My Marathon Training Thoughts (WK 0)

Welcome to my Marathon Training blog! I am going to try and post on here weekly, with my random thoughts and feelings regarding training for my first marathon, which will be in Rome on the 22nd March 2026! So if you are running your first marathon then feel free to come on this journey with me – and perhaps how I feel will be how you’re feeling and we can be in this together!

 BACKGROUND

For transparency, I will be offering bits of advice through a couple of different experiential lenses. The first is that I am a full time coach, I coach CrossFit, Running, Swimming and Strength & Conditioning and I have been programming marathon training programmes (and other distances) for lots of lovely people for the past few years. You might wonder why I haven’t done a marathon yet if I have been marathon programming for people… Firstly, I don’t believe that to be a good coach you have to have done the things you are getting your athletes to do (think of Olympians, pretty sure a lot of their coaches won’t have competed at the same level their athletes have!), and vice versa - a good athlete does not necessarily make a good coach. Secondly, I am a retired elite swimmer, and an ex national swimming coach, and although swimming and running are different to do, the training programmes have a lot of similarities and I understand the requirements for programme design regarding the build, peak and taper phases, the different energy systems, pacing and, most importantly how best to avoid injury whilst building volume! Thirdly, although I haven’t ran a standalone marathon before, I HAVE completed an ironman distance triathlon, which includes running a marathon after a 3.8km swim and 180km bike ride! And I have done a few half marathons too. So I do have some experience, but this will be my first time running (and training for) a marathon on it’s own.

Challenge Almere Finish Line 2023 (140.6 miles completed)

The second lens is that I am currently a sport psychologist (in training - I legally have to say that until I am fully accredited!) and I have a host of psychological tips and skills to share with you, that I will try to utilise myself throughout this process. So let’s get started… here are my thoughts 1 week prior to starting my official 20 week programme. I have been trying to run at least once a week (alongside CrossFit and strength training) for the past few weeks to get the legs ticking over so starting a programme is not a total shock…

21 weeks to go…

Thought 1: Ooofff running is hard!

Being out of practice and slower than I used to be is tough to get my head around. It means I have less motivation to go out and run because I know it will be hard. But progress isn’t made without starting somewhere. So I keep reminding myself that each time I get out and run, I am making little gains towards my target of running a marathon in just over 20 weeks time.

Thought 2: When will 5km get easier?!

For some reason running 5km doesn’t seem to get any easier at the minute and my head mid-run will frequently say things like “I’m not even at 3km yet and I can’t wait for the end… how am I ever going to get through 42km?!” But I just remind myself to not focus on that, just focus on this run today, keep putting one foot in front of the other and get through the next 400m and then the next. Then make it to 4km. Once at 4km I only have 1km left which I can easily get through, and then I’ll have done it! Not bad considering 35 mins ago I was sat on the sofa contemplating whether or not to go.

Thought 3: Music or No Music?

I am quite happy to run without headphones. You’re not allowed headphones in triathlon so I know I can get through endurance events without music… But in training, on the days where I know mentally it might be a bit tougher (like today) I stick them in, to try and use the music to change my focus. I like trying to run in time with the music, or focus on the lyrics to give myself something else to think about. Also the vibe of the music can make a big difference - if it’s upbeat and happier I will feel this way whilst running!

Thought 4: Route Plan or Not?

Another tactic is to sometimes not plan a route before I go, but make decisions about which way to go as I’m running - this also gives me something else to think about instead of how hard it is.

Thought 5: Watch or No Watch?

Some people like to run without a watch whilst others feel it “doesn’t count” if it’s not recorded and on strava! Whilst I like to have a watch to keep a track of my mileage (most of the time it uploads to strava automatically and I don’t open strava for weeks!), if I am feeling slower like at the minute, I try not to take too much notice of my watch and the pace. Sometimes it can be off-putting when I notice my pace has dropped or is slower than it feels. So I just focus on getting the mileage in, because at this moment that’s the main thing that matters! Pace can come later when my running fitness has improved.

Thought 6: Sometimes the runs you think will be hard can surprise you!

On my second run this week, I was expecting it to feel hard because it was only 2 days after my last run, and I haven’t been doing more than 1 a week yet. However, it actually felt great! I enjoyed it, it was the best I’ve felt in a while running and I think that’s because it was only 2 days after the previous run so my legs weren’t yet desensitised to running after a week off. I’m glad this session felt good because this week I start my official programme and so I am now going into it with a bit of confidence.

See you next week!

Not every blog will be this long… but stay tuned for next weeks thoughts after completing week 1!

Feeling more confident after my second run this week