Berlin is now hours away

It's time.

With the wonders of technology I'm able to blog on the go, and I am. I'm currently on the Stansted Express, which is heading to the airport.

I guess I'm as ready for this marathon as I'll ever be. I have had chest pains the last few days, but nothing to hold be back from running... I hope.

I'm excited to say the least. In 24 hours time I'll be drinking a celebratory pint of German pilsner, in congratulations to myself for finishing the Berlin Marathon.

I'll also be in a position to ponder my excitement for Amsterdam. I'll either be gunning for another marathon in a new city, or daunted by the challenge.

All I can hope for now is a safe and enjoyable time... with or without a medal.

My unofficial marathon tips

Offering marathon advice before running a full 26.2 mile marathon may seem slightly conceited, but, on the other hand, I’m running between 13 and 18 miles on a weekly basis, so I’m aware of what works and what doesn’t. Many aspects of running – including hydration, remain subjective. I’ve decided to share what works for me in hope that it rings alarm bells for you and assists in improving your training.

Leave your mp3 player at home

Listening to music while running motivates many runners, with specific albums on the market dedicated to helping runners increase speed and distance. Although it offers company when you’re out on your own, you can’t use music devices during a marathon, so it’s worth getting used to running without earplugs in. It’s surprising how unfamiliar it can be running without music, so get used to the sound of your breathing before race day.

Tape it up

It doesn’t matter what material you wear for long distance running, clothing tends to rub when you pass the half-way point. Many runners use Vaseline to alleviate chaffing, but I find it only works in crevices such as armpits, legs and toes. What it doesn’t prevent, is chaffed nipples. I’ve returned from runs before where my nipples are on the brink of bleeding, creating more pain than fatigue. What I suggest is Sellotape (with other brands available of course). Although it may be painful when you tear it off, it still beats the excruciating agony of showering with raw nipples – unless you wear a bra when you run.  

Daytime training

Running during the day is totally different to running at night. When it’s dark in summer months, the roads are less busy and the air is cool, which ultimately leads to a more comfortable experience. What this doesn’t allow you to do is train for marathon conditions. Marathons normally start around 10am, which requires you to run through noon – the hottest part of the day. If you really want to run a marathon with familiar conditions, train during the day so you get used to the temperature, traffic and light condition.

Experiment with food

I can’t stress enough how important it is to adjust your food consumption the day before, and the day of a long run. I’ve eaten a roast dinner the day before running 15 miles, which upset my stomach throughout. What I find that works is carbohydrates such as pasta and potato. Fruit, veg and meat have a tendency to creep back and haunt you when your stomach is in motion for a few hours, so avoid them if you want to run with confidence. Hydration is worth considering too. I find I inherit stomach cramps if I don’t drink while running long distances. Experiment so you’re prepared on race day.   

Toenails and I

Simple advice: keep your toenails short. Although nails support the foot, long nails snag on socks and can either create pain while you run or fall off completely.

I advise that you also invest in good quality running socks to avoid chaffing and sweating. Synthetic materials like polyester work well. Professional running socks are breathable, cushioned and soft, in comparison to 100% cotton socks, which cause blisters in the summer and clammy feet in the winter.

Walk this way
Throughout training, get used to stopping and walking without feeling guilty. A lot of people run until they're too fatigued to continue. Walking 30 seconds every half-an-hour adds around 6 minutes to a 20 mile run - a small loss for a big gain when exhaustion kicks in.

I hope you find this useful.

Chronic injury may have put me out of both marathons

I know it’s been a while since I last wrote a blog post on here, and that’s because I’ve been left pondering what to write. Since I last wrote about my training, my running ability has deteriorated, so building up the courage to publicise the fact has been hard, so consider this brave.

To cut a very long story short, I’m injured. Almost a year ago to the date, I had Laparoscopy – aka, keyhole surgery, to determine why I had consistent knee pain. It was discovered that I have a meniscus tear, which in Leyman’s terms meant I had damaged the sponge cushion in my knee. After the operation, I spoke to the surgeon who explained how the damage was too deep to trim, so I was to wait until it broke off, when they would then remove it from the cap. Since then, I’ve ran two half marathons and started training for my two full marathons in Berlin and Amsterdam.

The problem started about three weeks ago when I started suffering from a stiff knee, or more to the point, stiff knees. Something wasn’t right – yes I knew my left knee wasn’t the best, but both? I had to research what was causing this pain, and at first, I thought I’d cracked it. After a lot of Googling and a few late nights, I found out that I was suffering from over-pronation – a condition where fallen foot arches twist the knees closer together. To heal it is difficult, but to assist the condition is very easy – you simply use insoles that support the collapsed arch. So, a £25 purchase on Amazon was made, and two days later I had my new insoles.

At first, they worked. In my own words, they’d changed my life, and for a few days they had. They made walking, running and every day-to-day task a dream. It’s only now when I take my shoes off that I realise how bad my posture was because of my twisted legs.

I advise everybody to check for over-pronation – as did a colleague’s boyfriend who now can’t live without his new insoles.

