I started training for the New York marathon 10 months before the event, I found the thought of running 26.2 miles a scary one and wanted to be as prepared as possible there’s an old saying in boxing that I like to use and that’s ‘Fail to Prepare – Prepare to Fail’.

I wanted to ensure that I stayed injury free because I had committed myself to raising money for the Guide Dogs Association and really didn’t want to let them down as I had secured a lot of sponsorship. Unfortunately 2 weeks before the race I suffered another devastating blow, my mother died, I was in absolute turmoil and told my family that I couldn’t go to New York and run the marathon, but they were insistent that this was something that I had to do I had been preparing for this for a long time and most importantly of all my mum would have wanted me to go and do it. They managed to convince me that getting away to somewhere new where nobody knew me would be good for me, I had something to focus on and time to get my head round the fact that my mum had passed away. It was very difficult at the time but I look back now and know it was the best thing to do.

I was waved off by all my family at Glasgow Airport, my dad gave me a card but told me not to open it until I was on the plane and my sister Mary Jane gave me my mums scarf to take with me as a reminder of part of the reason I was doing this.I said my goodbyes at the airport and we all shed a few tears, this was hard for us all. When we were over the Atlantic I opened the card my dad had given me which was full of encouraging and positive words and once again the tears came but I was on my way. New York is the most amazing place, I went and visited Ground Zero where I tied up my Scotland flag which had been signed by lots of my family and friends from the pub, wherever in the world I go I take my signed Scotland flag and leave it there.

Whilst I was in New York my dad got a call from his friend in Canada who used to stay in Saltcoats, anyway his wife had been in New York doing some Christmas shopping and seen the flag that I had left and could not believe her eyes when she read some of the names on it, she knew these people as her and her husband drank in the pub. What a small world!!

Back to the marathon, the United Nations run was on the Saturday, the day before the marathon and was a good warm up race through the streets of Manhattan. Everyone met at the United Nations building in downtown Manhattan, there were about 20,000 people with the Mayor and other people giving speeches before the start of the race, then the mayor started singing New York New York with everyone else joining in, that’s 20,000 people singing in the middle of Manhattan, it was truly amazing. Ed Moses - probably one of the best athletes ever from the states – started the race carrying the stars and stripes I ran really fast to start with so that I could catch up with him, when I did I started chatting to him and I told him about losing my mum and then coming over to do the marathon and he told me that he had lost a close friend of his that very day, I was very emotional. He signed my t-shirt and said the most inspiring words to me. He said ‘Do this for your mum, every step has a purpose’, to this day every day I am running I remember these words, especially when I really don’t feel like running these words really inspire me.

RACE DAY

The night before the New York marathon I got all my kit sorted so that I just had to put it on in the morning and then I tried to get some sleep but I couldn’t so I went out down the road to a 24 hour deli and bought some pasta and returned to my hotel, I didn’t sleep a wink that night, I was ready at 5am to leave for the race. I caught a bus which took me to Statton Island; there were thousands of people waiting on the bus to take them to Statton Island which was the starting point of the race. When I got off the bus there was a massive party taking place to cheer on all the marathoners before they started. Next thing I know I heard the gun go off indicating the start of the race, it took me 20 minutes to get over the starting line, this is it, here I go. I double check that I have the photo of my family and my mums scarf; I know that if I have these nothing can stop me. On leaving Statton Island I cross a huge bridge and what a view we all got from that. We had to run through 5 boroughs and what an experience that was. When we got off the bridge and onto the motorway a man literally jumped past me and I am not exaggerating when I say jumped, he was an amputee and had no legs below the knee, he had planks connected to each side of his knee it was like he was on stilts and into the bargain he was running with his dog, a Dalmatian and both of them were wearing race numbers I remember thinking that that could only happen in America!!

From the motorway it was down hill and then round a bend that was when the enormity of the race really hit me, the crowds, the noise the colours and all the banners of support for everyone. All I did for the first hour and a half was give high fives whilst running after that I had to move into the centre of the road as my arm felt as if it would fall off. Before I knew it I was at the 8km mark and I felt great.

I was taking on fluids every chance I got every stride I took I could see my family’s names which I always write on my arms to keep me going, seeing that makes my legs move and I felt as if I was in the zone, a phrase used by many high ranked sports people. When I am in the zone I feel as though I am capable of anything. I just kept thinking that there was no way I was going to let my family and friends down, A quick check then to make sure that my photos and my mums scarf were still on board and they were. Running through Queens and Brooklyn was exactly like I had imagined and what I had seen on all those cop shows on TV when I was younger, people were cheering and kids were throwing out sweets and fruit to us runners as we passed it was fantastic. At the 16 km mark I was still feeling good; up ahead of me was a guy wearing union jack shorts he had started just ahead of me.

Head down again, I was trying to keep the momentum up, if it was the last thing I was going to do I was going to finish this race. I was then nearing the Bronx and I knew I was only 9km from the finish line about half a kilometre before I reached the Bronx I could hear loads of noise , it was absolutely buzzing I ran faster so that I could get there a bit faster to see what was happening. As soon as I reached the sign saying the Bronx I could see this woman amongst thousands of people coming up to me and she shouted literally in my face ‘Welcome to the Bronx’. It was like a big carnival, I ran up one road and all the Hispanics with their white vests jeans and bandanas on were listening to music sitting on steps leading up to there apartments. I ran round the next corner and there was a huge gospel choir all dancing and singing around, they were having a great time, so happy and all dressed the same in red and white gowns I have never seen so many happy faces.

When I reached the top of that street I could hear rap music, it was awesome there were guys out on the road break dancing  and playing with the water hydrant, the water was going everywhere, they were spraying it all over the runners we were glad to get very wet. Here I was now on the home straight, and I felt good I tried to refuel and took one of my gels and washed it down with Gateraid an American sports drink but I really didn’t enjoy that but I knew I had to try and get some fuel in my body to make it to the finish. I passed a little boy who was giving out lollies, I took one from him and started eating it the sugar rush was good, I was getting some energy from it. Here I was on the home straight of the New York marathon I was in Central Park at the 26 mile mark just 0.2 miles to go and although it may be hard to believe those 0.2 miles were the hardest part of the race. I finally crossed the line, it was over, I had done it and I felt 10 feet tall. I just wished that my family were there to share my experience. I had just completed the New York marathon and I couldn’t believe it. I now just wanted to get to a phone and call home I must have walked about 2 miles before I got a cab to take me to my hotel. At the airport the next day you could spot all the people that had ran the race a mile away, there were people limping, some were walking like penguins and loads of people had their shoes off the latter included me.

On the flight home there were lots of marathoners having a party at the back of the plane, I was listening to a group of people who had run 100 or more marathons and ultra marathons. I heard them talking of running the Great Wall of China, the Sahara and the North Pole, I just sat there and kept my mouth shut, this was only my first marathon, I didn’t feel qualified to join in their discussion. They were also talking about The Grand Slam Club; a prestigious club for runners who have ran a marathon on all the continents including the North Pole. Little did I know that this club would have an impact on my life and that within a few years I would be as qualified as any of these guys to talk about extreme marathons. Run the Planet was firmly underway!!