Ocelot editor Jamie Hill is planning to run the Birmingham Marathon on October 15 in aid of ICP Support. Every month he’s been chronicling his journey.
I had a bit of a wobble in June. I came seriously close to saying ‘I can’t do this’.
It was the heat that did it. With the mileage piling up as part of my marathon training I would take one look outside and think to myself ‘I’m not bloody doing that!’.
The runs that I did go on, I came back melted, unable to breathe properly with sweat pouring off me as if I had just gone through US customs wearing a Mexican hat.
I would drink loads beforehand, during and after but each run just left me feeling flat as if I couldn’t do it any more. All of my muscles ached and I’m still walking up and down stairs like a crab.
And then it got cooler again and I somehow found my willpower to start running, putting one foot in front of the other, ignoring the aches and the way a long run leaves me drained for 24 hours afterwards.
I’m now approaching the endgame where the miles start ramping up like a really annoying ramping up thing.
From now on until the marathon itself my weekly long run will be increasing by a mile at a time until it peaks at 22 miles a week before the big cahuna run in Birmingham.
I’m beginning to realise this is a lot more pyschological than physical as your biggest enemy is that damn brain that keeps thinking rational thoughts like ‘wouldn’t you rather be doing anything other than this?’
To combat this, I’m no longer doing circuits but running and turning around at the halfway point. In my brain this makes sense as really all I’ve got to do is make it to that hallowed halfway point and then I’m on my way home again.
So in my head, increasing my runs by a mile each week, actually is only increasing the distance from my home by half a mile.
I don’t know if this is a weird thing or not. But it seems to be working for the moment.
During the week now I’m doing shorter runs and aerobics. The idea is to build up my speed during the week and my stamina at the weekend with a bit of aerobics thrown in just to keep me loosey goosey.
As far as Nike+, my training app, and any other plans are concerned, I’m now completely off-piste, and now adhering to anything apart from what I’ve cobbled together.
I now can’t wait for October to be over and for my life to return to a semblance of normality.
It’ll be a time of wonder and joy as my legs start working normally again and I’m not zoned out from my exertions. It’ll also be guilt-free as I’ve just run a bloody marathon for God’s sake! I can’t wait.
Next month I’m going to start the fundraising part of all this, which adds a whole new stress dimension to what I’m trying to achieve as you watch the money going up or not going up whatever the case may be.
Til then!