London Marathon 2024  - REALLY?! 

As an average, slightly overweight, middle-aged woman - can I really run a full marathon?

Let's find out!

I joined my local running club, South Molton Strugglers, in Jan 2020 in an attempt to improve my cardio-vascular fitness, being somewhat unfit and very awkward in group social situations I was out of my comfort zone! I met loads of amazing people though and got up to 5km with a lot of puffing and panting! Then came Lockdown and running became a reason to get out of the house and have some headspace - I got up to 10 km, slow and steady, with a bit of distanced but friendly support along the way!

That was it - I had the bug!

I may be a bit like a tortoise plodding along, I sometimes get jeared at by youngsters for my fat wobbly bits bouncing around and every time I seem to be getting any better at it, I catch a virus and get knocked back again - but I'm not giving up. I ran my first half-marathon in 2022, but a full marathon - now that is a challenge.

Lets see if I can put my degree in Sports Therapy to good use and turn myself into a case study, I will need a running training program, a strength and conditioning plan, a diet plan and of course a fundraising plan.

I will be raising money for MACS - MACS – Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia and Coloboma Support – Supporting children born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes Did you know that every year in the UK 90 children are born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes? MACS provides all sorts of support, advice and activities to children and their families. I will be posting a link to my fundraising page in the near future for anyone wishing and able to kindly donate.

The training starts today - a gentle 5km run to the gym, a 20-minute leg training session and now settleing down with a book entitled 'The science of running'.

I will be posting useful tips, tricks and learnings in my future posts! Luckily I have a couple of friends, E and K, who are also going to be running London 2024 for charities, I hope our training antics will be both informative and entertaining along our journey!

I would appreciate lots of support along the way, lets see if I can do this!

Ruth