26.2 mile victory lap
It's difficult to explain to someone how tough it is to complete a marathon. Apparently only 1% of the population have taken part in a marathon, probably because they know that it is hard, but they don't how hard. Most of that 1% will take between 4 or 5 hours to go round; with their body starting to sag around mile 15, feet hurting around mile 17, delusions beginning around mile 23, and self hatred of your life's choices for most of the run. Sounds fun right?
Weirdly it is.
In a few days I will take part in the first of my 2 marathons this month, the Brighton Marathon, before I head on to London just 14 days later to complete a life long ambition of running down Pall Mall in front of thousands of people. But London will be my victory lap, 26.2 miles of celebrating what I have been able to achieve. Sometimes you have to look at where you have been to see how far you have come - sounds corny but it's so right. I don't mean from the fat lad who started running because he got the fright of his life when he found out he would be a dad. No, I'm talking about the journey I've taken in the last few months to get to the start line - the 26.2 miles on marathon day will be the easy part, it's the training for the marathon that is the hard part.
I could already run and had already completed 6 marathons, but each one was horrible. The body was breaking down much earlier than it should be on each one, I wanted to be better but didn't want to change what I was doing. 'The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results' That's the saying right? My plodding the roads was bringing me the same results each time and I was barely improving, but this time I was determined to be different.
And this is where the hard part of the marathon comes in - training correctly.
Hill work, intervals, long distance, strength training, for 16 weeks, for nearly 500 miles, it becomes a drain. Waking up at 5am at least 3 times a week to be able to fit in your session before the family wake up - this is so tough. But you do it because you can feel the rewards. I've lost half a stone in weight in 4 months but have gained much more muscle mass, I've hit new personal bests at all the long distances after 13 miles because I have a better technique and better fitness, I have a new found approach to fitness and where I want to be in 12 months time. Brighton will be my measuring stick of how effective the training has been, can I beat my 4:48 time of last year and hit my target goal of 4:30? Even if I don't, I will head to London with over 500 miles of running in my legs and a huge sense of accomplishment in my attitude, my body, my mind, in even trying to do it in the first place.
Putting myself through all this training so that I am able to celebrate with a lap of London - perfect.
Weirdly it is.
In a few days I will take part in the first of my 2 marathons this month, the Brighton Marathon, before I head on to London just 14 days later to complete a life long ambition of running down Pall Mall in front of thousands of people. But London will be my victory lap, 26.2 miles of celebrating what I have been able to achieve. Sometimes you have to look at where you have been to see how far you have come - sounds corny but it's so right. I don't mean from the fat lad who started running because he got the fright of his life when he found out he would be a dad. No, I'm talking about the journey I've taken in the last few months to get to the start line - the 26.2 miles on marathon day will be the easy part, it's the training for the marathon that is the hard part.
I could already run and had already completed 6 marathons, but each one was horrible. The body was breaking down much earlier than it should be on each one, I wanted to be better but didn't want to change what I was doing. 'The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results' That's the saying right? My plodding the roads was bringing me the same results each time and I was barely improving, but this time I was determined to be different.
And this is where the hard part of the marathon comes in - training correctly.
Hill work, intervals, long distance, strength training, for 16 weeks, for nearly 500 miles, it becomes a drain. Waking up at 5am at least 3 times a week to be able to fit in your session before the family wake up - this is so tough. But you do it because you can feel the rewards. I've lost half a stone in weight in 4 months but have gained much more muscle mass, I've hit new personal bests at all the long distances after 13 miles because I have a better technique and better fitness, I have a new found approach to fitness and where I want to be in 12 months time. Brighton will be my measuring stick of how effective the training has been, can I beat my 4:48 time of last year and hit my target goal of 4:30? Even if I don't, I will head to London with over 500 miles of running in my legs and a huge sense of accomplishment in my attitude, my body, my mind, in even trying to do it in the first place.
Putting myself through all this training so that I am able to celebrate with a lap of London - perfect.
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