Things I've learnt this weekend...

London Marathon weekend is always a special one, I've watched the race a couple of times in person and pretty regularly on the TV. But I've never watched it before as a runner. And a runner surrounded by other runners. But that's not where my learning this weekend started, I need to go back to Friday night. 

Friday night is Sweatshop Running Community 10k night and this Friday it was my turn to bring cake. I'd stayed up late on Thursday frantically watching the oven hoping my peanut butter cookies would come out okay, but safely knowing the rocky road in the fridge would prevent a disaster if they didn't. As it was they all turned out well and I'm reliably informed tasted great. 

But Friday didn't teach me I can cook - no, it reminded me of what I never expected to discover when I first went to SRC - a community. This Friday my usual running buddy was injured so I ran mostly on my own, it didn't matter and I still got to within 5 seconds of my 10k personal best. I was cheered as I finished and that wasn't just because they were all eating my offerings. The support you get from being part of something like SRC is amazing. We compare times, we talk about how it felt to run and we laugh - a lot. When I first went I thought I'd turn up run and go home. Now when I run 5k the runs are shorter in length than the time spent chatting at the end! 

The same is also true of parkrun - I resisted joining the parkrun movement for sometime. Saturday's were gym day. I had no time for this 5k run, thinking it was competitive, serious and super scary. As I'm learning I've got this running thing all wrong as it is none of those things. And yesterday was Maidstone Parkrun's 1st birthday and a fancy dress run. What made it super special was my wife decided to run as well and for the first time was happy for me to run with her. So I took a gentle run along the riverbank, tweeting and taking photos as I went dressed in a jesters hat (NOT an ice-cream hat....more of that in a future blog!). I didn't get a personal best (that stays at 27:03) - what I got was a reminder that running is about different experiences and what you want to make of it. One run can be about times, or distance or personal bests and this is important and fun but equally the runs about friendship, support and having a laugh can give as much in return. 

So today - Sunday 13 April 2014, London marathon day - but also a calendar year until the 9am start of Brighton Marathon 2015. I've got a 10 mile race on Good Friday and knew I needed one last longish run (for me!) to give me confidence. So as the BBC coverage started with that amazing music I was pulling on my running gear. Certainly something that has never happened before. I managed an 8 mile run along the river bank, felt good and am sure race day will be okay. Bit scared of that unknown 2 miles but I'm sure the fact I'm racing and a medal waits at the end will spur me on. 

As I was running today though I learnt some pretty important things - the first was when attempting to take a sports gel for the first time do not open it with your teeth. I have very weak hands (can't even get tampon wrappers off easily) and the bloody thing wouldn't open. So aha, use my teeth thought I? Quite glad no one was around to see said pack jet squirt into my eye and all down my face. Damn that stuff is sticky! But I learnt I can laugh and run pretty well!!

And I LOVED my run today - I know I've got a long way to go to be ready for my October Half, never mind Brighton in a year. But I feel ready. I feel strong. I feel fit. I've never felt fit. I used to feel fat, tired, unhappy. But today as I ran I thought how far I've come and how great running makes you feel. It hurts (a lot) but when it's going well it just feels great. And then I get to share that feeling with others who can relate and don't think you're crazy - be they SRC'rs, parkrunners or UKRunChat Tweeters! 

So as I watched the highlights of the London Marathon for the first time I realistically thought - "I could do that", then realised "I will do that!" - but best practise opening those gels a bit more first....

The day it all changed...

Well I think that's today and what a day it's been! Who knew that the 8 April 2014 would become one of those days I may never forget?

After all I've had some pretty big days in my life, the day I left for university, the day I graduated, the day I got my first "proper" job, the day I met my future wife and the date of our civil partnership, the day I got Cagney and Lacey my cats, the day I realised I needed to lose weight and the day I hit losing 7 stone. 

Oh and there is 9 May 2013 - the day I first ever ran outside (unless you count school), it was 6.08am as I was terrified someone may see me. I'd run on a treadmill but everyone had said "do it outside, it's so different and so much better". Was it? Not really. I was convinced I would die as the air burned into my lungs. But I didn't let that stop me and just a few days I later I had another big day, turning 40 and my wife gave me a fabulous Garmin watch so running outside now had a gadget to entice me. 

By September I had discovered the Sweatshop Running Community, joining my local Maidstone group and getting that all important Yellow Army t-shirt. And by November I was finally convinced that a parkrun instead of the Saturday morning trip to the gym would be a good thing. (I no longer have my gym membership - not needed!)

A big day in December as I ran my first race - 5 miles in the Kent Christmas Cracker, I've done a 10k now and am entered in to several more - including a terrifying Royal Parks Half in October. 

Then in December, or was it January, not sure but it doesn't really matter I came across UKrunchat on Twitter. A fabulous, crazy, supportive, funny, fast and friendly running community. 

And those are the pieces of the jigsaw which has brought me right up to today and finding myself entered into the Brighton Marathon on 12 April 2015.

It's beyond anything I ever imagined being able to do or even contemplate doing. What I've learnt through running is there really is no such thing as never. Barriers I put up have been knocked down, preconceptions I had have been overturned and now I'm going to train for and run a marathon. 

So things have changed for me - I can't go back and share the journey to here, but I can and will share with you the journey to come!