Chapter 7: The Runners' Tale

Part 1: Final Countdown

Katya: It's Friday 20^th. April. The house is waking up. The door to my room has automatically unlocked as the alarm goes off. I get up to find Branca has already started to make breakfast. I briefly check our PC. It has internet access but quite restricted. I keep meaning to ask Daphne why but I can never find the words to use ... Anyway, I go to the London Marathon site to check for late news items. On the home page, there is a countdown timer. 2 days, 3 hours, 30 minutes, 28 seconds, 27, 26, 25, ... I go through a stretching routine and then make my way to Daphne's room Outside I kneel down to perform a quadriceps stretch, but strangely always feel the need to do this after I have knocked on her door. As she opens, I lean forwards to stretch my para-spinal muscles and kiss her feet. I cannot understand why I always seem to do this, but Daphne does not mind, in fact she accepts it. She smiles down at me. "We go to the Marathon Expo for final registration today, Mistress," I tell her. She looks excited; a little scared maybe. "I know, Katya," she says. "I guess it really is happening isn't it?"

Daphne: I open my door and find Katya on her knees. The door to her room unlocks automatically. I keep a time lock on her door at night. I feel I have to. Although Clegg's people say her preparation has been thorough they are still concerned that it's been hurried. I haven't needed to bother for Branca but, with Katya, I guess it's better safe than sorry. She leans forward to kiss my feet. I look down at my beautiful, useful, new slave. Clegg's people have worked their magic very well. Larry said Katya's Prep would stay intact even when we go out together - which is kinda crucial because we are out most of the time and so far, she has not given me a moments worry. When Harry turned up after Branca had chained her up he wasn't confident that he could make things work. They took her but he said he wasn't sure he could get her ready in time or even at all. I'd been distraught; desperate for her to be back as soon as possible to help me finish my training but desperate too to make sure she would stay with me. Larry did what he could. Beth was sweet and a real help but it wasn't the same. Of course. But why did it have to happen? Why did we have to do this Katya? I didn't want to do this to Katya but I couldn't let her go. But somehow I feel guilty about how I've treated her. It's never bothered me with any of the other slaves I've had. Why couldn't things have gone on just as they were? Still, whatever Clegg's people have done it seems to have worked. Katya's every bit as attentive as Branca. She reminds me about Sunday. Sunday! Will my beautiful, useful, new slave get me through all those miles? Larry said I would sell her on after the Marathon, but I don't think I can. I can't imagine Katya not being around.

Katya: We reach the Marathon Expo at ExCel, in the old London Docks. There is no difficulty finding it. The place is alive with other runners. They are unmistakeable; determined, eager, pent-up, maybe a little apprehensive. Perhaps this is what its like for soldiers before they launch an attack? Over the entrance is a large plasma screen showing highlights of last year's race and in the background inspirational music plays, it's a motivation in its own right. First we go to the Registration Desk and hand our registration forms to the clerk. We sign them and she checks the signatures on our original entry forms. She gives us our kitbags and a sealed envelope I carefully check the contents. Do the running numbers correspond to the numbers on our registration forms? Are the numbers on the electronic timing chip correct? Have we got the official label for our kit bags? Have we got the final instructions? It's all OK. I make sure that Daphne carefully stows all away in her bag: we are both now committed! I breathe a sigh of relief to have the bureaucracy over and we move on to enjoy the Expo. Daphne seems almost dazed by it all but this must be all quite out of her experience. Up to now we have run together, just the two of us. We sometimes met other runners but never several hundred, all in the same place, all the same time, all sharply focused on the same goal. I know I can get her through it. And this is something to enjoy; the fellowship of the other runners; the feeling of a single shared purpose. And the marathon? Ah, I'm sure I can get her through After all I must do my best for Connie...

