Dutch milestones

I "celebrated" my 54th birthday the day before I headed for Amsterdam. One of my motivations to set a good time this year was that it was a couple of weeks after my 27th birthday that I retired - so that is now half my life! Little did I think that I would still be doing this stuff now and already planning a year ahead.

When I initially gave up walking I started running fairly hard around Nobles Park to keep fit through 1984 and  on to the end of the 80s. I said that I had no desire to race unless it was for the good of my club such a relay. That's something I probably regret as I clocked at least three sub 34 minute 10km times when I was less fit.

But at least it kept me active and even when I got weighed down with work, family and committee stuff  I always managed to race at least a couple of times a year (including relays). Last month was the 40th anniversary of my first event on the roads - the 1970 TT relay walk from the Black Hut to the Grandstand. I had intended to research the increase in licensed road vehicles during this period to demonstrate how times have changed. I was probably under the age limit but can you imagine a 13 year old being able to race on those roads now. Its not many years since the junior road races used to be held on the main Peel to Douglas road from Crosby and Union Mills.

And yet throughout those 40 years (and the last 27 as a runner) I had never before Sunday run in a race outside the British Isles.

Nor had I ever had my name on my number as all runners did in the Amsterdam Marathon.

And certainly I had never been able to see myself on a video on the internet before (they provide the opportunity for every competitor to buy one). I've just edited my clips down and attached them here.

All these appear to be my Dutch milestones.

But in fact it was the first marathon I had run without "milestones" on the course (although I did have my Garmin).

They had kilometer splits instead. And this was one of the most depressing facts to realise that my 30km split was not much faster than my race walking PB!

Although I was very slow at the finish I didn't really stop. I just walked out of the Olympic Stadium (another first to compete on such a hallowed surface), grabbed my bag and walked to the railway station.

Next year I hope that I will be smiling for the camera instead of giving a scowl that looks ever more like my mother's!