I had always wanted to run a marathon. Having seen my husband and friends complete them I thought what a fantastic feeling it must be to finish 42kms. However I am not a natural runner and I don’t really enjoy it so running a marathon was like walking on the moon to me. That is until April this year. I am now living proof that anyone can run a marathon and here are a few tips from my experience that I hope will help others to finish theirs.
Training is the key – finding the right training program is vital to your success. I was a business owner, mother of a 4 year old and had a full time job so fitting in the immense amount of training required was always going to be difficult. I found a program on the internet for a first time marathon which involved 3-4 runs a week over 16 weeks which seemed achievable to me. I committed for 16 weeks to waking at 5am for the mid week runs and every time my alarm clock went off my mantra was “it’s only 16 weeks, you can do it!” So find a program that you know you will stick to and that you can fit in around your life. Run for a charity – I decided to fundraise for the Pink Pilates Trust which helps women to recover strength and fitness following treatment for cancer. This charity was close to my heart as I work with many of these ladies every day. Once people start giving you money there really is no way out. You HAVE to keep going. It is incredibly motivating to know that people are relying on you and also when I was out for my longer runs and feeling sorry for myself I only had to think about those who weren’t lucky enough to be able to run and that soon put me in my place. Choose a charity you believe in or are close to and that way you are locked in – no way out!
Stretch, stretch, stretch -The last thing you want to happen is to get to week 14 in your program and pick up a niggly injury that forces you out of the race. To avoid this you need to stretch from the very beginning. As boring as you might find it, it is a necessary evil. Also invest in a foam roller to roll out those ITBs for some more self torture. If you do develop an injury or pain then see a physio immediately. It is much easier to deal with an injury in the early stages than to ignore it and let it become a full blown crisis that may end your race.
Music – running for so many hours does become a mental battle as well. I like to listen to music when running but I know others do not. If you do, get yourself a mind blowing playlist and change it regularly. I also had a friend who joined me for one run a week and I found this the most enjoyable run of the week as my mind was on other things as we gossiped our way around 10km. Having someone support you , even if it is for your shortest run will help battle the mental fatigue. Prior to the big race my husband took some voice recordings on his I-phone of my son, family and friends and added them to my playlist. So on the day of the marathon, in between My Chemical Romance, Beyonce and Eye of the Tiger I had people wishing me good luck and willing me to keep running. It was so nice to hear their voices as it can be lonely out there.
So that’s how I survived my marathon. On the 30th April 2011 I completed the Rotorua Marathon in 5 hours and 13 minutes and I can now join that elite group of people who can say ” I have run a marathon”. If I can do it, anyone can. Give it a go!
Wow Megan I’m so impressed. Who would have ever have thought! You’d made it sound so achievable. Look forward to hearing from you.