That’s it, I’ve done it… I’ve entered a marathon!! And it’s just TEN WEEKS away, eeek!
I’m feeling a mixture of fizzing excitement and stomach-churning fear.
I’ve run marathons in the past – six to be precise – all in under 3hr15 and my PB is 2hr58, which is definitely one of my proudest sporting achievements.
But all that was in my twenties. My PB dates from October 2011 – that’s over ten years ago! (The photo with this post is from that same era – Luton Marathon in November 2011.) The longest run I’ve done in the intervening period is about 27km… which falls some way short of the 42.2km I’ll need to complete on March 20th.
How will my body hold up this time around? I’ve got the same dodgy left knee as ten years ago, except that it’s even dodgier. My bones and muscles and nervous system are a decade older… plus I’ve been pregnant three times and breastfed for a total of 39 months, which has no doubt accelerated my general decay.
I know how hard the marathon can be. I’ve been acquainted with THE WALL (most memorably at Gloucester Marathon in January 2011 – my quickest ever start and my slowest ever finish – OUCH). I’ve lost toenails. I’ve cried. I’ve vomited. I’ve obsessed over cracking the three hour barrier way more than is healthy.
But at the same time, I can’t help being really excited about this latest challenge. There’s undoubtedly something special about the marathon. It’s that iconic distance, a true test of what you’re made of and the ultimate raw running race.
I feel I’m coming to it with a decent base of aerobic fitness (averaging 60km/week) and a bit of speed (having set new PBs at 5km and 10km in the last couple of months), plus I have the advice of a fantastic coach and the support of my family and running club mates.
So, bring it on I say! You can follow my training via Strava and Instagram.