This is where it gets depressing and desperate, as, after reaching the 13 mile stage two weeks ago, my left knee started playing up. It’s a constant issue for me, from sleeping to cycling to work. I can’t describe the feeling – it’s not a pain, but more of a popping sensation, which normally leads to my leg locking where it then becomes impossible to straighten. It’s drastically affecting my training, with me only jogging an eight mile road-run last week. And when you consider that I have six weeks until I stand at the start line, every day matters.

I’m lying on the sofa as we speak, resting my injured limb. I’m talking to it, rubbing it, praying for it, man I’d kiss the bloody thing if I could. Right now I’m very concerned that my dream of running both marathons with three weeks in between was a bit ambitious knowing the condition of my knee.

Fingers crossed this doesn't last.

Too much too soon

With two months to go until I pound my way around 26.2 miles of Berlin, you'd expect me to be deep in training. Sadly I'm not.

Determination and stamina often comes with baggage, which haunts those of us who are keen - maybe too keen to succeed. Yes, over-training can be worse than not training at all.

Last year I under went keyhole surgery to extract damage cartilage inside my left knee. The doctor told me that a piece of cartilage is precariously still attached and at some point will fall off. Since then, I've ran two half marathons - the first being only three months after my operation.

What this ordeal has caused is a knee that may give up at anytime.

In recent weeks I've over used my frail knee and it's time to give it a rest. If I want it to perform two marathon - only three weeks apart - I need to respect the injury and admit that continuous strain will exhaust the joint, resulting in two failed marathons.

I'm now offering my left leg the kind of attention that a nurse would give to an injured soldier that she had a crush on.

I can't foretell when training will commence, potentially this week, so I hope you will all join me in wishing my battle scared joint a swift recovery.

What NOT to eat before a run

To get fit for a marathon, you need to eat healthy. And to do so, your intake of fruit and veg needs to increase. Although you need to eat high energy foods before training, your diet needs to be varied and well balanced.


Last night I learned a valuable lesson about food and fitness; I left work at around six o’clock, cooked up a stir fry using fresh veg, mushrooms and chicken, and a few hours later decided to go for a run.

I hadn’t left the house long before my stomach started telling me that too much fruit and veg can be a detriment. What was initially a good idea had become a bad one. I wasn’t sure if the stir fry was to blame or my naivety to run after a vast quantity of fresh vegetables.

Let’s just say my run was cut short. I planned to knock out an eight mile jog but ended up curtailing my attempt because of a dodgy exhaust caused by an engine continuously backfiring.

I learned a valuable lesson last night; he who considers fruit and veg to be the definition of healthy eating will quickly learn that all foods should be consumed in moderation, not just junk.

For advice on what to eat before running, visit here.

Thou shall not use beer as a marathon supplement

With just over 11 weeks until the Berlin Marathon and 14 weeks until Amsterdam – plus being out of training for three months, I really have a schedule that must be followed.

With that in mind, starting the weekend off with an evening of ale wasn’t the best idea. Having said that, it’s full of sugar and runners need their energy. I jest.

On the contrary, this weekend turned out to be successful. Regardless of the bad weather, I took to the hills of the Peak District for four hours of thigh-grilling hiking. The weather threatened at times to turn the muddy ascents into slippery slides back down to ground level, but all in all, a gruelling session towards full body fitness.

With no time to rest, I swapped my walking boots for trainers and pounded the streets of Birmingham on Sunday. The weather was perfect and the streets were clear. After 40 minutes, I returned to my starting point 5.2 miles better off.

The moral of the story, ale may well have been used as a medication in the medieval era, but in 2012, it only works against you – albeit delicious.

My marathon endeavour has doubled

The sun was finally shining in the Midlands when I left my meeting in the centre of Birmingham today. Like most humans who suffer from communication flu, I walked out into the sun and took my phone out of my pocket to see what I'd missed.

An unanswered call from a London number - I'll call it back.

(Dialling)

"Hello, Children with Cancer, Emily speaking"

"Oh, hi, I have a missed call on my phone."

"Hi Robert, somebody has dropped out of the Berlin Marathon and I know you were interested, would you like to run in September?"

"Oh, right, yes, I remember, we spoke back in March. Well I'm actually running the Amsterdam Marathon, so..."

"That's great, you could run both and raise money for us."

"Ummm, yes, well, I guess I could, but..."

"Excellent, I'll email you the form to fill in. Thanks Robert, bye."

So here I am, two marathons: one in Berlin, Germany, on September 30, and the second in Amsterdam, Holland on October 21. I have exactly 67 days to train for my first 26.2 mile endeavour.

Today has proven that it's possible to feel brave, excited and overwhelmed at the same time. What I now have to do is find a running club so I can take inspiration from like-minded people. I need advice, a training structure and technique - and most of all I need support and encouragement. 

My mission was simple: one marathon, four months to train. That was this morning. Now, I have two marathons, two trips to Europe and 67 days to shape up, obtain focus and raise some money for charity.

Time is of the essence.