I have run marathons before and really enjoyed the challenge of the distance, however after 3 marathons in 2010 I got myself injured and so was unable to run for 8 months. About the same time my life got complicated, as they do, and I later became ill and didn’t run for 4 years. When I came back to running I was starting from scratch but it was even harder because I knew what marathon running was like whilst I struggled with 1 mile walk/run.
My ambition became to get back to being able to run a marathon but to be fit enough to run it in under 4 hours (my best time before had been 4hrs 22 in the 2010 London Marathon). I hadn’t considered that being 7 years older might also make a difference to my ability to achieve that.
When I joined Wreake Runners in 2015 I was just back to being able to run 10K but terrified of racing. Running with the club I saw myself improve and become stronger quickly and it didn’t take long to be encouraged that I could enter a race again so I joined the club for my first race back for Leicester Half Marathon in 2015, I had done the race loads of times before but never been so scared but in amazing Wreake fashion I ran the first half paced by another club member and in the end smashed my PB.
I then got confident enough to do the league races and I now love them – so it wasn’t long before I believed I could take on a marathon again and try to get a good time.
I love the training so that bit wasn’t bad – now part of a club I have learnt the value of the speed work and long runs and so mixed up my training to make sure I was doing both. Though I love long distance running fitting that in with a full-time job and a large family was tough and the downside was that it was hard to fit in the regular club nights. But I felt really prepared for the marathon and I know, given that I do have a life and other priorities, I couldn’t have been more prepared for the race.
After a lovely morning with the club at the Livingstone relays I went down the night before and spent the morning relaxed and ready.
As the race started I felt confident but mostly, I think just focused on running – I’d like to say I was enjoying it but it is scary staring down 26.2 miles and knowing that it will get hard and that you will have to battle yourself to keep going.
Physically I held out for the full distance my legs kept me going with no problem but my head started to need help after about 9 miles – what kept me going the whole way was remembering all the lovely runs that I have done and how much I loved running ( I kept placing myself on the top of Ridgemere in the sun running back down to Syston); knowing that that I had a clear ambition to beat that 4 hours; my Wreake club vest – at a 4 hour pace I was surrounded by loads of other club runners and was really proud to be running for Wreake; lots of swearing – by the end every step was accompanied by a swear word and a promise to never ask myself to do this again.
I did keep myself focused, and even in the last few miles when my insides were telling me that I was breaking myself and it seemed that nearly everyone was stopping to walk I kept going and managed to pick up my pace. This was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done but I am really proud of myself. I am putting my time 3.58.36 in big writing on my wall, in my home and in my office to remind myself always that I can do it.
Marathons are hard and hurt but MK was exceptionally well run. It is great for spectators there are loads of places along the route in parks or on streets to be able to get a really good view and the spectators were all great. There was live tracking my dad said that he tracked me the whole way from his computer at home. Results were texted to me within 5 minutes of finishing. The marshals were amazing, friendly and encouraging along the whole route. Drink stations all well managed with sport top bottles rather than cups of water that go up your nose. The bling is impressive, heavy, sparkly with a significant and comfortable ribbon (I wore it for a long time). At the stadium there are excellent facilities, no queues, some entertainment for families and, importantly for my family, a McDonalds and other places to eat. And to top it off in the post today a chip with my name and finish time just arrived that fits perfectly on the back of my medal – a lovely unexpected bonus.
Would I do it again – NEVER! But I would recommend it? It’s a flattish, nice course – good for spectators, well organized with good facilities making it an easy race to manage – but it’s not picturesque any more than a run round Watermead is, though for the last 10 miles I don’t think I took my eyes of the ankles of the people ahead of me anyway so that didn’t matter to me.
But thank you lovely Wreake Runners – I’m very proud to be one of you and if marathon running is something you choose to do I probably won’t be joining you – I spent most of my marathon promising myself never to do it again, though in the car journey home I was looking at alternatives… perhaps a nice and slow 50 mile Ultra next?