Marathon blog: My first, my last (?), my everything…
A PERSONAL BLOG BY EMMA SPRAGG, CHORLTON RUNNER
“You need to find your ‘why’.” These words from Jo, one of the wonderful coaches at Chorlton Runners turned out to be the wisest advice.
Rewind to 1st May 2019:
“Let’s all enter the ballot,” says my younger brother, with several marathons and many fast miles under his running belt.
“Yes ok,” says my younger sister, also a marathon runner.
"Alright then, for a laugh,” say I, the non-runner. After all, I think, what are the odds?
9th October 2019:
“Congratulations Emma, you have secured a place!” I will never forget the feeling I had when I opened that email. I couldn’t believe it was happening and felt sick at the prospect. Lockdowns and denial meant I rolled my place forward as many times as possible. At the age of 51, I was running London Marathon in April 2023.
It sounds ridiculous now, but it took me a long time to realise how lucky I was to have a place. I was scared! I soaked up all the advice I could – from coaches, fellow runners, books, Facebook groups with hundreds of people sharing tips and advice. I realised how amazing it was to even have a chance of taking on this challenge, how lucky I was to have a body that meant I could even try, and to have a place in an event that people travel the world for.
Training certainly did not go as I’d hoped. I chose an 18 week plan (Hal Higdon Novice 1), focused on distances only, and started it two weeks early to allow for any blips – illness etc. Sure enough I got the flu and that meant two weeks out immediately. I had to take more time out with Covid, and recurring knee /calf pain.
I learned a lot about myself through training, including that consistency is key – if your physio gives you exercises to do, do them… It turns out having a stubborn streak is helpful! Week by week I surprised myself, loving running on cold frosty mornings, in the sunshine, even in the rain (sometimes). I found a motivational short video ‘Running in the rain’ which really helped. I am a warrior! Long runs, short runs, slow runs, faster runs... eat sleep run repeat... I entered a couple of events to get a feel for race day logistics and nerves. It is not easy. You need to be determined. But there is a LOT of help and support out there, including from this fantastic friendly club.
Training is as much about learning about fuelling and preparation as running itself. Practice, and learn what your body needs. For me, SiS electrolyte gels worked along with SaltSticks (and mini malt loaves – I get hungry after a couple of hours). I never got cramp, or a single blister. I did a lot of yoga too, and thousands of squats.
I decided to raise money for a charity that was important to me, and the donations and messages of support really spurred me on.
Two weeks to go, and my knee injury returned, so I didn’t run again before marathon day. Many people said to me that you don’t lose fitness in a fortnight. And better to get to the start line undertrained than injured. How true that is.
Some tips for first time success:
1) Embrace the challenge and take it seriously. You are going to put your body (and mind) through a lot of stress.
2) Don’t worry if you can’t fully stick to your training plan. Flex things if you need to, make it work for you. But get the long runs in. My long runs were 15, 17, 18 and 21 miles.
3) Be prepared for it to take over your life. Not just the training but the planning, reading, thinking… It’s a logistical and mental challenge as well as a physical one. Though don’t become a marathon bore…
4) You don’t have to buy all the gear. Get good trainers, and socks. I ran London in my oldest pair of leggings.
5) Identify your goals, and believe in yourself. You will learn your easy/fast pace, in training, but you don’t have to focus on a finish time. Do what feels right for you and remember – you are only competing with yourself. My goals were to finish, to ideally run it all, and to enjoy it as much as possible. Time didn’t matter (though of course I had a secret target).
Oh, and find your ‘why’. Mine? Because I could. And I did! All goals achieved – including my secret target time. What an incredible day to top off all those months of build-up. I am so proud. Did it hurt? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Well, I never said never 😊
Emma Spragg, Marathoner
Chorlton Runner
If you are thinking about training for a marathon you can find training plans online or speak to one of our coaches.