It must be about two months now since I last posted a blog entry. Allow me to update you on the latest happenings.
Since returning home from Turkey, I've been keeping myself busy with work. The variety of projects has made it rather interesting and I've enjoyed the flexibility and challenges of the jobs. I've also had the opportunity to visit a few places recently. Jenna, a fellow volunteer in the Philippines, from Atlanta came to visit Hazel and I for a week and we all took a weekend trip to Norwich to stay with Victoria, who was also with us in the Philippines. A couple weeks later, Hazel and I went to Edinburgh for a couple nights to catch up with her friends and old work colleagues. Edinburgh is definitely my kind of city. It's busy and lively while still maintaining a tranquil and friendly vibe with lots of history and culture existing.
Not long after, Hazel and I took another weekend break. This time to Pula, Croatia. We had found ridiculously cheap Ryanair flights and decided to take full advantage. We rented an apartment for the two nights in an ideal location, next door to an ancient Roman amphitheatre. Pula is on the west side of Croatia across the Adriatic sea from Italy and so much of its culture is heavily influenced by the Roman Empire. It seemed to be rather quaint and historic, with little modern influence, which made it perfect for a quiet weekend away. We arrived in the morning and spent the day wondering around the city, enjoying the sun and indulging in the local cuisine comprising of gnocchi, pizza and gelato. We visited many of the local monuments, before relaxing back at our apartment on the balcony overlooking the impressive Colosseum.
The following day we continued to look around the city centre and even found a local parade: Brass band and folk dancers included. We then ventured outside of Pula in search of a nearby beach. We spent the rest of the day chilling by the sea and enjoying the nice weather. That evening, we went out for dinner at one of the restaurants that we had previously enjoyed eating at and were treated to some free drinks. So that was the last of our trips away and now I look forward to America again. I fly out in two weeks to begin working for NJY camps.
Of course, the biggest piece of news that I have to share is regarding the London Marathon, which took place on sunday. After 3 months of serious training, I was ready for the big day. I had been and registered at the expo and spent the week prior, focusing on my nutrition and carbohydrate loading. I had my race number pinned to my vest provided by Jewish Care and my timing tag attached to one of my running shoes. I woke up early on the 17th and made my way to Greenwich to deposit my bags and find my starting zone.
The race began at 9:45am and I started at a steady pace. The atmosphere was incredible, with 37,000 other runners and masses of spectators along the entire course. It was such an exciting occasion and I was buzzing. The sun was out but I felt so good. I didn't even realise just how fast I was pacing myself. I felt as though I was taking it easy, while ensuring to take on fluid at every opportunity. I got to 13.1 miles in just over 1:50. At this point I was slightly concerned, as when I had previously ran a half marathon, I had clocked 1:49 and here I was not much slower than that, but with an entire half marathon left to complete. I continued strong, seeing Hazel and my parents at 15 miles. Then things became tough. The heat of the sun started to have an impact, while my energy stores became depleted and my muscles began to seize up. I saw Hazel and my parents again at 18 miles but felt much less at ease by now.
By 20 miles my calfs, hamstrings, hip flexors and quads were all very tight and I just couldn't keep up the work rate. I found myself forced to slow down a lot and just continue pushing through as best as possible, desperately anticipating each mile marker when they came about. I continued to pass casualty after casualty of people who had passed out from dehydration and were being looked after by paramedics. At this point the crowd and my ipod were keeping me going. Over the course of the race my thought process had gone from 'I'm feeling good' to 'ooh this is tough' to 'why am I doing this!?' to 'how can I cheat and skip a little bit?' However at no stage did I contemplate the idea of giving up. I knew all along that I simply had to endure a few hours of torture in order to enjoy weeks of satisfaction. Giving up would have meant a few minutes of satisfaction, for months of torture and regret!
Eventually, I was at mile 25 unable to do anything other than ignore all the pain and exhaustion and get to the finish line. Then came the '1 mile left' which before I knew it, was followed by '800 metres remaining' and then a gradual count down until we turned the corner to see the finish line in sight. I crossed the line, completely fatigued but delighted to be at the end. My end time was 4:30:55. I was a little disappointed at not being able to break 4 hours, as originally hoped but regardless, I was extremely proud of my achievement. I received my medal, complementary bag of food and other goodies and had my finishing photo taken. I then met my family and friends and went for a celebratory beer. It was easily one of the hardest things I've ever done and I'm so glad it's over but at the same time very proud of what I managed. At present I have raised almost £1,700 for the Martin B. Cohen Centre for Wellbeing, which I'm delighted with. It's not too late to donate however, and if you wish to sponsor me now that I've completed the Marathon, you can visit www.justgiving.com/samaboudara
I awoke the next day in complete agony. Every part of my body was sore and all major muscle groups below my waist were entirely immobilised. Unfortunately, I had to get myself out of bed to head-up a football camp for 53 primary aged children. Now, 3 days on my body is finally beginning to feel free of pain. It's all been worth it though!
That's it for now. Next stop, America!
Sam
