The story of my first time:
In 2012 I opted to do my first marathon distance event in Milton Keynes. Below is the story of how I got on...
In 2012 I opted to do my first marathon distance event in Milton Keynes. Below is the story of how I got on...
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| My first marathon t-shirt |
The training plan that I followed at the start of 2012 involved building base fitness and distances up to 3 hours running by the end of March then consolidating and tapering from there to the marathon day. Along the way I tried to complete a half marathon but had to stop due to a calf strain and more worryingly a hip / back complaint. The hip problem was diagnosed as a sacroiliac joint problem that I was given a set of strengthening exercises for. As a result my training needed to be more varied and oddly involved less running. The road towards the race proved to be a tough one.
Motivation: was to challenge myself to complete the distance, and to raise some charity money along the way.
Charities - I ran to try and benefit two charities :-
The Huntington's Disease Association (HDA)
Cancer Research UK (CR-UK)
The Huntington's Disease Association (HDA)
Cancer Research UK (CR-UK)
At the time I wrote about my reasons for running for each charity...
"The motivation for running for the HDA is two fold. Firstly I was affected by working with a patient suffering HD when I was working as a care assistant aged 19. The gentleman was younger than any other patient in the care facility that I worked at many times that summer. The frustration that emanated from him was palpable as we looked after his care in the least furnished and largest of rooms. There were many things I learned about the human condition and disease that year and the effects of HD most certainly stood out among them. Secondly, as a research scientist I currently work on a HD based project, and so see regularly where research funding for this disorder are (and can be) well used."
"The motivation for running for CR-UK is multifaceted. Like so many families mine has been touched by cancer, I lost my Nana to the disease in the days before better diagnosis and treatments. Also, recently I went through a significant scare which, while revealed as non-cancerous, left a lasting impression on me. Finally, as a research scientist I have worked on cancer projects and was for a period funded by a CR-UK grant. All together I am more than happy to try to raise some money for a fantastic charity."
You can read the accounts of the actual race experience across three posts:
I finished a tough run in 4hr 43min 52secs, and subsequently went on do it all again...
