The top 5 things i learned from running a marathon
Yesterday (16/03/2025) I completed The Great Welsh Marathon. Whilst many, many people have completed (multiple) marathons before me, this was my first and with a day off work to recuperate I thought I would take the opportunity to put pen to paper to outline the top 5 things I learned.
To give a little context, before signing up to this event, the furthest I had run was the Bath Half. At the time this seemed like a gruelling enough task, but the need for a challenge, something to keep me training over the winter and my sister-in-law motivated me to sign up to the full 26.2 mile distance.
Here is what I learned:
Runners come in all shapes, sizes and ages.
At the start line it was incredible to see the array of people who had come out to run. If it is something that interests you then it is never too late to start. For beginners, the NHS have a fantastic resource: Couch to 5km. It can be downloaded as an app and guides you through a ‘Zero to Hero’ plan over 9 weeks https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/.
2. Music can be a saviour.
Thank you Spotify! Throughout my training I have tended to listen to audiobooks and podcasts, reasoning that the during the lengthy runs I would run out of ‘good’ music to listen to. On the day however I downloaded a couple of running playlists from Spotify. These are generated with consideration to your previous listens, so they did contain a fair amount of our 13 year old son’s favourites! It turns out however I quite like his music taste and the motivating song choices kept me going.
In addition to the motivational inspiration provided, music can also help you establish an optimal run cadence. Cadence is the total number of running steps per minute. Whilst there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach to cadence, it is suggested that optimal cadence is between 170-180 steps per minute. My average cadence over the marathon distance was 178 with a maximum cadence of 186 (probably the point at which I spied the finish line!). I am certain running to the beat of the music helped me sustain this.
3. The WALL is real!
Most of the marathon runners I have spoken to have agreed that you hit a wall at 20 miles. Since this was the furthest I had run in training I was terrified this was going to happen to me. I did everything I could in miles 18 and 19 to try to prevent it. I hydrated and took on an energy gel and entered and left mile 20 quite confidently. Then mile 22 arrived. Oh My Goodness. That was when the barrier started to build. I honestly wanted to stop. I could see that I wasn’t going to make a time of 4hrs 15 minutes, but that if I walked I could still achieve under 4 hours 30. I really had to dig in to my ‘WHY’. You would think this would be my loving family who had supported me through the training and getting to the start line. Nope! My ‘WHY’ was this: 'If you stop and walk you won’t be able to say you ‘ran’ the marathon. In which case you may need to complete another one.' At this point I NEVER wanted to put my trainers on again, so this gave me the motivation to keep dragging one foot in front of the other. (Disclaimer: I do not in anyway think that walking any part of any race means you didn’t succeed. This is purely what I had to tell my brain!).
4. The Welsh Coast and the Welsh weather can amaze you!
The route through Pembray Country Park and Beach was absolutely stunning. The scenery along the coastline kept me going in darker times and the path was smooth and relatively flat (thank goodness!). The weather also put on a good show for the day. Being a person who is most definitely solar-powered, the shining sun, with barely a cloud in the sky made for the perfect conditions.
5. Never underestimate what you can achieve.
Whether it is local 5km Park Run or an Ultra-Distance Challenge (big kudos to Jamie Laing who is currently attempting 5 ultra-distance marathons in 5 days for Comic Relief). The challenge for everyone is different, but the outcome is the same. It feels amazing to have achieved your goal!
And finally. A little bit of research which dropped into my email this morning in a very timely fashion!
Ponzio et al (2018) conducted an international study of 675 active marathon runners titled ‘Low Prevalence of Hip and Knee Arthritis in Active Marathon Runners’ (the title does ruin the punch line somewhat!). The outcome was that only 8.9% of marathoners reported arthritis, compared to 17.9% in the general U.S. population of similar age, sex, and BMI. Furthermore, there was no evidence that running duration, intensity, or volume increased arthritis risk. Whilst it delves deeper into risk factors for arthritis and running, these results certainly feel like good news to me as I sit here with my legs elevated and recovering!
All the very best until next time!
Jackie