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My decision to run the marathon was met with surprised approval from friends, followed by a series of second-hand horror stories of toe nails falling off, bleeding nipples, unexpected bowel movements and even permanently damaged knees.
The benefit of hearing stories of doom was that I resolved to splash out on the right kit. I went to a running shop called Run and Become in London. Here they make you jog down the street to see what peculiar running habits you might have and fit you out in the right pair of running shoes - always hideous, nearly always white.
The actual training was more of a challenge. I did have an advantage over the average couch potato, because I have always cycled to work. But I'd never jogged in my life. I also hate getting up early in the morning and I didn't fancy jogging in the dark after work. My friend Stephen came to the rescue by appointing himself my coach for a month. He would buzz on my door and make sure I got up. He would then cycle along as I jogged.
Although Stephen knew even less about jogging than me, he was a fairly strict coach and wouldn't let me stop for a breather until I'd done at least a couple of miles. The extraordinary thing about jogging is how quickly one builds up stamina. After a couple of weeks, a half-hour run wasn't so difficult.
Most people suggest that you start training in November, but it was obviously too late for this. I usually managed two one-hour runs a week and a couple of times did three. I meant to give up drinking for a month before hand, but that lasted all of a week. I didn't manage to quit smoking either.
My fund-raising efforts were much more successful, thanks too the wonderful websiteJust Giving. If your charity has teamed up with the site, you can create your own marathon web page, email the address to your friends and they can then sponsor you online, using a credit card. By April 13, I had been pledged £1,500, which gave me a huge incentive to finish the race.
My decision to run the marathon was met with surprised approval from friends, followed by a series of second-hand horror stories of toe nails falling off, bleeding nipples, unexpected bowel movements and even permanently damaged knees.
The benefit of hearing stories of doom was that I resolved to splash out on the right kit. I went to a running shop called Run and Become in London. Here they make you jog down the street to see what peculiar running habits you might have and fit you out in the right pair of running shoes - always hideous, nearly always white.
The actual training was more of a challenge. I did have an advantage over the average couch potato, because I have always cycled to work. But I'd never jogged in my life. I also hate getting up early in the morning and I didn't fancy jogging in the dark after work. My friend Stephen came to the rescue by appointing himself my coach for a month. He would buzz on my door and make sure I got up. He would then cycle along as I jogged.
Although Stephen knew even less about jogging than me, he was a fairly strict coach and wouldn't let me stop for a breather until I'd done at least a couple of miles. The extraordinary thing about jogging is how quickly one builds up stamina. After a couple of weeks, a half-hour run wasn't so difficult.
Most people suggest that you start training in November, but it was obviously too late for this. I usually managed two one-hour runs a week and a couple of times did three. I meant to give up drinking for a month before hand, but that lasted all of a week. I didn't manage to quit smoking either.
My fund-raising efforts were much more successful, thanks too the wonderful website
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