Welcome

Hi and welcome to my training blog.

After having a great time doing a half marathon in September, I decided I was ready for the next challenge.  I have watched the London marathon every year from the bottom of our road and always said to myself that I should give it a go one year.  Then in October I was successful in being offered a Golden Bond place to run for Diabetes UK in the Virgin London Marathon, now only eight weeks away.

At the time I was doing a lot of running at the weekends -- heading off for a 'short run', always enjoying it and thinking I would go just a little further, and then before I knew it completing ten to fifteen miles.  I was also jogging to work several times a week.  Then in late October, my knees said "no".  I had classic symptoms of "jogger's knee" and was physically unable to run for about two months.  What a disaster!

During the dark, cold months of December and January I have gradually started to get back into running.  At first I could only run for about 20 minutes in intervals of 1.5 mins running, 0.5 min walking.  That seemed a very long way from the 26.2 miles I would need to do in April.  I have also been doing a great deal of strengthening exercises and that has allowed me to build up to longer runs.  I am now running for about 45-60 mins, up to four times a week, on grass whenever I can, but still doing intervals of 2-10 mins for fear of harming the knees again.  And I can tell you that there are some really lovely sun rises to be seen from the top of Greenwich Park as the mist rises at 7am...!  The training feels to be going well and the knees, though feeling old and creaky, still seem to be holding up.

Today was a marathon training day at the Diabetes UK offices.  It was great to meet all the runners, but I soon realised that I was a long behind in the fundraising stakes.  Everyone has already achieved considerable levels of fundraising already while I am still to get off the starting blocks (it hadn't seemed right doing fundraising while I couldn't run).

But here we go -- I have decided to go for it.  62 days to go.  I am already incredibly excited about doing the run.  My knees are holding up (nothing that a few ibuprofen won't treat), no injuries from skiing, so lets bring on the 42 kilometers!

Matt