Here at Xplore we are super proud of our colleague Zak Shaw who recently completed the London Marathon. Here is his story...
'Hello,
My name is Zak Shaw, I am 23 years old, I am the Sales
Ledger in the UK head office and I completed the 2014 London Marathon for the British
Lung Foundation. I ran the marathon in memory of my 61 year old Nan, Susan
Smith, who passed away in July 2013.
I chose to run for the British Lung Foundation because my
Nan had battled with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis for over 5 years and had
fought this condition each and every day. IPF is basically scarring of the
lungs and is an incurable condition at the moment. There is no cure for IPF
because it is a relatively new condition with not enough knowledge surrounding it
at the moment. I hope with people like me raising awareness and fundraising,
more research will be done into this fatal condition to help future patients
and their families.
I thought what could I do to make my Nan proud and raise
awareness for IPF? So in September last year I applied to run the 2014 London
marathon and the BLF confirmed towards the end of October that I had got a
place in their team. I and another 122 people made up Team Breathe for the BLF.
I was extremely proud to be able to run for my Nan, my family, myself and the
British Lung Foundation.
Training
Training, what can I say? It was extremely tough! I started
out by having a nutrition plan and saying I was going to run a certain amount
of miles each week but that actually only lasted around a week. I thought I’m
not going to go on some strict nutrition plan and make sure I run a certain
amount of miles each week if my training is not going to be fun! I wanted to
enjoy my training so I made sure I did enjoy it and embrace it. I started
running 11, 12, 13 miles at weekends and running 3 to 8 miles each day during
the week.
Now for someone who has always been a fit young guy, but
never actually ran that much on the road, you notice how running on the road
takes a toll on your body which I was about to find out!
I started suffering niggling injuries here and there, tight
hamstrings, tight calves, and tight thighs and then by middle of February I got
a case of Plantar Fasciitis (which I’m told is very common in runners). Plantar
Fasciitis is inflammation of the thick tissue on the sole of your foot. As a
result of picking up this injury (after doing a 50 mile week just gone) by
doing too much too soon - I was unable to run. I had around 5 weeks of no running which was
very frustrating. Those 5 weeks seemed to go on forever. I had to keep fit by
swimming, rowing and biking at the gym. From the middle of February until end
of March I couldn’t run and was paying to see a physiotherapist each week.
My family and I had doubts about my participation when there
were 4 weeks to go until marathon day and I couldn’t run. I thought maybe I
should see if I can defer my place until 2015? Thank heavens that I managed to
get back up and running again by resting, not doing any exercise on
my feet and doing certain exercises that the physiotherapist recommended.
I started running again and participated in the Stowmarket
Half Marathon on the 23rd March. This was my first half marathon, I
was supposed to have competed in the Adidas Half Marathon at Silverstone on the
2nd March but due to my Plantar Fasciitis at the time, I was unable
to compete. I didn’t think I was going to find the Half Marathon tough or nerve
racking but I actually found it to be both. I had a rubbish start but a strong
end and completed it in 1hr 40mins 13secs.
I found this half marathon tough and it gave me added doubt that
during the 26.2 miles in London I would have some foot problems but I didn’t
really think about it in the 3 weeks leading up to the Marathon. I just thought
to myself, I’m going to do it, I’ve got to do it, I’ve got lots of
people counting on me and in 3 weeks, I’m going to run the London Marathon!
There was no going back.
In the 3 weeks between Stowmarket Half Marathon and the 2014
London Marathon I basically became sedentary! I didn’t do anything apart from
the odd 1 mile run and the odd swim at the gym. I just wanted to get to the
race feeling good.
Race Day
I started in the 3rd
gate. I was excited and buzzing with anticipation about what was going to happen. Mo and all the other professionals started in the 1st gate, so
there was no way I could sprint off from the start and say I lead the London Marathon
for 20 seconds or so – I really, really wanted to do that.
It took me 2 minutes to get to the starting line and I
started running next to a guy in a Scooby Doo outfit and a guy with a giant
sunflower around his head! I thought by running next to people in costumes I
might get on TV, but that wasn’t the case. I wanted to get to mile 11 because I
knew that’s where the British Lung Foundation charity people were standing.
Likewise, I couldn’t wait to get to mile 17 to see my family cheering me on. I
knew as long as I got to mile 17, I could get to the end.
I ran the first 11 miles well, I was completing each mile in
just under 8 minutes and I was running with the 3hr 20minute official marathon
pacers. I thought as long as I stick with these 2 pacers, I’ll be on for a good
time. I soaked up the atmosphere in those first 11 miles, I’ve never experience
an atmosphere as electric and intense as the London Marathon’s. There were
people singing, dancing, cheering, and not just from the side of the road
either, but from high rise flats and on top of vehicles. I’ll always remember
after a couple of miles there was this couple who had a karaoke machine on
their flat balcony and the music was blaring out, and they were cheering people
on, it was brilliant. I got to mile 11 and saw the British Lung Foundation
supporters and they shouted me name and gave me inspiration, it really touched
me emotionally and mentally.