Daphne: The Marathon Expo is just astonishing. First, there's the size of the hall and it's all dedicated just to this one event. Second, the amazing number of people here, there are thousands of them. Third, just looking at the other runners ... If I was complacent before, I'm not now — in fact I'm aware of a tight knot of anxiety in my stomach (it's a lot smaller than it was, so a small knot feels bigger!) Katya is trying to encourage me, telling me I look fitter than quite a lot of the others here, saying I've done my training and I've nothing to fear. Katya and I tour the stalls with everything you could possibly imagine you needed for running and quite a few you couldn't. There's this thing on a physiotherapy stand which is supposed to vibrate against tired muscles and relieve pain. Seems more like something Larry's people would be interested in. I find myself daydreaming about the timing chips we all have to wear. Electronically tagged. I can see mileage for Branca and Katya wearing tags, but me?? We spend a bit of time on the Garmin Stand. They have a GPS which tells you how far you have been running, how fast you went and what your heart rate was. Katya suggest we should have them and that's fine by me. We spend some time listening to one of the (many) presentations and after a couple of hours we head for home but not before Katya has fussed over our kit bags and contents once again. Well, I employed her to be thorough. Having her taking charge of things as my Trainer was natural I guess, but its strange now. Here she is taking charge again even though she's now my slave - officially.

Part 2: To Rise From Earth

Katya: It's 6 o'clock on Sunday morning, the 22nd of April. It's just 4 hours to the marathon. I'm laying awake thinking about Daphne's progress over the past months. She has surprised me and the major surprise is that we have reached this point together. But I still worry. I am anxious that she completes the run and enjoys herself. I have dreams now which always link us together. And another thing, I've been going over the training programme. I just have no pictures in my mind of the training we did from about ten weeks ago to six weeks ago. It's odd — because that's a really important time, we must have been doing some long runs and some fairly hard work in the gym but I really don't remember it. I looked through the training diary. Daphne had filled it in carefully, just has she has done all along, but I can't recall any of it. I mentioned it on Friday as we were coming home from Registration and Daphne said "of course I completed all the assignments" and then she said to remember that I had not been too well for a week or two. But I don't really remember that either. It's only what Branca and Daphne told me. And I thought it was odd that she said she'd completed the assignments, she usually says "Oh, we did that together." So I still worry. It's as though I can never move on to anything else, always being brought back to Daphne by other people whose faces I can never quite remember. Except for one. And her name is Connie. Presently I rise and go through my stretching routine, finishing outside Daphne's door on my knees kissing her feet. I just cannot understand why I behave like this and more to the point why Daphne never says anything. It's almost as if she expects me to behave like this. I go in to her bedroom to go through our checklist:

Katya: Daphne's house is close to Greenwich Park and the Red Start. There are three start points for the London Marathon and they converge at two points along the course. We are at the Red Start, in Greenwich Park itself. Time is now 9.00.One hour to the mass start, when we go. Wheelchair athletes go at 9.15 and elite women at 9.30. I am happier once inside the park. We go to the baggage lorries and find the one for runners with numbers in the 30,000 to 35,000 range. We struggle into our trash bags to keep warm, just sticking our heads out through holes in the top. I tell Daphne we have to go to pee. There are lots of toilets and lots of runners peeing. You don't want to stop half way round. Ask Paula Radcliffe! After 15 minutes in the queue we are done. I insist that we go right back to the end of the queue and wait our turn again — and yes, there is more the next time! It's now 9.40. Time to find our places in the "pen". I estimated we would finish in about 5 hours so we had been given places in "Pen 5" at the back of the field. Once the Race begins, runners can move through the others depending on how well they are running. After all, this is a Race! But, for the start, the challenge is just to get the massive throng of people under way. Now we wait for the official start. It's 9.55. Five minutes to go, five minutes to the start of Daphne's ordeal...

When we are through this and I'm recovering I'm having Katya hooded and rested up in the cell for this. Finally I'll have some peace. Gee, wasn't that a bit harsh, Daphne? The girl's only doing the job you paid her for.

Suddenly, there's a bang and a cheer from somewhere way ahead of us. We all start to walk slowly forward. This is really it! Really it is! We are actually doing this thing. I've got a stab of fear and excitement both at once, but mainly excitement. I want to laugh and giggle. Fat Daphne is actually going to run a Marathon!!

