Marathon blog: part 5

Training for a marathon? You’re not alone. Bethan Taylor shares her experiences with us in her marathon blog: part 5.

I should’ve brought some wood for you to bite down on… words I never thought I’d hear, but then I never thought I’d experience bouts of painful pressure interspersed with searing relief. Are you starting to worry this blog might be changing direction? Don’t worry, I’ve not got all Fifty Shades on you, I just went for a sports massage.

It felt like a given that, halfway thought training for the biggest race of my life, something would go wrong. Things had been going too well. I’ve always had pretty tight calves, and when they started protesting during a long run a couple of weeks ago I knew trouble was on its way. A few days later, as I was pounding through my usual treadmill session, a rush of tightness tore through my calf which stopped me in my tracks. ‘Boom’ went the emergency stop button and I spent the rest of the evening prodding my rock solid muscle (and making other people prod it, too – runners are the sharing types when it comes to bodily functions). I wasn’t injured, but I knew I would be if I didn’t take some serious action, and that was scary.

So that’s how I found myself in the firm (very firm) grasp of a lovely lady who, for a painful 30 minutes, kneaded and stretched my calves back to something approaching health. If you’ve ever had a sports massage (or a deep tissue massage of any sort) you’ll know they can hurt. I lay there grinding my teeth, willing the time to pass quickly and reminding myself that this had to be better than the other option – not running. 10 weeks into marathon training, the thought of not running is more than unbearable. Thankfully I made it through and all that teeth-grinding paid off (along with some hard rest over the next three days!) and by Sunday I was up to running 15 glorious miles.

The whole episode was a massive scare, but in some respects it was reassuring. It reassured me that I could listen to my body and that, if necessary, I’d have the strength to slow down, ease off and give my body what it needed. I’ve come to realise that training for a marathon isn’t just about having the physical strength and endurance to run the distance, it’s about having the mental strength and endurance to last the journey, to deal with the ups and downs, too. This episode has reassured me I’ve got it, I can do this – mentally and physically.

I mentioned in my last post that my feet are a total mess. With only nine toenails, blisters, scabs and calluses, they aren’t a pretty sight. Too much information? Remember that thing about runners oversharing… No open-toe shoes for this girl. My feet are the tools of my trade, so I need to look after them. Luckily Scholl have plenty of treats to help me do this. One of my favourites is their Fungal Nail Treatment. With a number of damaged nails I’m at risk of fungal nail infections and further lost nails, so this handy pen is perfect for nursing my poor tootsies back to health. Another of my Scholl essentials is their Blister Shield Plasters. These squishy pain relievers have a permanent home in my kit bag – they’ve kept me running more times than I can count, although I do wish they’d make a tiny version that I could use on the tips of my toes!

I haven’t just been treating my feet over the last few weeks: since starting marathon training I’ve been paying more attention to my whole body. My best friend was onto something when she gave me a massive bottle of fancy bubble bath for Christmas – my sore limbs love a relaxing soak after a long run! I’ve been investing a bit more in my skincare as the unique mixture of freezing weather and sweat has taken its toll – face oil has been a total game changer for me – and regular manicures mean I’m put-together, even when I’ve got no time orenergy to put on make-up. Marathon training has given me a whole new respect for my body and what it can do, it’s only fair I’m kind to it in return.