly,
to The Running Channel team,
and Mizuno for supporting me throughout this challenge. And secondly, to you,
The Running Channel community,
you are one in a million and your words of support have made me smile from ear to
ear throughout this process. So thank you so so much.
I guess the question now is what's next. Well,
I hand the Baton over to you.
What challenge would you like me to take on next?
Nobody comment another marathon next week though. I'm all right.
So leave your suggestions down below in the comments and I will see you next
time on The Running Channel.