As I think I have said before I am currently training to run the London Marathon in April. When I first got the magazine in September last year it seemed ages away and a little surreal, now there is slightly less than three months to go and it now seems incredibly close, I have a half marathon race in just over eight weeks and yesterday the race number and rules and regulations came through. I am now starting to fundraise, and keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t get an injury. For anyone interested my fundraising page is;
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/melsmarathonmadness
I have been pleased with my training, it started with going out at 630 in the morning for a maximum of three miles, now my long weekend run is up to eleven miles with the other runs averaging 4-5 miles. I am still hoping to finish within five hours. Perhaps the thing that has touched me most is how the kids and my friends have reacted.
Hpops has asked me several times if I am sure I want to do the marathon, and since she has started cross- country at school she has said she finds running hard and worries about me. She has started taking more an interest and when I have run at night she checks that I am going to be OK running in the dark! I do have to say I dislike running in the dark, I have to alter my route to ensure that I run where there is street lighting and even roads or pavements, the last thing I want to do is lose my way or fall over! I think Mr T has been pleased that I have stuck with the training even in the cold and wet – but as I have said I have no idea what the weather will be like in April, last year we had a heatwave but other years have been wet, windy or even snowy!
Not only have the children taken an interest but some of my friends have too, several have asked where the nest place is to come and yell. This has really touched me, I am told that there is plenty of on-course entertainment for spectators apart from the actual running element and it will be great to see some familiar faces along the route. In some ways I am looking forward to the race, it will be very buzzy and a great atmosphere but at the same time I am dreading it hoping I don’t get too far behind by target pace and so on! Whatever happens though I just want to ensure I finish and get that medal, the kids seem to think that getting a medal at the end means you are first, second or third but I have explained to them that because it is such a long way you get a medal for getting round – then the fight started about who could take it to school first!
Meanwhile the kids have been busy, Hpops has finally decided she does like cantering, she was riding her favourite horse this weekend and she did seem much more confident. My little imp has been on a journey to drive me into madness by being as naughty as possible and pixie seems to be on a musical journey, she has just started ballet at school and is taking great delight in practicing at all times as well as trying to play the piano because Hpops does and the violin as both the other two do. It makes me realise how far we have come already – how much they have learned and are still learning. I have also discovered that it is never too late to start a new journey, if someone had told me that I would ever run consistently for a marathon I would have laughed, but here we are! Having got here I can honestly say I am feeling better for the exercise and think even after the marathon I will continue to do some running, but without the time and effort pressure!
