What it’s really like to train for a marathon

Now 12 weeks out from London, Jack Rathborn provides an update on training for the ultimate test of running

Training for a marathon can take over your life (Getty)

So here we are almost a year on after needing the best part of half an hour to drag myself over barely 100 meters after the finish line of the 2019 Brighton Marathon, drowned in sweat and regret in equal amounts. Yet a healthy dose of amnesia ensured I jumped at the opportunity to run the Virgin Money London Marathon this year in what will be my second attempt at 26.2.

After just four weeks of training, I quickly remembered how much the challenge consumes you. There is the constant reminder at home: around-the-clock washing and drying required once deep into training.

Not to mention the urge to provide updates about your training to anybody unfortunate enough to cross your path or innocently ask you how it’s going. So patience among friends and family is certainly appreciated throughout the build-up.

Brands do a superb job to glamorise the sport and while the glory is undoubtedly worth it at the finish line – once you rediscover the feeling in your legs – there’s nothing like training for a spring marathon in the UK to humble you and test your commitment.

My latest run being an example and lack of preparation after opting to venture down to Battersea Park for the first time in a while. With daylight well and truly gone, I made the mistake of concentrating on my 800m repeats, rather than my surroundings. And after that final lap, I accidentally exited at the Chelsea Bridge side, culminating in an extra two miles to the run. Cue a quick sum in my head to work out the impact on my total weekly mileage.

This time around the temptation has been to become obsessed with the watch and the numbers surrounding every run. After picking up an injury last time out, for what could have been a number of reasons, resisting the temptation to go too far or too fast has been the best advice given from several experienced marathoners.

There’s still no overriding goal yet though, after sneaking under four hours last time. After failing to race during the training last time, I’m hoping a half-marathon at the end of February will give me a better indication and inspire a proper gameplan for the big day.

For now though, it’s trying to remain upbeat despite the training consuming most of my evenings, as well as resisting the urge to pass on days where motivation is severely lacking. Training, for now, is consisting of one long run per week, with the distance gradually increasing: both in terms of its entirety and chunks of the run where I attempt to speed up to marathon pace for a mile or two at a time. Then I’ll do one speed session; I’m currently alternating the distance of the intervals each week from 400m to one or two mile repeats. The rest of the miles are done at an easy pace where, if necessary, I can make a phone call.

There is no exact science to this, yet spend enough time out in the elements and I hope to be among the 40,000 to have soaked up a special atmosphere for several hours before finishing at The Mall.