Earlier this year I spoke to long-term supporter of The Donkey Sanctuary Patrick Rice, who was preparing mentally and physically to run the Paris Marathon. Now, an amazing £2,109 of sponsorship and several weeks of well-earned rest later, Patrick talks us through his first marathon.
Earlier this year I spoke to long-term supporter of The Donkey Sanctuary Patrick Rice, who was preparing mentally and physically to run the Paris Marathon. Now, an amazing £2,109 of sponsorship and several weeks of well-earned rest later, Patrick talks us through his first marathon.
"On the morning of the marathon I got up bright and early (5.30 a.m.) in order to eat a good breakfast and have plenty of time to digest it before the start of the race, scheduled to go off at 8.45 a.m. In the event, because I had chosen to be put in the 4 hrs 30 min plus group, I was near the back of the field and, as a result, did not cross the start line until 9.32 a.m., a full 47 minutes after the "Elite Group" had set off on the 26 miles around Paris!!
"By that time, I was freezing cold, as the temperature on the morning of the race was only about 4 or 5 degrees. Luckily, that proved to be my saviour for the remainder of the day, since at no time did the mercury rise above 8 or 9 degrees, which meant that running conditions were ideal (not a trace of the sun to be seen either - not great for spectators, but perfect for first time marathon runners such as myself)!
"Eventually, I did manage to complete the course in a better than expected time of 4 hrs 22 mins, which I have to confess to being pretty pleased with. I even managed to walk a few miles after the race, just to keep my muscles supple. Also, as In stayed on in Paris for a couple of days after the race, I conducted most of my Parisian sightseeing on the Monday by foot, which meant that, contrary to my expectations, my body did not "seize up" at all and I have felt fine ever since.
"Overall it was a fantastic experience and I'm glad I was able to help the Sanctuary in this small way. Maybe, I'll even do it again one day - who knows!!! "
On behalf of all the donkeys around the world that Patrick’s hard work and generous donation will enable us to help, we send him a huge thank you.
