Having asked my lovely friend to write about her experience and her training regime over the next eight weeks or so leading up to the marathon, here are her first thoughts on the matter. She’s chosen to raise money for the NSPCC so perhaps closer to the time I can add a link to her donation page:-
Marathon training
I should start by explaining who I am and how extraordinary it is that I am even thinking about writing a blog on marathon training let alone actually running one.
I am a 40 year old mother of 4 girls who are 13, 12, 10 and 2 and I have spent my entire lifetime avoiding any serious physical exercise and by just doing the bare minimum to get by without being 25 stone. The closest I got to exercise was regularly drinking copious amounts of wine and dancing in a ridiculously embarrassing manner with my friends.
Anyway that’s all changed. After having my youngest daughter and really not looking that great in a bikini having had 4 caesareans I realised I really should do something about it. So a friend suggested I join her and some other friends in the park one morning with her new trainer. The trainer being an ex-para who now made a living making middle-aged suburban housewives lie down in the mud in all weathers doing press ups, squats and burpies combined with huge amounts of running and sprinting.
My first session didn’t go that well as I was wearing a grey cashmere jumper and yoga pants with 4 silver “Tiffany”bracelets up my arm. It’s not easy doing the “seal” crawl on the soaking wet muddy ground in December without getting your afore-mentioned jumper seriously muddy and then clogging up your bracelets with mud too. When I mentioned this to the ex-para he wasn’t exactly sympathetic. I also told him I hadn’t run since I had been at school and then I had been quite smart at avoiding doing it during PE too. He told me I would change. I didn’t believe him.
So that was a just over a year ago. I have been training with him 2/3 times a week since then. I have lost a stone and a half and I am running the London Marathon in April.
February 28th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Ah – sweet memories of the training I was doing for the marathon this time last year! Such an experience, but a definite one off!
All luck to your friend, I really do know how she’s feeling, but it will be one of the most amazing days of her life!
Great cause too.
xx
February 28th, 2010 at 11:27 am
V good of you Mud not to mention your injury!!! Lx
February 28th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Wow, I stand in awe of anyone that even contemplates running a marathon!
February 28th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Very best of luck. I am sure the ex para is a very kind and understanding man…..
February 28th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
It is a wonderful experience and all those who have done it have the right to feel proud of themselves. Don’t fear the pain, go with the magic. Above all have fun.
March 1st, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Exactly how many pounds are there in, what you Brits call, a “stone”?
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 am
14lbs in a stone – or is it 16?? Shit. Rubbish. Although obviously if you’re losing weight much better to be 2lbs less! Lx
March 8th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Hello! I’m a student and I come from Holland. My teacher wants me to interview someone who writes a blog about marathon running, to improve my english. So my question is: Could I ask you a few questions about your blog? You would make me very happy! Bye!
March 8th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Yes of course you can – but I might have to forward them to my friend who is running the marathon – she is doing a guest post for me Lx
March 9th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Thankyou! These are my questions:
How many kilos is one stone?
How do you organise the marathon running in combination with the children?
Do you listen to music when your running?
Is it important to drink a lot of water before running? Some people say its dangerous..
Do you prefer to run on your own or together with someone?
I hope you could answer my questions:) (or your friend)
Bye!
March 9th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
OK I have forwarded to my friend and she will answer soon. Thanks Lx
March 9th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Hi
Here is her answer for you Lx
A stone is 6.35kg.
It is hard to fit training in around the family but I have a pretty strict schedule. Three of my children are at school so they are all at school by 9am but my 2 year old goes to nursery three mornings a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I drop her off at 9.15. Basically I start at 9.30am and am in the park with the dog (combining dog walk with training) and I run/group train for at least an hour. Tuesdays I don’t train as it’s a rest day but on Thursday it is tricky as my 2 year old is at home. I usually ask a local au pair to look after her for an hour or so whilst I run. My long run is on a Sunday so I get up early and go out for 2 to 3 hours running – I know it sounds ridiculous but I even try and stick a joint of lamb in the oven on a low heat so that Sunday lunch is cooking whilst I’m out. My husband is totally rubbish at doing anything in the kitchen!
Yes I always run to music and plan to do the same for large parts of the marathon. I have been told you shouldn’t during the actual race as the crowd support is so wonderful and motivating so I think I will probably only use it for part of the way. But in training I can’t run without my ipod and I actually have several running playlists…
I make sure I am well hydrated before and during the run but you are right too much water will impair your running. Water plays a massive part before, during and after running but only in sensible amounts – not glugging but sipping.
I tend to run alone. This has happened mainly because as you will have read I don’t have any close friends doing the marathon so I don’t have a training buddy. However several (very fit!) friends have said they will run my long Sunday run with me and a couple have done some short ones with me but I actually prefer running at my own pace and don’t like the thought of having to go too fast or too slow to keep up with others. I do enjoy my group training on a Wednesday as I can see all my friends otherwise I think I might get a bit lonely!!
Hope this helps.
Thanks
Sam x
March 10th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Thanks a lot for your extensive answers!
Now I can write a nice article about you!
I really admire you that you’re training so much.
I wish you luck in april, when you’re running the london marathon!
Maybe I’ll try sometime to run by myself.
I’ll remember that one about a joint of lamb!
First I thaught a joint was something else… Luckily my mother explained!
Bye! Bente
March 10th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Thanks Bente and glad you’ve learnt lots of English in the process – yes “joint” of lamb is a strange English term that is confusing because joints are usually something else entirely! Lx
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