End of chapter five

Fifty-eight days now remain until the 2019 London Marathon. I'm feeling a mixture of emotions as the days slowly melt away. My overall nervousness has been replaced by excitement as reality sets in. This is real. I'm going to do it. I'm really going to stand on the start line alongside thousands of other runners - both experienced and first-timers like me - and tackle the greatest endurance race in the world. It's exciting. It's nerve-wracking. It's overwhelming. One month left to finish my preparations. Can I do this? Will I last the length of the course? Will I be able to reach the finish line?

Will anyone even be able to see me?

All the advice I've read about running long-distance has advised me to 'taper' my runs in the proceeding weeks. Essentially, I will need to reach my limit about four weeks before the race, before gradually easing back on the long-distance runs in the final days. Run fifteen miles one time with three weeks to go. Ten miles with two weeks left. Six miles on the last week, etc. I'm going to give this a go and see how it works. I think the idea is to have loads of energy stored for the big day, while also avoiding any possible injuries at the last hurdle.

So how am I looking? All things considered, I think I'm in pretty good shape. Weight is a little over thirteen stone - down around four stone from this time last year. Legs are good and strong. No lasting knee problems. I'm eating right and looking after myself. It's looking good. Just gotta make a few more big pushes and then it's the final terrifying downhill slope to the day of destiny. Sunday 28th April 2019. A day that once seemed so far in the future that it was laughable. Fifty-eight days left. It's coming up fast.

It will all be worth it for this one moment. This final few hundred metres.

Fifteen down, eleven to go

Made an effort to push myself last Friday and managed to smash my previous personal best. Now I know that I can run at least fifteen miles of the London Marathon! It feel absolutely amazing to know that I'm capable of something that previously seemed utterly impossible. Never in my life did I think such a task was not only doable, but also totally achievable. And my legs didn't hurt the day after! I've come a long way and learned an awful lot about how to care for my shattered and exhausted body. Namely stretches and squats and lunges to ease the pressure in my knees.

I don't know what I'm proudest of - the distance or the time.

I took a couple of energy gels with me on the run and ate/ drank them at the six and twelve mile mark. I honestly don't know if they assisted with reach the fifteen mile target, but it felt as though they did. Plus, they're tasty. I will try to bring a few sachets to London with me. Four or five should do it, I think. They provide a good break to the near-constan water intake and give my body plenty of required carbs, sugars, and nutrients - essential on the day, especially if the weather is good.

Also learned an important lesson about charging Bluetooth headphones. Turns out that mine can only last between four to five hours at a pinch. They ran out on the twelfth mile, so I had to run three more laps while listening to my own frantic wheezing - and the endless sloshing of the water bag on my back. Nothing like needing to pee to keep you running!

For this week (and maybe the next, too), I intend to ease back on the distance a bit to let my legs recover and recharge. Two months and one day left to go - plenty of time to push myself at least once more. Can I hit the big two-zero? Let's find out...

The London Marathon map

The course map for the 2019 London Marathon has been unveiled and, oh boy, it looks long. Something about seeing the course laid out like this makes it feel so, so much worse. This is what the route looks like in its entirety:

That is a long, long, looooong red line...

Let's take a look through the course route in a bit more detail, shall we?

All I can see are the pubs I'll be missing...

The opening of the marathon, the first 10K. This doesn't worry me too much. I've had plenty of practice crossing this distance. Looks like nice, flat streets. A few bends. The big challenge with this section - as I've been warned before - is not to get too excited by the cheering crowds or the incredible surroundings or the thousands of other people bolting from the start line like greyhounds after a rabbit. I have to remember not to overdo it too soon. In fact, it would be better to try and run slower than usual during these opening stages, to save my energy for the latter parts of the course, when I'll surely need it most.

Good thing the course will be marked on the day - I'd get lost trying to mavigate this!

This is where I'll start to really feel it. At the time of writing, my personal long-distance record is a shade over fourteen miles. You can see it right there, near the top of the map. It's a good number, isn't it? But here, in the context of the entire London Marathon, it's not good enough. Not even close. It's only a little over halfway. I can't be satisfied with running half the course and blowing out for the rest. I'm an all-or-nothing kind of guy, I will never be happy with walking the second half of this course. I need to go as far as I can - and then further still.

Those twists and turns look a little unpleasant, too. Lots of sharp corners. What are the roads like? London has a lot of cobbled streets. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to take a tumble during the run? What if I hurt myself? Or, worse, what if I fall over on camera? Millions of people could see me go arse-up in the middle of the capital.

The culmination of all my training. Six months boil down to the final three miles.

The final stretch, the sprint - or pained amble, slow jog, exhausted walk - to the finish line. I can't imagine how good it will feel to run along the Thames past these world-famous landmarks. Will I be able to enjoy the view, or will I be too drained, too shattered, too exhausted to even notice?

The finale. Wonder if Liz will put the kettle on for me?

And here it is in close-up - the finish line. Remember, the distance between Marathon and Athens is twenty-six point three miles, so when I hit the magical mark, there will still be a tiny bit left to run. I turn away from the Thames, head back toward the city. Then a run past Lizzie's House and there, in the distance - the finsh line. I'm getting goosebumps trying to imagine that sight. Trying to imagine turning the final corner and bursting onto The Mall. Streets lined with people. Blood pumping in my veins. Feet pounding the road. Legs aching. And then the giant red posts come into view...

