As I sit here at my desk getting ready to start painting and sculpting for the day, I look at my computer screen and the little countdown widget tells me "40 days 'til the marathon". That's quite a scary thing to read first thing in the morning!
Two days ago (Sunday) I did my longest run ever so far, seventeen miles. And I'm just about recovered now. My muscles don't hurt too much when I walk up and down the stairs, and my joints seem to have forgotten about all the pain they were in for the last 48 hours. This is good news.
I really want to be able to run this marathon 'from start to finish' without needing a single walking break, all 26.2 miles... but that is looking difficult now. My fitness isn't the problem, I think (!) I'll be ready on the day... or at least I'll be able to push through the pain. What is the problem however are my joints, specifically my ankles, knees and hips. You see I'm not designed for running. I was always flat-footed as a child, and as if that wasn't enough I had knock-knees. I still have these things... and when I'm running I look like someone doing a "see how far you can point your knees in and kick your feet out to the side" dance. It's really quite special. Also my knees hit together all the time. And I kick my ankles. Basically my body is telling me "WHAT ARE YOU DOING RUNNING A MARATHON?"
Now I understand that most beginners like myself end up doing lots ofwalking through their first marathon... but I want to run it. The whole five hours. (This is roughly how long I think it will take me)
On my last few runs of 13 & 15 miles I've had to stop because of massive ankle, knee and hip pain and this lasted for more than a week on one occasion leaving me unable to run at all. It's really quite possible that 15 miles is about as far as I can go. But one way or another I WILL complete this marathon. Even if it's my only one (Although I'd like to run many, many more). In order to do this I allowed myself the horror of actually stopping *gasp* during my seventeen mile run. I stopped at 6, 11 and 15 miles in order to grab a drink and some jelly babies (I usually do this 'on the run'), and each time I stopped I did a little stretching for a couple of minutes to hopefully ease out the pain.
When you eventually see the video of this (yes, I've been recording all my training!) you'll see that the pain is still there... boy can you see it.... but the massive upside is that I MADE IT HOME. Seventeen miles. Take that you stupid 'made the wrong shape' body!!!
Now in five days I have to try 19 miles... and I can hear my joints screaming at me already, begging me not to do it and asking me what did they ever do to deserve this?? The simple answer is... I want to run a marathon. I want to achieve something great. Something beyond my reach. And I want to raise £500 for two important charities while I do it. (British Heart Foundation & National Society for Epilepsy)
So if you see someone slowly plodding around a park in Liverpool this Sunday, with a face that looks like he's being stabbed in his leg joints with knitting needles.... allow yourself a little giggle at his expense, and give him a wave!
....not that he'll notice.BRING ON THE 19 MILES!!!
(go here to donate/sponsor - and help people with epilepsy and heart disease. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DarrenCarnall - £500 target, £80 so far)
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