114 Days To Go – Training Starts

• Run 1 – 5km Intervals

• Run 2 – 10km Increased Middle Pace

• Run 3 – 13km Marathon Pace +30 Seconds

Okay, so there are 110 days to go until I run the London Marathon in aid of the Lincoln City Foundation as I wrote this four days ago, but it’s been a hectic weekend, hence not getting it out just yet.

Before I start, the current total for my fundraising stands at £1109, which is outrageous considering my training has literally just started. It’s incredible so many of you have already supported my efforts, especially over Christmas and New Year. Fundraising is really going to be ramped up now, and the first announcement will (hopefully) be over the coming 24 hours.

If you wish to sponsor me, you can do so here

My marathon training officially began this week, though the festive season delayed my chance to reflect on it until now. Each week, I’ll share updates on my progress, including the highs and inevitable lows of prepping for the big race.

Stretching: My New Nemesis

I felt optimistic starting this journey but was quickly introduced to a new daily enemy—stretching. My coach handed me a 20-minute stretching regimen with terms like “downward dog to runner’s lunge,” a phrase that means nothing to a man as inflexible as me. I’ve since learned, begrudgingly, why stretching is vital for marathon runners.

Daily stretching enhances flexibility and improves range of motion, supposedly making our strides more efficient and saving energy over those gruelling 26 miles. More importantly, it prevents injuries—something I learned the hard way in my early days of running when I skipped stretching and spent a month on the sidelines. With high mileage training, repetitive strain can lead to issues like plantar fasciitis or hamstring strains. Stretching proactively reduces these risks.

It’s also meant to help recovery, improving blood flow and flushing out post-run soreness. While I appreciate the science, I’m not yet feeling the mindfulness benefits. Instead, I grimace as I push through each exercise, wondering if I’ll ever find this routine tolerable.

If you wish to sponsor me, you can do so here

Run 1: 5km Intervals – Chaos in Motion

The first run of my plan was a series of 1.6km intervals at varying paces: marathon pace, +15 seconds, and +30 seconds per kilometre. Sounds simple enough—on paper.

But my watch, a Garmin Fenix 7, immediately complicated matters. It instructed me to run 40-second intervals and then expected me to manually track the distance. Isn’t the whole point of a fancy watch to avoid mental math? Frustrated and uncertain, I “winged it,” which probably meant I ran it all wrong. Despite the confusion, I made it through, though the experience left me questioning my reliance on technology.

Run 2: 10km – Pacing Meets Winter’s Wrath

The second run went a bit more smoothly. It called for two miles at marathon pace, two at +15 seconds, and two back at marathon pace. Simple enough—until you factor in the hilly terrain where I live. Hills skew pacing, slowing me down on the climbs and speeding me up on descents. Add in a winter windstorm, and my pace fluctuated wildly.

To complicate things, my watch refused to sync with the training software. Instead, it demanded I run a single pace for 53 minutes, yelling at me whenever I deviated. It even berated me for running too fast at times—Paul, my coach, wanted 6:00 per kilometre, and I was hitting 5:30. By the time I got home, I was about pissed off with my watch cutting my music every thirty seconds to tell me I was going to quickly!

Run 3: Freezing Morning

The third run is an eight-mile effort at a marathon pace of +30 seconds. My time was running quite low, being unavailable Saturday from lunchtime onwards and all of Sunday. That meant getting up on Saturday morning and heading out in freezing temperatures to do my run. It wasn’t easy – the roads around here were sheet ice, so I tried to run in the little bit of no man’s land between the road and grass verge to prevent myself from slipping over. Plus, my usual route is around 11.5km, and I needed a solid 13 to get the distance in. I had to run past my house, which, after an hour or so in the freezing cold, wasn’t easy. Still, I did it, and I didn’t need to rely on my tech to get me around, thankfully!

Lessons Learned (So Far)

This week has revealed the challenges ahead. Technology, while helpful, isn’t foolproof. Pacing, especially on uneven terrain, is tricky to master. And as much as I’d love perfect weather conditions, nature has other ideas. Here’s hoping the next 110 days bring smoother running—and maybe even a newfound appreciation for stretching.