{"id":13297,"date":"2025-02-15T00:59:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T17:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13297"},"modified":"2025-02-15T00:59:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T17:59:43","slug":"im-running-my-first-marathon-london-marathon-diaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13297","title":{"rendered":"I&#8217;m Running My First Marathon! | London Marathon Diaries"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>This page may contain affiliate links &#8211; they are marked with a *. Making a purchase via my affiliate means I receive a small share of the sale.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" alt=\"I'm Running My First Marathon! | London Marathon Diaries\" class=\"wp-image-15766 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching-150x225.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching.jpg\" alt=\"I'm Running My First Marathon! | London Marathon Diaries\" class=\"wp-image-15766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Safety-Tips-For-Runners-Stretching-150x225.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>On the 18th October 2024 \u2013 my 40th birthday \u2013 the opportunity to run the 2025 London Marathon landed in my lap.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><strong><em>[Just a little disclaimer that I\u2019ve paid for my place and am not being sponsored by any brands. I fully want to do this for me, and me alone.]<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll be honest, the marathon distance has never been one that\u2019s allured me however, I\u2019d always thought it was something I\u2019d like to do at least once. And if I was gonna run 26.2 miles without being chased, it had to be London Marathon so I could tick off another challenge towards achieving the London Classics Medal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In case you\u2019re not aware of the London Classics; you can earn the biggest medal you\u2019ve ever seen by completing the London Marathon, RideLondon 100 and Swim Serpentine (2 miles) which basically equates to an epic triathlon. It doesn\u2019t matter when you do them, just as long as you do them in order to be eligible for the medal.<\/p>\n<p>Whilst I seemingly ticked off RideLondon with no issues, swimming 2 miles will be the biggest feat for me but I\u2019m gonna give it my best.<\/p>\n<p>Running a marathon? I\u2019ve been around enough marathon runners and trained marathon runners to make me feel confident I can do this. I don\u2019t have any time to beat; the goal is simple, to finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em> \u201cI don\u2019t have any time to beat; the goal is simple, to finish.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As I haven\u2019t run consistently for a couple of years now due to health issues, I started from scratch with 6 months to train.<\/p>\n<p>I calculated that I would just about have enough time to complete a version of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/how-couch-to-5k-app-works\/\" data-lasso-id=\"7194\">Couch To 5km<\/a> before I start a beginners marathons training plan for 16-18 weeks. And what do they say about making plans?! Something like God laughs?!<\/p>\n<p>I started Couch To 5k strong then got hit with a virus with took me out for 3 weeks of December. By the time I was well again, it was time to hit week 1 of what would be my \u201cmarathon training block\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>I wasn\u2019t fully decided on a plan to follow but my top options were:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>beginners plan from London Marathon\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Hal Hidden 18 week novice plan\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Garmin plan\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Strava plan\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Hire a coach\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I opted for the beginners plan from London Marathon which started with a simple 30minute walk. I also love that it\u2019s a paper plan I keep on my desk, ticking off the sessions as I complete them. <\/p>\n<p>As I\u2019m writing this, it\u2019s mid February and I\u2019ve one more session to complete week 6. Weeks 1-4 were very much base building and week 5 was a deload \/ recovery week. I\u2019m super proud that I\u2019ve managed to complete all but one of my sessions so far.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My Training For London Marathon <\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s a little insight into what I\u2019ve been up to so far, and my plan for the last 10 weeks before race day on Sunday 27th April 2025. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I\u2019ve Been Auditioning My Running Kit <\/h3>\n<p>I realised that as much as these training sessions are to prepare me for event day, they\u2019re also the perfect opportunity to test out kit ready to decide which pieces make the cut of for the day. I\u2019m lucky that I have plenty of kit and shoes to use rather than having to buy anything new. <\/p>\n<p>Plus, running in Winter is no joke. I\u2019ve run on ice, through flooded fields and on the rare occasion in sunshine below 0 degrees. You goto check out my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/what-to-wear-running-in-the-cold\/\" data-lasso-id=\"7195\">tips on how to dress for running in cold weather<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My top pieces of kit so far have been: <\/h4>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a booband \/ boobuddy<\/li>\n<li>my gore-tex trail running shoes <\/li>\n<li>a buff <\/li>\n<li>shokz headphones <\/li>\n<li>leggings with pockets <\/li>\n<li>waterproof running jacket <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I put together all my favourite items used on my marathon training journey here in this <a href=\"https:\/\/amzlink.to\/az0t7IlFpRMTq\" data-lasso-id=\"7196\">Marathon Essentials Amazon Idea List<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Mixing up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/best-adidas-running-shoes\/\" data-lasso-id=\"7197\">my running shoes<\/a> has been one of the biggest trial and errors! My favourite speed shoes now create a lot of tightness in my lower legs where my glutes are obviously not at the same strength they used to be. So I\u2019m slowing reintroducing those into my shorter runs especially as I\u2019m now mixing up the pace with some tempo intervals. