I’m sat at my desk, with slightly achy legs, happy to have ticked off this morning’s run in my schedule. Schedule? Yes, my marathon training schedule for Virgin London Marathon on 22nd April 2012.
Those who know me will appreciate I’m a mid-40s mother of 2 who has never been sporty. Any sporting ambitions I might have harboured were shattered when I couldn’t undo the skipping rope in the Obstacle Race at school sports day, aged 10. Having led the race, I fumbled with the knot as every other child happily skipped past me. I finished in last place, tears tripping me, trailing my still knotted rope behind me. Hardly ‘Chariots of Fire’!
Fast forward to 2009, on returning from visiting dear friends in Canada I felt so fit I had to try and keep that level of fitness up. Pulled on old trainers and jeans (great running gear, designed to not look like I was running!) and set off. Much puffing and panting and walking breaks and made it back home – inspired!
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| Chippenham Half Marathon 2010 |
Over the following months my children kindly entered me into the school 10k race which was in a few months time. Serious training followed, including buying ‘proper’ trainers and even seeing me encased in lycra for possibly the first time ever. I was delighted to run the 10k race and as my son said at the time “you did really well Mum – even if you did come last”.
Since then, I’ve run further, entered more races (and have never been last in a race again – so far!). 2011 saw me run 2 half marathons in 2 weeks raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support, and also in a fit of foolishness enter the ballot for a place to run the London Marathon in 2012. After all, it takes years to win a place in London, doesn’t it? Ah – apparently not. I was gob smacked to learn I’d won place on my first time of entering.
The story continues….