I ran the London marathon back in October ’21, finishing in a time of 5 hrs 30 mins.
Now you might be thinking, your a PT, surely you could have completed it quicker than that!
And well yes I could have, as half way I was set to complete the course in 4 hrs 30 mins, however a marathon is as much of a mental game than it is a physical game.
I also very nearly did not even start.
The reason being, I was actually very lucky to get a ballot place for April 2020 (first time entering the ballot!) and then… well we all know what occurred.
Long story short, I ended up actually training for the marathon 3 times, before even running on the actual day.
During the training, a lot occurred, including excessive weight loss the first time round, injuries, finishing uni… I could go on.
And quite frankly, I was slightly put off running since training for the marathon because it was my entire life for nearly 2 years (counting when I found out I had got a place)
However, taking the plunge to get back into running, on January 10th, I signed up to Whitstable 10k which will take place on May 1st.
Running is not for everyone however, and I say to all my clients, if you don’t enjoy running then don’t force yourself to do it just because you are lead to believe ‘its good for you’. I started running back in secondary school and have loved it ever since but my true love is lifting heavy stuff in the gym.
And despite knowing the importance of strength training alongside running, this didn’t mix well when marathon training and working full time, which mainly lead to my knee injury.
This time for the 10k however, we will be prioritizing strength training, using a push/pull/leg split 3-4 times a week. This will help me build up extra muscle and try and maintain at the weight I currently am/ might gain a little. Along side this, I will complete a boxing session each week and stretching after each and every session (running, strength and boxing).
The most important thing also? Nutrition along side rest!
With the nutrition, I will be eating more (apologies to my boyfriend who is currently cutting and gets to watch me stuff my face with all the food), getting more hydration in, like 2.5litres a day wasn’t already enough!. I will then also implement 2 rest days a week, will mean small active recovery, whilst also getting at least 7/8 hours of sleep each night.
And of course the other important part? The running!
For the first month, I will be completing 2 runs a week, just slowly building myself up again. The next month I will increase to 3 runs a week, including 1 fartlek session a week to increase that speed, in the hope I will cross the finish line in under 50 minutes. The final month will continue fartlek training but the last two weeks will be tapering to prepare my body for race day.
I will be documenting my training throughout on socials, so be sure to drop me a follow across all: @endure_fitness_pt
And if you are maybe looking to start or get back into running, be sure to contact us via the contact form on the front page
L x