Training for a marathon - beginners thoughts

 Thought I would put in a note about my training, which so far is going ok.

When I first got the place in the ballot in June, I was not running, this was my first concern. I needed to get back out there running. I wanted to, I just didn’t have the motivation, and also I’d been avoiding it due to backpain.

So I set my first goal as a 5km by end of August.

If you’ve been around my running journey for a while, you’ll know I prefer to put my own plans together. I know my body, I know my capabilities so I know what works for me.

So with that in mind, I set about putting together a simple plan, suited to me. My goal was a goal of 5km by end of August (starting beginning of July) then slowly increasing to a half in December. So I would start the new year with a good base of long runs.

I started with only two runs a week not to push myself too much. Two years ago I forgot that I wasn’t where I was a few years ago and ramped my milage up too quickly and suffered from the not so fun shin splints.

Slowly slowly does it is my motto.

Thankfully I was able to get to the 5km by mid august. Helped hugely by the lack of back pain. Earlier in the year when I really wanted to run but physically couldn’t cause of the back pain I promised myself that if I could ever run without that pain I would throw myself into it diligently without complaint out of gratitude. Which I feel that I have done.

As well as slowly building milage in my plans, it was about getting back into consistency with running , slowly going from two days to three days and also getting into the habit of running without thinking. A few months down the line I have semi met that goal, I’m getting better at it. Some weeks it’s a well crafted art of balancing busyness/tiredness at work, keeping to weekly milage.

I also wanted to get to a point where a 5km was an easy standard run. In those early days even running a mile stressed me out and seemed difficult, but I know that if I’m to run 26  miles I need to have a base line that seems easy.  I’m pleased to say on the most part my body has got used to running a standard 5km (not always easy, but easier).

My other goal, which I admit I haven’t quite met, is getting consistent with strength training and stretching. I promised myself after my Own Your Run coaching last year that I would never again not include strength training with my running. But I haven’t quite got into a consistent habit so far. Going to keep aiming for it and will insist on it by the time January comes around.

I found it super helpful to commit to/sign up for a half marathon in December, it’s really spurred on my running, because there’s a big part of my mindset that keeps thinking I don’t need to start properly training until January (which is true) but it also means sometimes I’m lapse in my training. So having a half marathon booked is really helping.