And so the Brighton Marathon is almost upon us. Which has come as something of a shock, because it feels like only yesterday I was sitting at my desk tentatively filling out the online entry form and thinking to myself that the year 2011 felt like eons away. But now, with just four days to go (that’s 93 hours, or 5,580 minutes – not that I’m counting or anything) there’s no getting away from the fact that very soon I’m going to have to run 26.2 miles.
Countdown
In all honesty, as well as the nerves starting to kick in (as they naturally will), I’m starting to feel pretty damn excited. Having run a marathon before, I know just how amazing it feels being cheered on by big crowds, encouraging and being encouraged by fellow runners during our epic adventure, and – most importantly – I can recall that immense sense of euphoria I felt when crossing the finish line. It’s these feelings and emotions I’m focusing on right now – rather than the actual running part. I know 26.2 miles will be hard and I know there are times when it’s going to hurt, but hey, what’s a few hours of pain when at the end you know how great you’ll feel as that medal gets hung around your neck?!
My favourite week
The week before the marathon is definitely one to savour – and it’s certainly my favourite week of the whole training process! With the running cut back to a minimum, the focus is on getting your energy up for the big day. Which roughly translates as sleeping lots (which I like) and eating lots (which I love!). Of course, the taper isn’t without its mental pitfalls – when you’re used to such a high volume of training, the final week or so can see the doubts creep in. It’s the time when people start feeling desperate to fit in ‘just one more long run’ as they start panicking that they haven’t done enough training (unlike most of you marathon runners out there, this fear is pretty much a reality for me, as I’ve missed a good few weeks due to illness and blisters). BUT, despite this, don’t be tempted to hit the roads between now and the start line. The best thing you can do for your body now is to rest, so that you’re fighting fit and fully recharged to take on the marathon. Oh yes, and keep eating those carbs. After all, this week you can have second helpings of pasta guilt free!
All for a good cause
The other thing that’s great about this week is it’s given me time to remember why I’m running the marathon in the first place. In the height of training, it’s easy to get caught up in mileage, interval training and planning routes for the weekly long run. This week has given me time to focus on my charity – and the reason I started running in the first place. I’m raising money for eating disorder charity Beat (you can find out why by visiting
www.justgiving.com/claire-runs-brighton). On the day, the knowledge that every penny I’ve raised will go towards helping someone who is going through what my sister did will spur me on towards that finish line.
