When I first started running I thought the sensible thing to do was invest in a really good pair of running shoes. A friend and I went for gait analysis fun some place I can’t remember and I was told to get Saucony’s. I was new to running so I went with the advice. The day I bought my first pair of Brooks I had an epiphany. I suddenly understood that running could be fun and relatively painless. My Saucony’s were heavy, solid shoes that always gave me blisters on my arches no matter the distance. That first run in my Brooks was light, bouncy and completely blister free. In fact every run in my beloved Brooks has been the same. All runs that is until the Blackpool marathon (2013). Either the miles were too much or the shoes had finally had enough of my heavy footedness (usually brought on by fatigue after about 10miles) but they started to give out on me (taking 3 toe nails with them). The bounce had gone 😟 it was a very sad day. But since I pretty much gave up running after Blackpool I figured it didn’t matter. 

Over the last year I have tried to find a good replacement shoe but all have fallen short. Even the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14s (3 versions newer but the same model as my old shoes) failed to impress. With the London marathon looming and training (at least the running side of it) going slowly I needed to find new shoes. I had tried a few short runs in my old trainers but the rest of nearly 3 years had not helped them recover their bounce (it was a long shot but I was hopeful). After a few messages exchanged with Brooks Running UK on Twitter (they were very helpful and quick to respond) I took the plunge and bought the latest version of my beloved shoes. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS 16s arrived last night all shiny and new. I took them out today for a quick sprint session and while the magic of that first run with my GTS 11s was still lacking, they were infinitely better than all the other shoes I had tried. I’ve now got just 60 days to bond with them before the big day!!  

For nostalgias sake here is a photo of the old and new. 

This is a question I’ve been asked many times by many people over the years. My usual response is something generic like ‘to get fitter’, ‘to spend more time outside’ or ‘because I like the swishy thing my ponytail does when I run’. During the build up to my first marathon I got asked a lot more not only ‘why do you run?’ but also ‘why run a marathon?’  The simple answer was ‘to see if I could’ closely followed by ‘why not?’ . 

At the time that seemed like a good enough answer and for the most part the final run (also known as Race Day) was fun enough to make all the training worth it. Now with less than 9 weeks to go till my next marathon I’m struggling to find the motivation to train or at least running training. Long runs are tedious and lonely, the weather is rubbish and all week day runs are in the dark. Realistically I know that the more running I do now the more I will enjoy Race Day but the sad truth is that is no longer enough. Truth be told I don’t like running. This rather surprising realisation led me to ask myself why I feel the need to do another marathon. 

One thing to mention is that despite the slowness of my first marathon and the pain of the following few days, London Marathon 2012 was one of the best days of my life. It’s up there with walking the Great Wall of China with my mum, having a real life Lemur sitting on my shoulder in Madagascar and meeting my nephews for the first time. It was the first time I had ever done something entirely for myself and predominantly by myself. No-one told me to do it and I wasn’t trying to prove to anyone I could. Some people actively discouraged me from running saying it was too far and would ultimately be bad for me. Most people called me crazy. But through all the training I proved to myself that I could self-motivate and improve myself. That being said I couldn’t have done it without the support and encouragement of my dear friends and family. The cheering on Race Day along the route alone was spectacular 😄.

So VLM2012 was a brilliant day. Why not leave it at that? Why run it again? For most people the second and all future marathons are about getting a better time or feeling better at the finish. For me neither of those are that important. A better time would be great but it’s more about proving to myself that I can do it again. That the first one (and second one for that matter) wasn’t a fluke. This is even more important considering the backslide in my fitness over the last few years.

Although I have every intention of running in and completing VLM2016, the question remains what is it about Race Day that I love so much? And is there any way I can replicate that in a non-running activity? I know I like to challenge myself. I like to push the boundaries of what I believe I can do and (hopefully) surprise myself. Running has given me that but perhaps it’s time to find some other fitness activity or competition that can do the same without all the long, tedious runs through dark London streets. Something to think about for the next 67 days 😊 any suggestions are welcome.

I’m getting asked ‘how’s the training going’ a lot at the moment. So thought it might be worth a quick update. 

I started training back in November. I know it’s a little late since I knew I had a marathon place back in June but better than not starting at all. I decided to enlist the help of professionals. So I signed up for personal trading sessions with Lift365. They are a lovely couple who have a studio just down the road from me. And it thankfully isn’t part of a gym. All the other trainers I looked at were either based at a gym or wanted to come to my home. My flat is only just big enough for me to train I doubt I could fit a second person in. 

Anyway Nishan and Rashmi from Lift365 have been training me for the last few months. They have taught me all about weight lifting and muscles and are trying to teach me about nutrition. It’s slowly sinking in and I am slowly making changes to my diet which is helping. Through them I am getting stronger, fitter and lighter. All good 😄

‘But what about running?’ I hear you ask. Some running training will indeed be necessary to get me through the marathon. I started running again in January and have been attempting 2 runs a week since then. Sadly illness has kept me from running for a few weeks but I’m back out there now in the very blustery weather. I’m hoping that running into strong winds will somehow help make me faster come race day but I’m not convinced it will. 

At some point soon I am going to push for 3 runs a week while also maintaining my 2 sessions a week with the trainers. Might try to fit in some yoga too as I think stretching will be key to keeping my hip flexors happy. 

If you want to know more about my training please comment below or message me. Alternatively check out the Lift365 website (http://www.lift365.co.uk). It’ll give you a good idea of what I do twice a week. Plus there’s a great intro video on the homepage you can watch and play ‘Spot Tam’ 😄. they have also just launched online training videos so you can sign up and work out at home. Much more fun than going to a sweaty gym full of strangers! 

Soon my long runs will be getting to a respectably long distance so I will probably blog about them individually (assuming I survive!). This week I’m aiming for 10k with a half marathon looming before March and 20(ish) miles by the end of March 🏃🏻😊 hopefully it will be less windy by then. 

So today is the mind charity training day for their runners completing either London or Brighton marathons this year. Since I am sat here waiting for them to start talking it seemed like a good time to start writing in my blog again. 

I started this blog several years ago when I started training for my very first marathon. That was London 2012. And like the true Olympian spirited girl I am I have decided to run the London marathon ago this year 😄

In truth it was a massive coincidence that big years I’ve run London they have been Olympic years but it makes for a good story when fundraising. 

This is to be my third and final marathon. I have grown tired of how much time and effort it takes to prepare for such a distance. Plus I’m not really sure I like running. I’m hoping this year’s marathon will help me figure it out. 

As mentioned above I am fundraising so if you would like to donate or check up on how I’m doing please visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/trainingtam 

My future posts may well be sporadic (much like my training) but I will endeavour to make them more regular or at least consistently entertaining. 

Now let’s see what mind have to say about running ….