{"id":1841,"date":"2022-10-06T21:55:18","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T20:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rahema.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1841"},"modified":"2022-10-06T21:55:18","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T20:55:18","slug":"london-marathon-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rahema.co.uk\/blog\/london-marathon-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"London Marathon 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

London 2022 – The Invite<\/h2>\n

Where do I even begin? So on the 18th August I got a DM from the Muslim Runners organisation asking if I wanted a place in London 2022 after I had shown interest in a post the month before saying they had some additional entries available. My initial response was \u201cNo thank you\u201d. My longest run in 2022 up to that point was only 10k, there was no way I could run a marathon with just 6 weeks notice, right? I said as much but got a reply back saying that\u2019s fine, but there is an option to walk it and an 8 hour time limit. That got me thinking!<\/p>\n

I asked my more experienced running friends for their advice on what I should do. To get a ballot entry for London is impossible with it being one of the worlds major marathon, an opportunity like this doesn\u2019t come along often, if ever! This is a marathon that was on my bucket list.<\/p>\n

I took onboard all the advice I was given, reminded myself that maybe this is what I needed to do to get out of the rut I was in. Since my difficult experience at the Manchester Marathon in 2021, I didn\u2019t think I was ready for a 2nd marathon yet. I struggled so much on that run that I could barely stand anymore after I crossed the finish line.<\/p>\n

I was supporting ladies in my community on their running journey, but was neglecting my own. I gained 2 stones in weight in a considerable short amount of time. I wasn\u2019t physically ready for a half marathon, let alone a marathon! Running was feeling harder but I still went out and did it because I loved the way it made me feel after. I am not an athlete, I am just a regular mother who enjoys running.<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/h2>\n

I went back to Muslim Runners and said yes. I had 6 weeks to train myself to that distance. I knew this wasn\u2019t going to be an easy feat. But after Manchester I remember the feeling of accomplishment and how proud my children were of me, and that for me was the reason why I said yes and decided to put myself through that again. I suppose it is a bit like childbirth, it is a painful and often tramautic experience but you soon forget all of that with your next child!<\/p>\n

In my head I was planning to slowly up my distance and get to 13 miles but a very good friend of mine whose husband is an experienced runner, told me how many miles I should be doing every weekend for my long runs to get marathon ready. He said I needed to go out and do a 10 mile run that first Sunday! I could just about manage 10km, I didn\u2019t think I would be able to get 10 miles in but I did. I was so proud of myself and it gave me boost I needed and the reminder that I could do this.<\/p>\n

This was his recommended training schedule for my long runs which I followed for the few weeks I had left before the Marathon and I am forever grateful for his advice:<\/p>\n