Ran my first marathon

A year and a half after I started running, I have finally finished my first ever marathon. I started at 236lb in April last year, and took around a year bringing my weight down by 63lb. Recent events in my life have seen the focus slip more than once, and my weight has threatened to creep back up, but I have managed for the most part to keep myself ultimately in check. This marathon was the perfect focus to boost my motivation. Having completed a 26.2 miler, I've been left in no doubt as to my ability to achieve more fitness goals. My final time was just over 4 and a half hours, and my feet have stayed in immaculate shape, that is to say no blisters and my toenails are here to stay!

Of course, you want the photo! Left is me at my starting weight, right is me at around 25.5 miles through the marathon (eyeing up the finish line and fantasising about post-run fries and cake).



A note to people training for this kind of thing: marathons are not for weight loss. You'll need to eat sensible amounts to fuel yourself for runs that last for hours at a time. The done thing, as I discovered, is a "pasta party" the night before, where everybody eats lots of pasta and carb-loaded food to fuel the next day's race. Also, water. You can do 10K without, sure, but not 4+ hours. That's just silly.

To those wanting to start running,:find a Couch to 5K programme. I can vouch for the one offered by the NHS (the National Health Service in the UK). It's bloody magical. Took me from complete beginner to marathon runner in 18 months flat, including time taken for setbacks and injuries!

To those considering a half marathon, or even a full marathon: it's completely achievable. Pace yourself, put in the miles and focus on the goal. The only things between you and utterly owning such an event are time and effort. You have all the time in the world to get there, so all you need to bring is the effort, a little at a time. The more you do, the more you want to, and you'll bring more and more of your game each time. Before you know it, you'll running for an hour at a time and craving more. All you have to do is start at the beginning and keep moving forward.

Final point: SHOES. Pick comfort over price, and don't tie them too tightly. I had a two-month break owing to tendonitis because of this. Heed my advice in this regard and your feet will thank you. You don't have to splash out on other running gear, but I do so anyway because spending money is fun