I have never been so excited and simultaneously terrified like this before. What an incredible day it's going to be. What a fantastic experience to treasure. I can't wait.

Pressure's on

Sixty-seven days, nineteen hours and twenty-four minutes until the 2019 London Marathon. I have a countdown installed on my phone. The timer is staring me in the face right now, as I type these words. The seconds are dwindling away. Fifty-four, fifty-three, fifty-two...

I'M NOT PANICKING.

I am starting to feel the pressure. A knot has begun to settle in my gut, a knot that slowly tightens and grows heavier every time I think about the enormity of the task that still lies before me. The days seem to be racing past, bringing me ever closer to the day of destiny - but, conversely, not that much nearer to payday. Hmm.

Even though the weather is starting to improve and the temperature is gradually picking up (and snow is expected to return later this month), it's getting harder and harder to find the time to squeeze in my training. Sure, I can run for thirty minutes after work like I used to, way back in the long-ago, but thirty minutes of running isn't going to help much at all.

A Monday night run, good start to the week.

The last two major runs have seen me picking up the pace more than usual. I used to be happy with a simple six mile run per day - it works out to around an hour's effort, roughly 10K. Not bad, right? Now a little voice in my head whispers, Not bad ain't good enough. This is the London Marathon, sport, six miles ain't gonna do squat. (The voice in my head has John Wayne's drawl, for reason I've never understood).

So now my 'standard' runs - i.e. the short runs, where I don't put in too much effort - clock up to ten miles, or between ninety minutes to two-plus hours. Training takes time now. Real time. Working forty hours a week doesn't leave much time leftover in which to train - if I finish work at five and head home, I'll be running by six and finished by eight thirty, but when do I eat? If I eat after a run, that takes it to nine o'clock before dinner. Rest is hugely important to help the body recover from such strenuous activity, so I want to be in bed around ten... Balancing everything is becoming a much more delicate act than I ever expected, even though my training is only two or three sessions per week. I can run on the weekend, but it's a good idea to keep some days totally free to truly relax and unwind.

My run last Saturday. Half a marathon!

So how am I looking for the future? My earlier aim was to reach twenty miles by around this time. Due to the unexpected knee inury last month, that's been pushed back to March. Happily, my knees are now strong enough to support me and I'm back to running good, lengthy distances without any pain. The trick is to stretch like crazy afterward!

So here I am. Sixty-seven days, nineteen hours and six minutes until the 2019 London Marathon. Nervous. Scared. But confident in myself. I can do this.

Fifty-four, fifty-three, fifty-two...

Maintaining positive thoughts

We're into the second month of 2019. It takes twenty one days to make or break a habit - if you've stuck to your diet, your exercise routine, or your new lifestyle plan so far this year, then congratulations! You will find it so much easier to maintain these changes for the next eleven months. Give yourself a pat on the back, the worst part is over. You've set yourself a goal and you're on track to smashing it. This is huge progress and you should be thrilled at making it this far. Many people try to make changes in the first week of a new year, but never make it the first twenty one days, but not you. Well done!

...after a cup of tea, yes.

The next challenge you're going to encounter is trying to stay positive and excited to keep these changes alive. It can be tough to maintain your positive outlook and excitement for a new lifestyle, especially when you're used to doing things a certain way, so the temptation to fall back into old habits and 'easy' routines becomes easier as the positivity begins to fade. Why not order that pizza or treat yourself to a burger? After all, it's quick and easy...

But one of the most surprising things I've discovered about making positive changes is that staying positive actually gets easier the more you do it. Once you start burning off energy doing simple workouts, your body produces more energy to replace it. I haven't felt tired or lethargic at work since beginning this hobby back in May.

I'm also a pretty cynical person, but my thought process has totally changed during the past few months. Instead of looking for excuses not to work out, I'm now thinking of addtional exercises to add to the programme. Instead of beating myself up for not going as hard as other people, I'm looking at how much I managed to do.

The human mind is a pretty amazing thing. Last year, long before any of this began, I achieved a small, but significant personal victory. All my life, I've been a nailbiter. Thirty one years on this planet (so far!) have been spent chewing my own nails. My mum always hated it. My fiance hates it. So I decided to change. It was a tough thing to do, but I convinced myself to stop. First, I started paying attention to when I was chewing my nails - usually when lost in thought about something else, or bored. When I noticed myself chewing, I stopped. Over time, I managed to stop myself chewing at all. It was really, really tough to condition myself to stop an ingrained, learned behaviour, but I did it. After twenty one days, the urge subsided completely. Now my only concern is keeping the nails trim so I'm not tempted to start biting again.


You can do the same thing. It's all about conditioning. Don't think 'Oh, man I have to exercise tonight.' Instead, think 'Oh, great, I get to exercise tonight!' Train yourself to look forward to it and you'll come to enjoy those moments. I personally love the hours spent on the road or in the gym. Those are good hours, and they all have a purpose - every minute helps my body get better.

And if all else fails, you can always look back on all the progress you've made so far. You did that. Nobody else. You lifted those weights, you ran those miles, you sweat those buckets! You can do anything!

Inspiration

I stumbled across this online and I freaking love it. Here, have a gander:

It shatters the boundaries of the blog, but it's worth it.

This is beautiful. Have a great weekend, everybody.