Katya: Out of the park and the course turns left and we pass through the first timing gate and that's it: we are now on the course. Our timing chips will have been recognised and we are into the race at last. I have this odd feeling of trying to scramble up out of a slippery cup. If I can only pull myself up over the rim I shall be free, but I always just loose my grip and slip back ... But, no time for daydreaming! Marathons are run with your head as much as your legs. The course soon leads us into Blackheath Village and the cheering crows begin. To our right, one family have decorated their house with streams of British flags. They are wearing flag hats and waving flags! A little further on, a Priest scatters Holy Water on the runners and a few metres beyond him a second Priest does the same. Further on again, small children hold out their hands for us to touch them. It's like some bizarre religious ritual. We are anointed and we anoint others.

Daphne: We have been going a half hour through cheering crowds. Gee, this is really emotional. I never thought it would be like this. I feel as though I'm airborne. I'm running really well and it's the crowds. All these people cheering and shouting, waving at us all — at me!. The course is now running down hill. Got to be careful not to speed up. Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan. No matter how good you feel don't run faster than the plan. The runners from the other start points are converging. In the distance I can see the Canary Wharf Towers — they look a really long way away. Patience, girl, patience. More instructions come from Katya: maybe I'll have her gagged as well as hooded?

Katya: Do you see the blue line, Daphne? Yes? Well run on it! That's the optimum line, and it's exactly the marathon distance. All the elite runners run on or as close to the blue line as they can. Run there and you have run in the footsteps of champions...

Daphne: Run in the footsteps of champions? That's good! That was worth hearing! OK: cancel the gag. But the hood stays.

Katya: Start + 1 hour on my watch. We have passed two water stations and taken on one sports drink at the Lucozade station. We have reached the Cutty Sark sailing ship. 6 miles. About one quarter of the race. Daphne has settled into her routine and we are cruising well. On time. No issues at the moment. She's sticking to the plan. Good. That's the main thing.

Daphne: Before I know it, we are at the Cutty Sark. The world's fastest clipper ship. Well this won't be the world's fastest marathon but just to finish will be great. This part of London is real picturesque. That's why I got my house near here. It's just how people Stateside think London is. There are even TV cameras here and still more crowds. I'm still feeling goodl. I could get used to this!

Katya: Now it's quite a long haul to get to the next psychologically important point which is crossing the river at Tower Bridge. The danger is to really start to pick up speed here to get on with the race and the key is to keep your mind on the job. But Daphne's sticking to the plan, following orders. To my relief we have reached the Norwegian Church which means we will cross the river before too long in about 15 minutes. On schedule we cross Tower Bridge. More cheering crowds. We have to steer clear of someone dressed up as a rhinoceros as they are being interviewed for TV. I have never been tempted to run dressed up as anything but me.

Daphne: The route to Tower Bridge is rather dull and my mind keeps wandering. I look at Katya and the easy relaxed way she moves is a joy to watch. It's not the joy of possession you understand, just the kick you get to see something being done really well. Eventually we get close to tower Bridge and someone shouts my name. I glance over my shoulder and there's Phil. He is one of the accountants I work with. I give him a big smile and he waves back and now I feel warm inside and somehow going on is easier. As we cross the bridge, TV people are interviewing a runner in costume ahead of us. Rather them than me!

Katya: We're making steady progress. It is getting mentally tougher now. The euphoria of the beginning of the race has slipped away behind us, and we are actually running geographically away from the Finish Line. Along Highway, from The Tower to Limehouse. Through the fourteenth mile of the course. We're more than half way now but the route heading east lies next to the twenty first mile of the course heading west, so we get a very good view of the faster runners coming towards us. Faster and rather tired by now! Its good to see them running so smoothly but its sort of discouraging to know it will be more than an hour before we are running back this way again. I try to take some of my own advice; - take a firm grip and keep myself under careful control.

Now we're following the west side of the Isle of Dogs peninsula; sixteen miles safely over. In about twenty minutes we will be at eighteen mile point and this is dangerous country: the human body runs on muscle glycogen and has enough for - eighteen miles. After that it has to use fat and that's not as easy. All of our training has been directed to getting Daphne's body (and mine too) able to burn glycogen more efficiently and to use fat when the time comes, but here is where technique will tell: running, drinking, breathing. But Daphne is not paying attention!