“You can’t run AND cry at the same time”
Jo gets to A double figure distance, gets emotional, and (finally) gets in the zone.
Training: Week 5
Distance: 10 miles
Time until marathon: 9 Weeks
And suddenly I am in double figures!
To celebrate this my sister Sarah and I ran our long run together. I am usually a solitary runner but this was fab. Sarah is much faster than me but she kindly slowed down for her elderly sister. She will also be running the Brighton Marathon this year.
Immediately after lock down, when Sarah was still living in Milan, we started running ‘together’ on an online zoom group, me here in the UK and Sarah in Italy.
It was really emotional as we hadn’t physically seen Sarah for over a year as a result of the Pandemic, so being able to share our runs, both of us seeing familiar places (and much loved people!) that we just couldn’t get to was really special. Not for the first time I re-learned the lesson that you cannot run and cry at the same time. It is definitely one or the other I am afraid!
In the Zone!
During this 10-mile run, and for the first time in my whole training journey so far, I finally got into ‘the zone’. This is a mythical place where everything just slots into place, your breath, your cadence, your brain-it all works together and you feel like you are a superhero (or in my case Paula Radcliffe as she is my running superhero!).
It’s hard to achieve, although training helps, and it tends to happen at the middle to end of the run. For me, its usually 7 miles plus if I’m feeling good. When I ran the marathon last time it kicked in at about mile 24. At that point, for the first time in the whole race, I suddenly realised I would be able to finish the marathon. I channelled my inner Paula and ran for my life!
Afterwards when I downloaded my stats in that last 2.2 miles I overtook hundreds of people and ONE PERSON overtook me! ONE PERSON!! I’m holding on to these feelings and memories because my next run, which is now in a couple of days, is 12 miles. This feels like a really long way right now!
In other marathon news, my husband has also signed up for the Brighton Marathon, so we are juggling both of us training which is … er …interesting! I am trying to be really disciplined about not talking everyone to death about training (although my work colleagues may disagree with this!) so it is quite nice to have someone who I can bore the pants off about training plans, mileage, aches and pains and everything else marathon!
How to sponsor me
If you can, please make this all worthwhile and sponsor me! I cannot overstate the motivational impact this has. Literally every penny I raise will be spent supporting women, keeping women safe, helping them to rebuild their lives and thrive, not just survive.
Visit my Fundraising page: Jo’s Marathon for MSH (peoplesfundraising.com)
Use this QR code to go straight to my fundraising page
My sister Sarah
She kindly slowed her pace for her elderly sister …