Prelude to the Greatest Day

London. Wow, London.

So, we travelled down to London on Friday 24th April. We found the hotel very easily (Sat Nav: "You have reached your destination" Steve: *slams on brakes and swerves into car park* "S**t, yes we have!"), checked in to very pleasant surroundings overlooking the hotel gardens, then spoke to mum and dad and arranged to meet them at the FLM Expo, which was taking place at the Excel Centre in Docklands.

London public transport always comes as a refreshing change when you come from a part of Britain where public transport is middling to rubbish. A couple of short train/DLR journeys later and we were on the concourse outside the Excel Centre. I was feeling that slight-strung-up kind of nervousness that always comes before a big event, not quite able to relax, so it was great to see two of the most important people in my life waiting there in London for me. Well, let's face it, if it weren't for them I wouldn't be here at all... ;-). But honestly, it was my Dad and brother who really inspired me into running in my teens, and if it hadn't have been for my Dad who was prepared to plod at a ridiculously slow pace with me on those teenage-years training runs, I would never have started to run in the first place.

Excel is obviously massive. The people at the registration desk were really friendly and helpful, explained exactly and clearly what I needed to do (how they had managed to remain that cheerful I just don't know, they must have repeated that info about twenty thousand times already - maybe it was seeing the patent excitement on most runners' faces?) and issued me with my number and chip. Then it was off into the Expo itself, where we mooched around the stalls and I realised that those lovely gels - which I had painstakingly labelled up at home to drop off for the Runners' World Mudchute Support point at mile 17 - were still sitting in the hotel room. *unprintable word*. So I bought some more, borrowed a pen and notebook page from mum, snaffled some stickers from the AUK stand, and labelled up three more. Dropped them off at the RW stand after chatting with the peeps at the AUK stand and having our picture taken, then bagged a bargain at one of the clothing stands with a lovely purple Ron Hill top. I had been looking for a purple technical tshirt to go under my AUK running vest, but hadn't been able to find one, so was particular chuffed to find this one at 1/3 off the RRP.

We sat and ate some pasta at the pasta party whilst listening to one of the race organisers run through some practical tips for the day. Then, laden down with goody bags, we headed back for the train and, ultimately the hotel.

Saturday was another fairly chilled day. We got up for breakfast nearly as late as possible, and had to queue for a table behind like-minded people. This included a couple in running gear, who chatted loudly about the fact that "oh, we'll be done by one o'clock tomorrow". Hmmm. Wasn't entirely sure about the whole coming-to-breakfast-in-your-running-gear thing. You're obviously not about to go out on a run, because you're about to eat. And if you've just come back from a run, aren't you all hot and sweaty and not terribly pleasant to be around for prolonged periods? Conclusion: POSER!

(Wearing tracky trousers/tops on the morning of the marathon is, of course, entirely acceptable.)

We went and had a look around a little toy museum, had a nice leisurely coffee and then went to meet two of our adopted daughters. It was a terribly pressing matter that I had to meet adopted daughter "Baby Seal" as I had to collect something very important off of her to carry on race day. This important something was Mellie the Elephant.

Baby Seal has severe brittle asthma, accompanied by a horribly stubborn streak which she uses to blackmail me mercilessly. She threatens me that unless I do such-and-such, she will attempt to run a 10K/climb Snowdon/run a marathon. Note the word "attempt", as she knows that I know that before she gets very far she will turn a delicate shade of blue and risk collapse. It is for this reason that the word "compromise" features strongly in my vocabulary, alongside "OK then, I will".

But seriously, it's for people like Baby Seal that I was in London in the first place. And because Baby Seal can't run the marathon, I was running it for her. With her little mascot, Mellie the Elephant, who was to sit in my fuel belt over the full 26.2 miles as a reminder of my motivation, and to renew my determination when the going got tough.

So we met Baby Seal, and the Mad Arty one - who was to be staying with us at the hotel that night - shortly followed by my parents. We then all had a little stroll to Nelson's column, admired the goings-on in the square for a short while, then pootled back to the hotel where AUK were holding their pre-race pasta party. Yes, more pasta. Ate pasta, played at "Guess the number of Bagpuss", debated the correct plural of "Bagpuss" (Bagpusses? Bagpi?), chatted to the kindly crew of AUK, and ate some more pasta. Then Baby Seal departed and we headed hotel-wards once again - giving Mum & Dad a huge goodbye/good luck hug before we went our separate ways.

We spent the rest of the evening generally chilling and gossiping with the Mad Arty one. I laid out all my running kit, made lists, scribbled them out, and re-made lists. I packed my bag, I packed Steve's bag, I sorted out Bruno the Running Bear (Bruno is my oldest teddy, who has been with me since I was born. Yes, I am thoroughly saft, as my gran would say) into his running kit. Then I had a nice warm bath and tried to chill out, having made some kind of regimented timetable for the morning involving some stupid o'clock alarm call.

And, of course, featuring the word "Porridge".