I’m currently sitting on a train travelling from Hamburg to Berlin for the Berlin Marathon in just 2 days time.
This will be my 5th marathon, and my third World Marathon Major star as I chase the coveted 6 star finisher WMM medal.
For those wondering, there are 6 marathons that together form the 6 World Marathon Majors. They are, in no particular order: London, Berlin, Tokyo, New York, Chicago and Boston.
So far I’ve completed London 4 times (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) and New York in 2022.
You think having 5 marathons under my belt I’d be a pretty well-oiled machine when it comes to marathon preparation (plus I’m a Physiotherapist with a specialist interest in female specific training). But sadly that’s not the case.
You know the classic ‘Do as I say, not as I do?”
Well, that applies to me.
Every time I’m fortunate enough to get a marathon place I promise myself I will ‘do it right’ and train properly, follow my own advice, and run a new PB. To be fair, if you exclude the year I walked the entire London marathon 10 days post gyane surgery for a cancer scare, I’ve got a PB at every race so I have high expectations 🤣 If you knew the backstory and chaos behind each one you wouldn’t be so surprised. I’ll share more about these adventures in another post, but for now, back to Berlin in 2 days time.
So why am I not ready? It’s not for a lack of good intention that’s for sure.
I got offered my place to run for Children with Cancer UK at the end of May 2023. This is a charity very close to my heart since my daughter’s friend died of leukaemia shortly before his 8th birthday. I had 3/12 months to train - Still plenty of time I hear you say.
I run a very busy a growing physiotherapy clinic and gym which require crazy long hours interspersed with brief moments of family time – the ‘Mum Guilt’ is REAL!!!
I wrote myself a training plan based on scientific research with the intention of training smarter not harder. It was a great plan – well thought out with the appropriate amount of running, strength training and flexibility/mobility work. It was a beautifully colour coded piece of art… that I didn’t follow.
My first excuse was that I was injured following the London marathon in April 2023. During my 20 mile ‘long run’ 3 weeks before the London marathon I pulled my left hamstring. While I managed to run London and get a new PB, it wasn’t great so I took some time off running.
I’ve checked my Strava history and in summary, I have ran 15 times since the London Marathon in April 2023 (plus 1 bike ride and 6 hockey sessions). Distances have ranged from a couple of 1 mile runs to longest run of 10 miles on 27/08/23. My average distance was 4.4 miles. So just another 21.8 miles to find from somewhere.
And do you know what?
I will find those extra 21.8 miles.
Because I am too damn determined, stubborn and competitive to let this beat me!
Since I started my marathon journey in 2020 I have discovered that mindset is EVERYTHING!
When you truly believe in yourself you can achieve anything.
Despite all the hurdles (and mountains) that have been put in my path over the last few years while training for marathons (cancer scares, broken bones, concussion etc.) I have never doubted that I will get to the finish line. It might not be in the time I know I can achieve, it doesn’t always look pretty, and it sure as hell hurts! But I always make it.
But there’s one big difference at the Berlin Marathon that I’ve not encountered before. And that’s the dreaded ‘cut off’ times.
For the first time ever going into a marathon I have a slight sicky feeling in my stomach. Not that I am doubting my ability to complete the distance. I just hope my undertrained accident-prone body can get me round in time.
There is a time limit of 6:15 hours after passing the timing mat at the start. You need to reach the 33km checkpoint by 3:50pm and the 38km checkpoint by 4:35pm.
Can you imagine the heart break of running 38km of a 42.2 km race and being moments away from getting past in time when the officials cordon off the road and stop you in your tracks?
That’s less than a Parkrun left to go, and your dream is over!
No limbo dancing under the rope. No excuses. No pleading or begging with the race officials.
You. Are. Out!
No official finishing time, no finishers medal, no refreshments, no massage, NOTHING!
Just the walk of misery and utter disappointment to collect your belongings knowing that you came so close but didn’t quite make it.
I’m not going to call it the walk of shame, which is what I initially wrote. Because not making the cut of time is not shameful. Everyone that gets to the start line in Berlin should be proud of themselves for getting that far.
For some people their training will have gone perfectly to plan. They feel on top of the world ready to smash their goals and I wish them every success. The back of the pack runners will find this one tough, constantly chasing the clock and praying they beat the cut off time. You guys have the biggest hearts and balls of steel and I’m routing for you to breeze past those cut offs and savour that finish line feeling and wear your medal with pride.
For those of us mingling in the middle of the pack (and I’m including myself in here as this is where I anticipate being) we’ve got this!
Every single person in that 48,000 strong crowd has their reason for being there on Sunday and I WANT you all to succeed.
Let’s do this. Let’s become #BerlinLegends
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