In a bid to persuade you to part with your hard earned cash I am about to impart the ten pieces of wisdom that Marathon Training has taught me.
1. 26.2 Miles is VERY long way
They all make it look so easy as they saunter down the Mall, however, the sheer reality is that if I left ponds forge and ran along the park way and turned left up the M1 I would reach Junction 39, past Woolley edge services before I had finished a marathon, and if I turned right down the M1 I would reach halfway between Junction 29 and Junction 28.
2.The Marathon is going to hurt, ALOT!
It is not easy, and no matter how well I train and prepare, this is going to hurt. I need to accept that. I got round in October, despite no-where near enough long runs and base training. Its going to hurt, but then 26.2miles was always going to.
3.If you must do a marathon, do an autumn one
I am about to become a veteran of two marathons, the first was an autumn, meaning that most of my training was done on warm sunny days and my longest runs in crisp autumnal sunshine (remember the Royal Parks Half Sonia? Glorious). This spring marathon has led to training in late autumn, miserable dark winter and very blustery early spring. Brrrrrr Splosh!
4. I would rather run in heavy rain than in high winds
After many hours of extensive research (like I said, spring marathon) I can say with confidence that given a choice I would take being wet over being blown over. You see, you can only get so wet before eventually it makes no difference. However, in the wind you are buffeted, blown of your feet, pushed backwards, have to dodge obstacles and are thoroughly miserable.
5.The British Weather Hates Me
I was given many opportunities to find out which weather is the most unpleasant to run in. I have run in wind, hail, snow, and pouring rain and it always seems to wait until my long run day, or until I leave home. My husband took this picture of me after my Thursday five miler because I looked like a drowned rat.
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| The look on my face says it all |
6.The countryside around Sheffield is Beautiful
Seriously, its gorgeous and I have been treated to simply breath-taking scenery. During one particular drudging cold run I was in the hills above Sheffield and starting to flag, but was cured with one quick glance to the right which saw me treated to a panoramic view over Sheffield and Derbyshire that could rival any view all over the world. It has made me appreciate how lucky I am to live in Sheffield, I live within a 20 minute run of four inner city parks, within a ten minute run of acres of woodland, and within half an hour of leaving my front door I am in open countryside and all it has to offer. Makes running for three hours that little bit more bearable!
7. I am not a natural athlete
This is not a bad thing, just a necessary realisation. I an never going to be someone who runs marathons in under four hours. I am never going to run a sub 50 min 10k or a sub 20min 5k. I am a plodder and there is nothing wrong with that. Once I accepted that fact I stopped dropping my head in shame as athletic runners stream past me, I now hold my head up high and think, at least I am giving it a go.
8.The secret is to just keep going
Your legs will reach a point when they will scream at you to stop. They will beg you to give it up. Don't listen. You can do it, you have done it before, you have prepared. You are strong, the pain will pass, focus on whatever you need to to get you through and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You'll get there, just keep running, just keep running...
9. A Marathon Runner is only as good as their entourage, and mine's amazing!
My daughters Rebecca and Evie act as my cheerleading squad and frequently tell me how impressed they are by the distances I can cover. If you chatted to Evie, you would think I was in with a shot at the win! Evie turned to me when I was in the ice bath and said "your very brave mummy, I think your the best mummy ever" and she is forever acting as my little fan club. Rebecca presented me with a certificate made at Girls Brigade for being the best role model, and when asked why she chose me she just shrugged in that pre-teen way and said "I'd be hard pressed to find a better one wouldn't I?"
My friends have also been so kind and said some lovely things. They have come to my events and bought my cakes, they have been so generous with both their time and their sponsorship, have picked me up from strange locations and have given me truly lovely encouraging messages. These mean the world to me and will honestly keep me going when my legs want to stop. I want to finish on uncharacteristic soppy note and say thank you to my husband. We have busy lives, I work 48 hours a week on average, Chris works 40, and we have three children. The only way I have been able to fit in the six hours a week required for my training is down to him doing extra bedtimes, cooking teas and entertaining bored children while mummy is of on yet another run. He has been my chauffeur, coach, nutritionist and sports masseuse and I love him loads, and promise him I will NEVER do this again!
10. My cause is a worthy one
There have been times when my training has nearly broken me and on some occasions I have even looked quite unwell after runs. My husband has been concerned enough at times to suggest taking time off. The reason I don't is because those who I am raising money to support don't get a day off. The parents of premature babies have to sit by the incubator every day wondering if this will be the day their little one loses the insurmountable battle their tiny body faces just to survive. Those whose little ones make it have to confront the myriad of problems premature babies face on a daily basis.
Then there is Caroline and Nick, and the thousands of others who have lost a baby either at or before birth. They will always miss their child, they will always mark birthdays or anniversaries with sadness, or look at children who would have been born around the same time as their lost little one should have been and think, what if? They have to go every through day being strong and keeping it together for themselves, each other, and the families that they may happily have gained or already had. Some stories have happy endings, I consider Indianna the ultimate in happy endings, but some don't, and they never get to know the sheer joy that I have every time I see my girls. It is for this reason that I will see this through to the end. The thought that they don't get a day off is what gets me strapping on my trainers and going out into the rain.
Marathon training has taught me that sometimes you can feel like giving up, you can feel broken and defeated and like you just cant go on, but you can, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and before you now it your through the worst. It doesn't matter what life (or the weather) throws at you, you can do it. I am so close to the end now, and today on facebook I saw my medal for the first time, in 12 days I will have me one of these.
Thank you once again for taking the time to read my blog, and you can sponsor me at
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RachelMarsden1
I love you all, thank you so much x
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