23rd April 2024
Civil Engineering Labour Solutions – by
Marathon Madness, Business Progress and Farewell to Brodie
And just like that Rich’s London Marathon has been and gone. Months of training culminated in a memorable race day taking in some of the greatest sights the capital has to offer. As anyone who has ever “run London” can confirm, there’s no place quite like London on marathon day.
This month we hear from Rich about the final run-up to the big day, how the race went and what those efforts mean for The Lighthouse Charity.
The final countdown
As you may recall from our last update, Rich’s training was impacted by tightness around the iliotibial band, hamstrings and glutes. In combination this caused mid to lower back pain which often had Rich hobbling his way around two laps of The Old Bond Store just to be able to stand up straight. Something that caused much mirth around the building!
With just 10 days to go a physio session was needed to loosen Rich up for race day. Happily, it did the trick and he made it to the start line moving more freely than he had during the latter weeks of training.
If you’re feeling pangs of sympathy for Rich’s bad back, you can click here to ease your guilt with a donation!
The start line
Hands up if you spotted Rich on TV before the start? In case you missed it, take a look at the video below and see if you can spot him.
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, he also nabbed a selfie with this blast from the past – do you recognise him?
Despite the risk of autumn weather impacting the race, the weather was pretty much perfect with clear skies, enough sun and not too much heat. Rich started off with the 4:15 pacer, planning to stick with them for as long as possible. The lack of fitness due to missed training towards the end of the training plan started to show around mile 15-16 and he gradually slowed his pace.
Describing the race, Tower Bridge was a highlight with a great atmosphere and loads of crowd support which lifted the spirits after some of the quieter parts of the course. From Tower Bridge to the finish line the crowds build in size and volume – the power of crowd support can’t be underestimated!
Most people have heard of runners hitting “the wall”, and for Rich, the toughest part of the race was from mile 23 to the finish during which he ran/walked as the pain started to kick in.
All in all, Rich completed the race in 4:47 and described the event as an enjoyable day out with a great atmosphere.
To date, Rich has raised an amazing £2300 (inc. Gift Aid) for The Lighthouse Charity. If you’ve been meaning to donate – now’s your chance.
Now it’s time for a few weeks rest and recovery before training for the next event.
From marathons to business plans
When you finish an event like a marathon there’s inevitably a period of reflection where you look back at your plans, the progress you make and the ultimate result. Races don’t always go to plan, whether due to injury or just things being a bit “off” on the day. As a runner, if you focused only on the end result, you’d be doing yourself a huge disservice.
This is mirrored in business. When the news is filled with doom and gloom, and business owners are feeling uncertain about the future, one thing that can really help is to take time to review your progress. Whether you look back over months or years, charting your progress helps to give you the confidence to push consistently towards your current goals. Even the smallest steps towards your goals are a step in the right direction.
A fond farewell to Brodie
As this article goes live, we will be wishing Brodie a fond farewell as she starts her maternity leave. She’s been a key part of maintaining our high service standards throughout the pandemic and in the aftermath when projects were getting back on track and in need of lots of skilled, reliable labour. Brodie is very likely to have been the first person you have spoken to when contacting us for labour supply.
We’ll all miss Brodie and would like you to join us in wishing her lots of luck for the safe arrival of her baby and in the coming months as they get to know each other.
Do you need help keeping your projects on track?
At Skilled Labour Services, we pride ourselves on delivering the very best, most reliable, skilled workers for your project. We understand that you need to be able to deliver high-quality projects on time and within budget. Our unique approach to labour supply means we typically have our pick of the best available workforce, so you can be sure you’ll get the best people when you need labour for your project.
To speak to the team about working with Skilled Labour Services for all your site labour requirements, get in touch with Ricky today by calling 02392 652138.
