Beginner to London Marathon: London Marathon 2025!! A quick recap

After saying that I loved running the London Marathon and never again, I am running it again. I got carried away watching it on the TV this year, and I also got nostaglic when we took some of the children from school up to the Mini Marathon on 20th April.

So, 20th April...

Yes, with no running since the London Marathon 2023 I applied! The day after this year's marathon, I got up early and started from the beginning. Unfortunately, I fell half way through and broke one or two ribs (not sure as I learnt, a few years ago, in a deliberate car crash on behalf of joyriders, they do not x-ray for ribs!). It took only 2 months to heal. I did notice that all my usual aches and pains (back and legs) stopped, I think because of the way I had to move to protect my ribs.

26th June...

Pleased as I need the challenge to get motivated, I have more training time and I can run again for HHHO.

So, ideally I should have started running straight away as my ribs were much better, or at least gone back to Body Pump and Body Balance but nope.

I stopped running after the London Marathon because I was exhausted; working as a School Business Manager for 2 schools (which after 10 years was too much), 3rd year of an Open Degree and training for the Marathon. It was a mistake to stop running to be honest but I thought I would just pick it up again but life continued to get busy; either studying or working. Also, I am an all or nothing kind of person and I need to be pushed to start and then I am fine.

Now, I have a different role; working in the finance department for our Trust but I still do bits and pieces for my long-term school (I quit working for both schools last year). This role is just as busy but anxiety-wise, it is much better for me. Being awake at 2am worrying about stupid things is thankfully gone, anxiety is not fun. This role is more flexible and I can work from home twice a week if I wanted to. As long as the work gets done, I can start later etc.

I am however really struggling to get up in the mornings, and then I think tomorrow, tomorrow. I have put on lots of weight as well, just snacking on bad choices on the way home and have IBS. Medication has also added to the weight gain, which is affecting my running, as well as my mindset. I am 50 in January and it is so much harder, it is not so much hot flushes but constantly feeling hot which I hate. I used to walk a few miles every day but I was constantly feeling too hot. I was lucky at the LM 2023 as it was raining and cloudy!

So I started making better choices 2 weeks ago, and I have had to give up chocolate as it is my big weakness. I am drinking more water, well I wasn't really drinking at all so that should be I am now drinking water. Even better, I have started running at last.

I am using Coopah this time, as well as Myzone and Strava! Last time, I didn't start running until mid-Nov as I didn't get a charity place until then. I was lucky to get a place with my favourite charity, now run by my friend but was started by her son, Help Harry Help Others. I didn't decide to run until the beginning of November, so I was lucky to get a place. I had to switch from C25K in the January without finishing it and started following the London Marathon plan. I should say that I loved running, getting up and running 10 miles on a Sunday was my favourite run. I had also run several half marathons about 15-20 years ago, it was much easier then!

First run: