Thanks for all your good wishes. Just a little bit more about my day now that I have had time to reflect.
It started very early in the morning, up at 6.30, loaded up on a very high carb breakfast and took lots of liquid. Then we (Mr ellie and I) walked from our hotel near Greenwich to Greenwich park where it all starts. On the way there I ate a Lucozade orange bar, which I had bought the day before at the Marathon registration place. It was truly vile and I think possibly the cause of my tummy upset. I forced it down anyway as they were recommended. Mr ellie had to leave me at the park, and he made his way back to our first agreed spectator point. He was going to try and be at the right hand side of the road at the 6 mile, 12 mile, 18 mile and 24 mile markers. He did tell me later that you have to be pretty fit to watch a marathon, all that running around on tube stations lol. The atmosphere in the park was buzzing and I soon got chatting to other people, so didn't feel lonely. There was a wonderful atmosphere with people just calling everyone by their first names (most of us had our names on our t shirts) and if you saw anyone with the same shirt, showing your charity, that was an instant conversation opener.
As I was quite far back, from the starting point I was able to see lots of the people in costumes as they are position right at the back. They were brilliant. There was a Chewbacca with a R2D2 strapped on his back, a human chain gang dressed like convicts and attached by a chain (they were funny, I waited in two toilet queues with all of them, as if one had to go, they all had to lol), about 6 people in a row making up a giant dog, firemen walking with all their equipment on, lots of furry dogs, drag queens, lots of superheros, a guy in a rhino suit who must have boiled and lots more.
I had a bad run for the first 16 miles or so as my tummy was cramping a lot and I had to keep stopping for the loo, but I have to say I was kept going by the crowds. They were the reall stars of the day. I'm not British but if I were, I would have been proud to be British yesterday. The crowds were magnificent. They lined the entire route, calling out everyone's name. I have never and probably never will again heard my name along with words of encouragement called out so many times. At one stage I was running next to another girl called Laura and there were calls of 'Come on Laura you can do it, and you Laura' lol. Children held out sweets along the way, at nearly every pub the punters were having a party and cheering us on and handing out orange slices, people were holding our their hands to high five us as we ran past them and the atmosphere was overwhelming. There was no nastiness at all and you could feel the goodwill vibes being passed along.
The feeling when I went over the line was amazing, just before you go over the line, you can see yourself on a big screen and by this stage the crowd are 20 deep along the route and the cheering is deafening. Then after that, my medal was placed over my neck, pics taken which I will post when they are emailed to me and looked after by all the organisers, til I met up with Mr Ellie who was waiting for me, proud as punch. He had actually managed to see me at each point and I had updated him on my tummy troubles each time lol.
Then it was a struggle to make our way to Victoria with all the crowds who were still good natured and there were lots of calls of 'well done' on the tube, then Gatwick and home to lie in a bath with a glass fo champagne whilst the kids fought over who would bring the medal to school today. (I didn't let any of them lol, I wanted to look at it). It wasn't the most physically exerting event I have ever taken part in, that was the Jersey Island walk, which I did 2 years ago, (48 miles of cliff walks and I almost drowned at the end lol) but it was the most exhilerating and rewarding and exciting.
Well done London and the organisers and volunteers and mostly the supporters for a really fantastic day out. I will never forget it.
5.51 was my official time. I was aiming for between 5 and 5 and a half bu the tummy bugs, toilet queues and heat put paid to that. I'm as proud as punch. 
s tonight! 