Doing the London marathon provided for me an opportunity to stay with family nearby but that did mean a little journey to the start - my day began with a short car journey and then catching a 7 o'clock train to Stratford, followed by the Jubilee line to London Bridge and then the local service to Blackheath for the start. I arrived feeling quite relaxed and was able to take in the atmosphere. There were plenty of people around getting ready for the start. At about 9:20 we were required to deposit kit bags on the trucks - no need for extra warm clothing as it was already a warm day and destined to get warmer as it went on.

We didn't seem to have to wait long in the starting area before we were off, slowly at first and then breaking into a jog as we approached the start line with fingers on watches ready to star them off as we crossed the line. That job successfully done, I aimed to settle into my planned pace as soon as possible - however we quickly broke into a walk after a few minutes running as the road narrowed, creating a bottleneck. My first mile was about 1 min slower than planned pace. No panic - I thought I'd just stick to my pace anyway and hope to catch up as we went on. The first 3 miles of the race took us Eastwards towards Woolwich docks and then turning back to Greenwich at 6 miles - last time I ran this it was past the Cutty Sark, but not this year. Then on into Surrey Quays , Rotherhithe and on to Tower Bridge at about 12.5 miles. Then on to the East End and Canary Wharf at about 15 miles where my Garmin went haywire with all the tall buildings - back towards the City of London again past the Tower on our left and along the embankment where the support was getting louder and louder, past the London Eye then turning up into the City of Westminster at the Houses of Parliament, past Buckingham Palace and up to the finish in the Mall. It sounds easy when you say it like that !