Written by Babs Pinheiro
Training has started!
We all know that there are different approaches to training, some people like long training plans, others prefer them short and sweet, mostly based on experience or the lack thereof…
In my case, I’ve gone for the more traditional 16-week training plan since I don’t have that much experience in marathon running. Yes, I’ve done a few 10Ks, half-marathons, even the odd 20 miler as training races but marathons, marathons, I’ve done 2 until now and neither of them have gone according to any sort of plan.
I’m starting to think that my marathon “life” was doomed from the start… hear me out and you’ll see where I’m coming from.
I’d originally signed up to do the Madrid marathon in 2020, after being told by a couple of friends that “Hey, you’ve done a half marathon (EHM 2019), you can definitely do a marathon.” We all know how that panned out and no, I’m not saying that I triggered the COVID pandemic when I signed up for the Madrid marathon! I mean...
As the pandemic hit, literally a month into it, I got injured with a chronic tendinopathy on my right quad and did barely any running up to the Summer of 2022 since the injury kept coming back in some shape or form. Throughout those 2 years of recovery, I didn’t know if I could ever run properly again and then, even if I could run, if I could run long distance. When the physio signed me off for the last time in June 2022, it was the best feeling in the world. It was like I had been set free! I ran EHM that September and it worked as an indicator that all was back to normal and I could run freely again.
I think anyone that has been injured, especially long term, thinks that their injury is always lurking, any small pain or ache is the injury coming back but so far, that one has stayed away!
I then signed up to the Edinburgh Marathon in 2023 and I thought it was a sign since that’s where I’d done my first half 4 years before. BUT me being me, I should have remembered that I had what I think was tonsilitis back then and that as much as I love Edinburgh, it possibly wasn't the best decision. So, it won't come as a surprise that I sprained my ankle going down a flight of stairs on my way to parkun the day before the marathon. A sensible person would have gone back upstairs and rested their foot, maybe put some ice on it but that’s not me. Not only did I go to parkrun (Saturday mornings are parkrun mornings, right?) but I ran it and then the next day ran the marathon. It only really started to hurt around 32K and by that point the damage – if any – was already done by then so I kept going. Luckily, all I ended up needing was a few days of icing and rest and I was good to go again - disclaimer: I do not recommend this approach to marathon running!
Come 2024, I had entered Newport after hearing Gref (you may know him as Greg) talk so much about it and how it was the BEST marathon in the world (no, I don't need to get my head checked) so obviously I had to give it a go! Mostly, I did it because it was a flat course and I could spend time with one of my friends who lives in Newport. The training was great, I was feeling like I could do it and I had a plan. What happened to that plan, I hear you asking? Well, it went out the window within 1 min after setting off. I can’t explain it, I think it was the lack of experience of running 42.2K, the excitement of running with 2 working feet (highly recommend it), who knows…? I can only describe it as running a half-marathon and a bit but at a slower pace. The whole way round I just kept telling myself “You’re feeling great now but you’ll pay for it eventually”. That eventually came at 30-32K in where I really struggled to even run/walk and make it to the finish. But I did, the tenacity, stubbornness and resilience that make up my DNA wouldn’t let me stop!
I’m now 3 weeks into the London Marathon training as I write this and it’s going great so far! But we all know now that my problem isn't with the training! I’ve done a couple of Sunday Club Run down to Barnes Bridge and back. These were the 1st times I did Sunday Club Run and I'm planning to do the run most Sundays. On the first Sunday, Phil and I took a photo together since we hadn’t been at the Xmas party. We wanted to celebrate the draw and also to mark the kick-off of our training - I know you may have seen a similar photo in Phil's blog but here's another version (minus Paul Duffy photo-bombing us).
