Manchester Marathon Week 5: Something feels different

I enjoyed last week. Let me say that again “I enjoyed week 5 Manchester marathon training”.

Whoop!

It was the most miles I’ve ran in a long time, but something felt different. I felt different. I felt like I gave myself permission to start to look forward to Manchester and acknowledge the progress I am making. To just run without throwing ‘it’s too windy’ tantrums.

Maybe it’s because I actually rested my legs on Monday and Friday - well apart from my bike ride on Monday but I mainly lay in Queens Park reading my book.

I felt ready each day for the run scheduled in, which again I had to work around my life.

It was another busy week road tripping.

On Tuesday I picked up a hire car, arriving sweaty but energized, after I ran over to tick off my first run of week 5. Marathon training doesn’t stop when you have plans, you workaround it!

My Wednesday and Thursday runs happened to the backdrop of Dundee. I felt a little niggle in my right foot on the Thursday morning, but mainly ignored it and in the end the niggle seemed to disappear - no excuses from me. I ran 15km from Dundee to Broughty Ferry along the river and it felt effortless, my tunes pumping as I glided along knowing the hotel breakfast was my reward at the end. Yes to that!

After rest day Friday I went into Saturday knowing it was a fast interval session in the ongoing heatwave heat. Back in Kilmarnock for the weekend, I ran out to Kilmaurs to use the track and ran 8 intervals, each 3 minutes long at a 4 minute 20 second pace with a 90 second jog inbetween each interval. Talk about complicated keeping count of each interval.

In the end I ticked each interval off, one became two then three and before I knew it I was on my last two intervals. Eventually ticked off drama free. I actually enjoyed it, sweat and all.

As I ran back after the interval session I considered my Sunday run.

25km awaited - my longest run of this training programme. It sounds long and it is. Especially as the Saturday run totalled 14km. When your running is feeling in flow all runs feel manageable.

I was expecting to wake on Sunday feeling a little tired. But again I felt good, up for it – no pre run moaning. With my podcasts picked and music ready I set off, and just like that the next thing I know I am pressing stop on my Garmin. 25km done. All along the canal, enjoying some shade and breeze as the heatwave continues.

For the rest of Sunday, I went off on my bike to enjoy the sunshine.  I actually think if you keep active after a long run it ensures your muscles don’t cease up.

I felt a little smug knowing week 5 was done and dusted with no real drama.

68km done and my body seemed to lap it up.

Usually by the Sunday night, the long run will have caught up with me and I’m making groaning noises like an injured cat. But I didn’t even feel like I’d ran a long run. It felt like my body got into the flow of marathon training. When you surrender to each run, it happens - as planned.

It reminded me off my last marathon at Chester in 2019.

I was in a pace group. Each of us knowing if we stayed with the two male pace runners they would take us across the finish line at 3 hr 30 mins. I felt in flow with the group until 21km when the reality that I had to do it all again at the same pace suddenly felt tough.

My thoughts getting ahead of themselves.

I kept going though, pushing each km but I knew I had to make a decision soon. Either stay with the group and potentially jeopardise a finish by pushing too hard, especially as I had an injury I was running on, or run my own marathon. Just me, my own pace and the locals to cheer me on.

I made the decision and let the pace group run away from me.

Once I did I started to enjoy the marathon more. The pressure off slightly. Then my earphones stopped working at 28km. Usually this would send me into an internal tantrum, but nothing happened. I think I muttered “oh well “. And continued to run with no tunes.

At this point we are running back towards Chester along a farm road when I spotted a guy running, or more shuffling, wearing a Scottish top. He seemed to be in some pain. As I ran past I acknowledged we were both Scottish and he nodded. I shouted something inspirational as everything about him was screaming ‘ I want to quit’. He nodded and replied that the wheels had came off. I smiled as we’ve all felt that feeling. When you are no longer in control of the marathon, the marathon is controlling you.

We were so far out from the finish line my heart went out to him as I knew how mentally tough it was going to be for him to finish.

As I ran on I shouted “ whatever happens you will finish, just don’t stop”.

When I let the 3hr 30 min pace group run ahead I still knew I would finish the marathon, on my terms. I did finish. And ran my fastest marathon yet - 3 hr 40 mins.

Sometimes the minute we surrender to what will be and stop fighting with the struggle it becomes easier. For the rest of the Chester Marathon I ran with no earphones and enjoyed the experience more than I could ever imagine.

I felt more present and connected with the spectators shouting, cheering and encouraging me across the finish line. As I crossed the finish line I spotted a female who had been in the earlier pace group. She held on and I could overhear her describe the toughness. That day I didn’t have it in me to stick with the pace group, but I was proud I shrugged it off rather than beat myself up for the rest of the race, shrugged off the music earphone failure and shrugged off the endless hills near the end of the route.

The more I surrender to my training plan, keep focused and give it my all, the more my body seems to effortlessly produce results.

By focusing on one thing, and one thing only, it feels easier.

I think of that Scottish guy a lot as I never saw him again and never knew if he finished. No one wants the wheels to come off as it is mentally and physically torture.

With 2km to go my wheels started to come off. My body hurt with the voice in my head screaming at me to stop. I kept shouting back we were going to finish with a new personal best, if I just kept focused.

The last 2km seemed like a lifetime but the pain fades as you cross the line knowing you’ve achieved something that didn’t seem possible. I ran a new marathon personal best. All with an injury, an injury which the day before I thought would mean I had to pull out of the race in the first place.

That is why we train. Each training run is providing the confidence and inner strength needed for that last 2km. To drag your body and mind across the finish line.

We don’t stop, we only move forward.

This week has brought lots of confidence in my body and a little bit of excitement. Can I run faster than Chester? 11 weeks to go until Manchester Marathon and I will find out.

In any distance the race really starts with 2km to go. So keep going until the very end, when your foot crosses the line and you press stop on your Garmin (or however you track your run).

Always finish strong!