Marathon Blog: Pounding the Pavement

Almost every day, I torture myself willingly for up to two hours. It’s a hankering that’s been developing for a while, and now I just can’t stop. There’s something exhilarating about the rhythmic pounding and the sweat. The problem is, it hurts and I always need a shower afterwards.

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My training route, that I run two laps of twice a week.

That’s right, ladies and gentleman: I’m training for the London Marathon. As a novice runner who started at the beginning of first year to “get fit” (read: “actively procrastinate”) the training process and intermittent lack thereof really has been the sport equivalent of an iron maiden and a pair of thumbscrews.

With less than a month left to go before the big day (the 17th of April) my training has had to take on a very different character than walking to and from the UL in trainers and snuggling down to watch Run, Fat Boy, Run. I was completely on track until Christmas, when dreaded coursework and a dodgy hip joint descended to sabotage my efforts. Now I’ve vowed to be back on the straight and narrow, pounding the pavement at least every other day, feverishly checking the Marathon webpage to check race day information for the hundredth time and getting unreasonably angry at leisurely pedestrians. It’s all part of the experience.

To help me along, I’ve steadily collected a stack of running magazines over the past few months. There’s a surprisingly massive amount to say/write/publish about the menial task of placing one foot in front of the other, and it’s pretty scary to read about glucose gels and rehydration salts when your idea of a post-run snack is whichever meal comes next.

But there’s a real satisfaction in being able to label yourself a ‘runner’, especially when you’ve got a goal in sight. And I’m not only aiming to run for myself. I’ve got a charity place, which means that MK SNAP, a small charity in Milton Keynes which provides support for disabled people, is relying on me to raise £1000.

Fundraising’s been difficult to weave into a busy term, but it helps that I’m insane. Passing people dropped their money into my bucket with pure shock when I told them chirpily from the seat of an exercise bike that I would be there, in our Buttery, cycling for seven hours straight.

Back at home in a week or so I’ll be packing bags in Tesco to make up the last £500.

What I’m really looking forward to is the day itself. I’ve only been to London a handful of times so there’s still a sort of magic for me hanging like smog in the city. On top of that, I’ll be one of thousands of runners from all over the world, about to embark on the toughest test of fitness this side of the high school bleep-test. I’m suitably terrified, but bloody excited too.

At the moment, I’m running a half-marathon twice a week plus a handful of shorter 6 mile runs when I can find the time. I’ve noticed a massive improvement in my running too after cutting out most unhealthy snacks and replacing them with high energy foods like cashew nuts and bananas. But really, running is just as much about the psychological journey. If I start a run remembering that Eddie Izzard ran 43 marathons in 51 days, it’s really easy to carry on.

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Watch this space for updates on training and the day itself.

If you’re feeling generously inclined, you can sponsor Emily HERE.