I'm just a guy. Never done anything like this before. I like working out and staying fit (especially given that most of my waking life involves sitting on my posterior for long periods of the day). But I've never done anything quite like this.
Here's the thing: I'm not a runner. Not a natural athlete by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact, I only started running on 23rd May 2018. I signed up to take part in the Virgin Pulse Global Challenge and the step tracker didn't do a very good job counting my high intensity interval training (HIIT), so running seemed like a good bet.
I started running using an app someone recommended ('Couch to 5K') and gave it a go. It was hell. The first session asked me to run and walk in single-minute bursts for about thirty minutes. I stopped halfway through and sat on a bench, fighting for air. My knees ached. My legs burned. I couldn't see straight.
But I kept at it. The days slowly ticked past and I ran three times every week. I completed the minute sprints, then the ninety second bursts, and passed the three-minute mini-marathons. Week after week, I kept at it. Nine short weeks later, I was jogging for thirty straight minutes around my local park. Couldn't believe it.
So then the opportunity arose to do something truly extraordinary. I signed up straight away. Running the London Marathon was one of those crazy, far-off, lifetime goals I'd always secretly harboured. Every time I watched the race with my family - admiring the lunatics running in massive costumes, the amateur enthusiasts pouring with sweat, and the professionals sprinting for over two hours with smiles on their faces - I would always say to myself, one day that'll be me.
On April 28th 2019, it will be. I'm going to run the London Marathon. This blog is my record, my training journal, and - hopefully - my way of inspiring more people to join in, either by running or donating to my charity, Crisis UK. Come join me. We're in for a bumpy ride!
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