After 11 and a bit miles, I had my first mini “hit the wall”
but thankfully that only lasted a couple of minutes, then I started to feel good
again. I completed the next 3 miles in about 21 minutes, therefore I hit mile
14 and I was on for about a 3hr 15 minute time.
I continued past mile 14 and found myself going under this
bridge and out of nowhere, there was an orchestra band playing jazz. I still
think it was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen, I really didn’t
expect it. I was running under this very dark bridge, minding my own business
and I see this huge orchestra band, WOW, amazing, part of me wanted to stop and
just listen to them play.
Once I had gone past the Orchestra band, I exited the bridge
where daylight hit me and I had an energetic spring in my step. I knew I was
going too quickly and it was silly of me to go even quicker, but I felt really
good and the atmosphere got the better of me, so I sped up because I felt I
could go even quicker till the end – WHAT
A SCHOOLBOY ERROR!!! About 30 seconds after I made the decision to go even
quicker, I got cramp in both my hamstrings and both my thighs, I was in agony. Unfortunately
I had to stop in a really awkward position, right by a drinks station. So there
was me trying to relieve my cramp and there were people trying to dodge me and
get some water. It was a nightmare! I stopped for about 5 minutes, relieved
enough of the cramp and soldiered on. I was like 3 more miles and I’ll see my
family. (Bearing in mind the most I had ran before the marathon was 13.1 miles,
I still felt I was doing well).
I hobbled on to mile 17 and was looking out for my family.
From mile 14 onwards the crowd played a huge part, they could see I was struggling
a little bit and I kept hearing from all corners and people around me… GO ON
ZAK! YOU CAN DO IT ZAK! GO ON ZAKKY! Every single person that cheered me, I
tried to acknowledge. It’s mad, how a simple cheer gives you that extra
motivation to keep on going and battle and fight on.
I got to Mile 17, saw my family, gave my mum a hug, shook my
uncles hand and gave Charlotte (my partner) a kiss, I said I couldn’t stop because
I’d cramp up if I did! Again in mile 18 I cramped up and had to stop for a
couple of minutes, but the crowd, the fellow runners and my Nan gave me that
inspiration to carry on. I managed to build up some momentum to mile 21. I
remember getting to mile 21 and the time being 3 hours and 3 minutes. I hobble
on to mile 22, it took me 10 minutes to get from mile 21 to mile 22 - I was
paying for going way too quickly in the early stages.
The End
I hobbled on, I was at a near walking pace when I got to
Mile 24 and once I had passed mile 24, I hit the “BIG WALL”. I was like “CMON,
2 MILES TO GO, I CAN DO THIS?!!!!” The crowd were cheering me on, endless
amounts of individuals screaming and shouting my name from the side of the
road, from bridges, balconies, everywhere! It seemed like everyone was just
shouting and cheering me on from all directions. If it wasn’t for the crowd in
those last 4 miles, I’d have found it near impossible to finish. The crowd
really did get me through it and I thank every single last person who went to
the London Marathon to cheer the runners on. It gives me a humble feeling in my
chest just thinking about the crowd and there endless motivation.
After mile 25, I was walking, I was wanting to run but my
legs wouldn’t let me. I had never experienced when your mind and your body want
to run, but your legs just simply don’t let you. I felt fine, I wasn’t out of
breath, mentally I wanted to run, but my legs had no fuel left, it was a very
strange feeling.
Four or five different runners stopped and said “come on,
run with me until the end”, I replied “I want to run but I can’t. You carry on,
I’ll be fine.” I hobbled on and I’m pleased to say I ran, (well hobbled) the
last 50 metres and when I crossed that line… RELIEF!!! I DID IT!!!
To sum my race up – I enjoyed
the first 14 miles, endured the next
3 miles, soldiered to 22 miles and sheer utter determination got me to the
end.
After the race, I said I’d never do anything so stupid like
running 26.2 miles again! But, I sit here, writing this now, knowing 100% that
I would do it again.
I’m ever so humble and thankful that I made my family and
most of all my Nan proud by completing the marathon and raising over £3,500 for
the British Lung Foundation.
I can imagine my Nan sitting at home, in here chair,
watching the London Marathon and seeing me running, in memory of her, with a
huge grin on her face and feeling proud of her grandson, and I’m happy with
that, because I know she is proud of me for what I have done.'
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