My C25K got out of hand and now I'm due to run the London Marathon on Oct 3rd and the training hurts. Mid fifties and 3 stone overweight, in April 2020 I felt very much in COVID's cross-hair sights. I started the C25K and found the virus chasing me was a great motivator. I just kept telling myself, every step is another win, every mile in the legs makes the next one easier.
I was so motivated that 3 months in I did my first 21K. It was very slow, but with no running background I was a Half-marathoner in 3 months flat. But after Christmas a combination of niggles, weather and whatever saw my running quickly wither. By May I was doing nothing again beyond walking the dog.
Still, I'd done it once right? So, full of YOLO spirit and a great desire to help MapAction, the charity I'm running for, I signed up for the London Marathon! But the training really hurts! (Yes, I know, duh!) But I'll be 56 when it comes around and a lifetime of football is haunting my knees. I've also managed to keep at least 1.5 of those extra 3 stones I started out with, which doesn't help, but I LOVE FOOD!
However I suspect the real challenge is that when I agreed to take the Marathon place there were only 15 weeks to go. I've been following a Hal Higdon novice programme, but it is an 18 week programme. I c chopped 3 weeks out and I am pretty much sticking to the distances.
But last night for the first time I was due to go and run 13k and my calves were so sore that I only managed 7k before waddling painfully home. I'm going to go back out again tonight and try for another 5k as per the programme but am very worried that it will be as sore again, because I have no time to mess around with this schedule when the race is in 8 weeks, and the furthest I have run is 24km.
Any tips on nursing sore calves gratefully accepted!
On the bright side I did bump into this litter critter a couple of times on the same run. He/she looks nothing like me.