My Marathon

Back in January 2015 I decided I needed to do more to keep fit and healthy, so I joined the beginners course at my local running club.  As a complete novice, I never thought I would ever race, never mind attempt a marathon but with training and support from club leaders I was encouraged and persuaded to enter a local 5K and I’ve never looked back. In running, I’ve found a competitive streak I never knew existed and since that first race I’ve chalked up a 10K followed by a half marathon and just recently I was part of the relay team in a 40 mile ultra-run. I’ve loved every minute of them all! Entering a full marathon seemed the next logical step.

I live in the UK, home to the iconic London Marathon, one of the world’s major sporting events and one to cross off the bucket list. With it’s historic landmark buildings, famous crowd support and the last leg of the race down The Mall before crossing the finish line, I knew this was the one I wanted to enter. Around 250,000 people enter the ballot for the London Marathon but with only 50,000 places available I was totally floored to receive the ‘You’re In’ magazine through the post last October. It was totally unexpected. Elation and panic set in equally before the reality hit home, I was going to have to train, really HARD! Lucky for me, my running club buddy also had a successful ballot entry and we’ve agreed to support one another through training because running can be such a solitary sport sometimes. It will be fantastic having someone alongside me, putting in the miles and offering words of encouragement. ​

Training is going really well and we’re increasing the miles slowly each week to avoid injury. I’ve added Pilates and cross training to the mix for strength and stamina. To keep focus we’ve planned a few races before the main event, mainly to practice our crossing the line camera-face, plus our medal acceptance smiles! It’s all about the bling you know ;-)

The icing on the cake and the most motivating factor will be my family there watching me achieve this, cheering me on and giving me the strength I know I’ll need to complete the monumental distance.