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I Eat parkrun Sandwiches <\/h3>\n<p>While my distances have been quite low, I\u2019ve loved either just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/reasons-to-join-a-local-parkrun\/\" data-lasso-id=\"7198\">going to parkrun<\/a> or sandwiching it in between, before or after whatever distance is left on my plan. <\/p>\n<p>My local parkrun is basically a mudfest that sometimes sucks the confidence out of me but I have also been going to other local venues where I can enjoy mud free running and realise I\u2019m not as slow and terrible of a runner as the mud makes me feel. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting Strong &amp; Staying Injury Free <\/h3>\n<p>Before I started marathon training, my base week consisted of one HIIT session, one strength session, once core session and two indoor cycling rides. <\/p>\n<p>And this has pretty much remained the same as it\u2019ll help me to get stronger and remain injury free. <\/p>\n<p>If \/ when I need to, I skip the HIIT or Strength so that I don\u2019t overdo it \u2013 in deload week for example. <\/p>\n<p>I do know that I need to add ore stretching, foam rolling and mobility work into my week, even if they\u2019re short sessions along with regular sports massages. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been using Urban for just over a year now \u2013 it\u2019s an app for booking massages and other treatments at home. You can use my referral code \u2013 <strong>RELLELIH5<\/strong> \u2013 to <a href=\"https:\/\/urban.co\/i\/RELLELIH5\" data-lasso-id=\"7199\">get 20% off your first massage<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Managing My Mind For London Marathon<\/h3>\n<p>This is kinda threefold. First up, not sharing the fact I\u2019ve been training for London Marathon has meant I\u2019ve been able to keep the \u2018noise\u2019 at bay. As much as everyone would want to help, and share their experiences, I felt I needed to not hear any of it to begin with as my journey is so unique to me. <\/p>\n<p>Now that I\u2019ve done a \u2018soft launch\u2019, as one friend called it, it\u2019s been nice having people to chat to about how training is going. As long as we\u2019re not talking paces etc, I\u2019m happy as it means we\u2019re less likely to compare ourselves and our progress. <\/p>\n<p>The second part of managing my mind is really understanding that a marathon takes as much mental strength as it does physical. I think we going this strength by turning up for our training sessions, even when we might not feel like it. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/best-running-quotes\/\" data-lasso-id=\"7200\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25117 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7-150x225.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/best-running-quote-7-150x225.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Ans feeding into this point, I\u2019ve had to use a-lot of self talk when out running. Things like reminding myself to <strong><em>\u2018trust the process\u2019<\/em><\/strong> and knowing that no matter how hard it might feel now, I\u2019ll always  remember where I started. <\/p>\n<p>And finally, when a run hasn\u2019t gone to plan, I\u2019ve reminded myself that it doesn\u2019t matter. What counts is the consistency of getting out and the time on my feet. <\/p>\n<p>The final 26.2 miles will be London Marathon day and I know having been on the other side of the barriers, it\u2019s the most epic atmosphere. I\u2019m convinced I will feel invincible and excited in addition to all the race day feelings. And I know, no matter what happens, I\u2019m gonna have one of the best days of my entire life so far! <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recovery, Self-Care And Listening To My Body <\/h3>\n<p>Marathon training won\u2019t last forever, so if I\u2019m going to commit to doing this, I\u2019ve chosen to commit to taking the best care of myself while doing do. I\u2019ve made recovery, self-care and listening to my body, my biggest priorities. <\/p>\n<p>To be fair, I\u2019ve worked hard to do this anyway but with adding running to my schedule 3 times a week, I\u2019ve had to do better. <\/p>\n<p>I go to bed on time, I eat 3 meals a day, I aim for 2L of water a day, take my vitamins, supplement with collagen, protein, BCAAs and Creatine on most days. <\/p>\n<p>As I said before, I also need to stretch more, foam roll more and generally take good care of my body. I had a sports massage in week 5 \/6 of training and OMG, EVERYTHING was so tight. I\u2019m still recovering from said sports massage but I already feel so much better. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve even set up a cold plunge thing in my garden and I\u2019m practicing using that, in addition to making the most of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/higherdose-infrared-sauna-blanket-review\/\" data-lasso-id=\"7201\">the sauna blanket that I own<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m super grateful that so far, I\u2019ve not reached a level of exhaustion like others have yet. I\u2019m sure this will come closer to race day, but until then, I\u2019m doing everything in my power to balance marathon training, work and life. