Catching the bug

I started running properly in June 2009 when a group of people at circuit training said they would do the Dublin Marathon, and I decided to join them. Before that I had tried running a couple of miles here and there but always ended up walking some or most of the way. The first official training run I did was a 5 mile, and it was the longest 5 miles of my life - I was wearing what can only be described as sandpaper socks that day, and gave myself oozing inch-wide blisters on the arches of both feet. Strangely, that didn't put me off running (even when I went home, ran myself a bath and was horrified to see my blisters rapidly filling up with blood from the heat of the water). I continued my training, with copious support from the group, and the longest I have gone without training since that day is one week (I was sick - my excuse). We followed an 18 week programme very like Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 schedule; our aim was to finish the marathon smiling (and for me in under 5 hours). My time for Dublin was 4:45, a little slower than I would have liked, but the most important thing I learnt from my training was that I caught the Marathon Bug, and it just won't leave.

Ten months and four pairs of runners later, I have completed one marathon (4:45), one half (2:01) and two 10 mile races (1:37 and 1:28)

As I type, I am currently on week 17 of training for the Paris Marathon. I have 11 days left to go, and although I am not feeling as energetic or excited as I did for Dublin (I attribute this to the "first-time marathon bug"), I am confident that I will reach my target time of sub-4:30... update to come!