Not a Sprint, a Marathon

I don’t normally do two articles in such a short space of time, but many of you have been asking how it feels to have run The London Marathon and what goes into it, so here’s little sequel to my previous article #ReasonToRun. 

First, let's get the stats out of the way. I crossed the finish line at modest time of six hours and ten minutes and for those unfamiliar, a marathon is 26.2 miles (42 kilometres). The London Marathon this year had about 40,000 participants and 800,000 spectators. The population of London is nearly 8.7 million. So that’s about one in 11 people. All of that barely a month after a terror attack! And not to forget, this is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet having raised over ￡830 million since the race first began. I was supporting RAFT - a medical charity.

Whichever way you look at this, it's huge!

My decision to run was split second. As Richard Branson says, ‘If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!’ So after I signed up, I started to read up. 

I read about marathon diets and marathon training and all else that goes with it. I also pasted a lovely12-week training plan on my fridge, as you do.

But I knew all along, while I wanted to be fit enough to enjoy it, with all else on my plate, the training couldn't become my d'etre for the months to come.

I rarely trained for over an hour, but yes, I trained everyday, as I have done for years. While the Marathon is an event, training is a lifestyle - the two are not to be confused.

In my curiosity to see both sides of the coin, I also googled 'is it possible to run a marathon without training.' And guess what? There were claims that the Irish pop singers Jedward - aka John and Edward Grimes did this successfully without formal training, though of course we have to remember that they do a lot of dancing[i]. There were of course other stories too – of both successful and unsuccessful attempts. 

So for those of you considering a marathon, here's a few points from me: 

1.  The start line could be your halfway point: In my view, half the effort is to just sign-up and get yourself to the start line. The real marathon is in the mind. All else follows.

2.  Let London be your music: I love my music when I run. But with this marathon, trust London to be your music. The spectators put on a beautiful entertainment of music and even humour! I couldn’t help laugh when just at the start line, a man says, ‘Nearly there Vinta, nearly there!’ Yes, for some reason, I was called ‘Vinta’ all along, not that it mattered at all. At one point, the fire fighters with the sprinklers saw me avoid the water and they shouted, ‘Come here; it won’t ruin your hair’. I had avoided the water successfully but of course, I just had to turn back and go right through the water! Even though it meant running with squishy shoes for a while. They even go creative with their signs like, ‘Run like your ex is chasing you.’ Or 'run like United Airlines wants your seat.’ 

The 26.2 miles go by much easier when you run with the crowd for there’s no show without spectators. When you feel the ache in your legs, and the urge to pause, you only just have to look around – there’s power everywhere for you to glean.

3.  Everyone is welcome: No body is too fat to run, or to young, too old, too short (thankfully!) or too tall. This year, the youngest runner had only just turned 18 three days ago while the oldest runner was 83. And as testament to the camaraderie, here’s a little clip from BBC Sport, which you must watch if you haven’t already seen it. https://www.facebook.com/BBCSport/videos/1406907652729597/

4. Go ahead and spoil yourself: People will make you feel special through the run and after the run. Lucozade will give you free drinks and gels, while Buxton will give you free water. Little children will hand you jelly beans, bananas and even blueberries. It'll feel totally cool when you get free access through London Underground for the day. Just a few pounds in savings, but it will feel quite something when the team open the doors, send you through and say 'well done' too. All in all, you’ll get a great sense of achievement. So before you get to the start line, book yourself that session at the spa and the fancy meal. It’ll be well earned.

I'll end with a beautiful quote that I read on insta. ‘Butterflies cannot see their wings, but the rest of the world can.’ 

So what are you waiting for? 

[i] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17456672