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My Running Soundtrack<\/h3>\n<p>During shorter runs, listening to music has worked well for me. In fact, listening to my indoor cycling playlist while doing my session with tempo intervals had me feeling like I was on fire!<\/p>\n<p>Podcasts work well for me if I\u2019m interested in the topic, but I\u2019ve just started listening to audiobooks\u2026 that don\u2019t take too much brainpower. First up \u2013 How To Run A Marathon by Vassos Alexander.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m taking recommendations so leave them in the comments below please. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What I Have Planned<\/h2>\n<p>With 10 weeks to go, there is still a-lot to do, right?! So here is some of what I have planned to help me through the rest of my training to get to the start line. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Booking Events For Long Runs<\/h3>\n<p>Now the long runs are getting\u2026 longer, signing up for events helps to reduce some of the stress of planning what to do. Running an event means a pre-planned route, water \/ nutrition provided, a race day experience to practice and company.  <\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Here are the events I\u2019ve signed up to:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Women\u2019s Run Series London 2025 10km, Saturday 8th March (+ ~50-60mins)<\/li>\n<li>Hackney Legacy Half\u00a0Marathon, Sunday 16th March <\/li>\n<li>London Lea Valley Gratitude 25km, Saturday 19th March (+ 5miles)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That trail run is gonna be my longest run on plan, of which I\u2019ll need to add on an extra 3-5 miles to hit 18-20miles. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time To Test Nutrition <\/h3>\n<p>Now my runs are well and truly over the one hour mark, it\u2019s time to start thinking nutrition. I\u2019m super keen not to fill myself with unsavoury sugary products so I\u2019m looking to products that I\u2019ve either used while cycling or new to me brands that are more natural. <\/p>\n<p>I also don\u2019t want to make myself bankrupt because WHY ARE GELS SO EXPENSIVE NOWADAYS?! lol Over \u00a34 for a packet of Clif ShotBloks?! Cost of running crisis is added to cost of living crisis. And they say running is free lol <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Start Training With A Running Vest <\/h3>\n<p>Given that I now need nutrition and water on my long runs, I need somewhere to stash these bits along with my phone, keys and a layer I\u2019ll probably take off and put on repeatedly. <\/p>\n<p>So out comes my running vest which I bought a few years ago to train for Royal Parks Half Marathon and use for my trail running adventures. <\/p>\n<p>Having moved house recently though, I seem to have temporarily misplaced the soft water flasks that go in the vest and I\u2019m not looking to spend \u00a340 replacing them when I know they. have TO BE HERE SOMEWHERE. <\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, I\u2019ve bought one soft flat for about a tenner hoping it\u2019ll tide me over until I dig mine out of a box somewhere. I\u2019ve still got ten weeks to make that happen after all! <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I\u2019m Prepared For \u2018Maranoia\u2019 <\/h3>\n<p>Or at least I think I am. Surely knowing it exists is the first step towards beating it?! <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve also been sent an immunity boosting care package which features a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzlink.to\/az0ivWmvOu6C8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"7202\">7-day supplement <\/a>designed to support your immune system and speed up your recovery from seasonal illnesses. Of course I\u2019m hoping never to need this, but I feel comfortable knowing I have it at hand. <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n<p>Okay, it felt super good getting all of these thoughts out of my head and into this post so thanks for reading. It\u2019s been ages since I\u2019ve shared something personal rather than something optimised to get as many eyes on it. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m as much excited for the journey to the start line as I am for the \u2018final dance\u2019 to be honest. I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019m gonna be \u2018one [marathon] and done\u2019 but I also know I\u2019m likely to never stop talking about it for the rest of my life. I apologise in advance. <\/p>\n<p>Oh and whilst I\u2019m not in need of donations, I\u2019ll happily accept kudos over on Strava \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/strava.app.link\/Ellelinton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"7203\">this is my account<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><strong><em>See you on the start line if you\u2019re running too! Or hopefully see you on the sidelines! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Elle <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\nn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\ndocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js?v=next');\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/im-running-london-marathon\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This page may contain affiliate links &#8211; they are marked with a *. Making a purchase via my affiliate means I receive a small share of the sale. On the 18th October 2024 \u2013 my 40th birthday \u2013 the opportunity to run the 2025 London Marathon landed in my lap.\u00a0 [Just a little disclaimer that &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13297\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}