I have a lot of crazy ideas. 2 marathons, 6 weeks apart, one lot of training should be enough for both. I’ve managed it the previous two years, so I signed up again without hesitation.
The plan was the same, go for a ‘good time’ in Manchester and then ‘have a good time’ in Liverpool. It’s one of my favourite cities and I’m really looking forward to spending the weekend there with friends. With it being the Rock and Roll festival, there is always a cracking atmosphere throughout the weekend and I intend to fully enjoy it.
This year, there’s a problem. I’ve had a couple of niggles since Manchester, so I’ve scaled down the running. After seeing a physio, it’s nothing too serious, I’ve been a good girl and I’ve stretched like he told me. To err on the side of caution I haven’t done as much training as I wanted to and I’m completely OK with that. Sometimes things don’t go to plan and it’s just a case of readjusting your goals. There will always be another race.
I have 2 options:
Change to the half marathon
There is the option. I was chatting with a friend about this, he told me to cut to the half and run it well. ‘I know you Rachel, you’ll be annoyed with yourself if you run your slowest time.’
He’s right, but, I’d be more annoyed with myself for having to switch distance. So, I will only be changing to the half marathon if it’s a really hot day, as I don’t cope well with the heat.
Wear a fancy dress
I feel like it is acceptable to be slower in a costume. They’ll be people a lot less prepared than I am. So, my plan is; dress up, run slow and encourage those that are struggling.
The ladies of Liverpool think nothing of popping to the shops with a full head of rollers, let’s see how well they fair over 26 miles. I’m not sure how aerodynamic they are but I can guarantee, my hair should be set by the time I cross that finish line!
