From 0 to a Marathon in 22 weeks. - Page 12 - Beginners

baggie 9999

10/10/2012 at 20:40

Ive been reading this amazing jouney youve been on steph, and gotta say your inspirational. good luck sunday but think you wil p**s it..EASY

booktrunk

10/10/2012 at 20:59

Hehe thanks I love that

just what I needed to hear

Syeda25

11/10/2012 at 00:20

Wow, Steph your journey really is inspiring. I'm just at the beginning of the same kind of journey ready to run the Edinburgh Marathon next May. I have never been able to run and could also do with losing weight so reading your story has really helped me get motivated. I did my first ever "run" on Monday - 2 mins of running, 3 mins of walking x7 and that felt hard enough! The journey to marathon fitness felt very, very far away and an impossible one to get to so thank you for writing this. It has really made me believe this is not only possible but worthwhile and a life affirming journey to go on. Good luck! You're going to be amazing.

booktrunk

11/10/2012 at 20:48

Thanks Syeda

I think if there is one thing to take from my journey it is don't be afraid, just get out there and enjoy yourself.

I ran 6.4km / 4miles in 47:56 today.

That's it for me now. The next time I put my trainers on will be on my way to the marathon.

I'm 90% excited and 10% nervous. The nerves are to do with not finishing, just because i want it so badly. I know there ae people who say u should face done x smaller runs, but this is about being able to look at myself in the mirror and say to myself that I spent 2012 loosing 5 stone and running 26.2 miles.

Perezoso

11/10/2012 at 22:55

Hi Steph,

I've spent a couple of hours today reading through this thread from the beginning and I just had to put finger to keyboard to tell you that you are a truly inspirational person, you should be phenomenally proud of yourself, and I'm sure you're going to nail it this Sunday!

A couple of things you said really stood out for me:

booktrunk wrote (see)

Oh I have developed this really weird and embarrassing habit, wonder if anyone else has it, when I am trying to relax and take a long breath out I sometimes end up almost like a horse breathing out and my lips wobble and I almost sound horsey, I almost have to stop running and laugh at myself.

I've just started training for my first marathon (Madrid, April 2013) and the horse breathing is something I've quickly made friends with! The other thing you said that resonated with me was this:

booktrunk wrote (see)

I can be a little stubborn at times this might sound daft, but I became ashamed of myself. I felt that I had got lazy and let myself go, so I'm being pretty harsh with myself a boot camp to get my self pride back

This really is nail on the head stuff - I feel exactly the same way, and I thank you for carrying the torch of inspiration throughout this thread.

Good luck on Sunday, I'm sure you'll be great!

Best regards,

Perezoso

booktrunk

12/10/2012 at 12:38

I've got a big grin on my face reading this.

I'm at work trying to concentrate and not doing a very good job of it. Even my colleagues are getting excited and i'm getting good luck emails and phone calls.

I'm thinking of making some fresh pasta tonight as much to keep me occupied as anything

sinbad113

12/10/2012 at 19:15

Hi All,

And so you should have a big you have trained hard, and slow but sure all your plans are coming together. Enjoy every minute of it.

booktrunk

12/10/2012 at 23:50

So.... The big weekend is finally here

Food plan:

Sat AM - Special K with red berries
Lunch - Homemade 8" Subway with chicken
Tea - Fresh homemade pasta with chicken breast in a mushroom sauce

Sun Early - Two bagels - with salmon n phillie.
Post run - no idea - possibly a chilli dog from Ed's Diner
Tea.... Going to my local butchers tomorrow and asking him to cut me the thickest rib eye steak he's ever sold

So I think I'm all set, will pack my bum bag in the morning and fix number to t-shirt.

Oh, amazingly my wonderful friends have helped me out by the way by donating ??950 so far to my just giving site, I'm rather proud that I'm hoping to break the ??1,000 barrier.

http://www.justgiving.com/Stephanie-Gelder

Perezoso

12/10/2012 at 23:54

That's fantastic! Very good luck for Sunday!!!

booktrunk

13/10/2012 at 03:44

It's funny, It's 3:35am and I cannot sleep.

No idea why... Ok well I do but I'm relaxed I'm fine. All I can now is just count down the hours. I'm 41 meant to be an adult etc... and yet I cannot believe how much doing this silly marathon means to me.

I mean we plod through our lives doing things for other people. Family, friends, etc... But this has been completely and utterly just for me.

Thinking about it, how often can we just do things for ourselves these days. It's all for me and I guess that's why I'm awake now, because I really want to achieve something I want to see my name on the last page of the timing sheet

It's not about how fast, it's about finishing something I started. I don't know if others sometimes feel the same, this is one thing I have complete control over and I sooooo want to succeed.

I guess I really should try to sleep now,

Steph x

Edited: 13/10/2012 at 03:47

sinbad113

13/10/2012 at 07:29

Hi all,

I have not read all the posts to this thread. But over the past 6 errks or so of coming in, I have seen some highs and lows of people in this thread.

Booktrunk/Steph? you have worked so hard for this moment, enjoy every minute of it.

Don't worry about not being able able to sleep and being excited, its all part of your experience. After all being a an adult is like being a big kid. Hope that made sense.

Jen Hart

13/10/2012 at 13:19

Hi Sinbad, nice to see you! how's training going for Manchester?

Steph, your enthusiasm is contagious! I, looking forward to tomorrow too. Will look out for you although your description is a bit vague!

Just one more sleep!

sinbad113

13/10/2012 at 13:21

Hi all,.

Hi Jen, its going slow but sure, thanks for asking.

I forgot you said you were both running in the same marathon. Have a great run you two

booktrunk

13/10/2012 at 13:22

Spot the now skinnier elephant at the back "3249"

Jen Hart

13/10/2012 at 13:42

Sinbad, It's Steph doing the marathon, I'm just the half! Glad your training is going well, Mines pretty much always slow but happy to keep plodding on.

Steph, I'm 837 (with my chip now firmly placed back in the bib!) and your suggestion of a big ribeye has me going all Homer Simpson..

booktrunk

13/10/2012 at 13:47

Been and got the steak

basically a 1lb slab of rib-eye

looks lovely!!

sinbad113

13/10/2012 at 14:25

Hi all,

Lol with Jen and Steph, im still a little confused sort of . So your doing a half marathon, and booktrunk the full marathon.

Jen, Im the size of Homer Simpson so can, but slowly losing the weight.

Booktrunk, depends how your going to cook the steak, mines well done please

booktrunk

13/10/2012 at 14:43

I've bees educated on steaks... I was well done only. I'm now down to medium but cannot eat it if there is a pool of blood at all.

booktrunk

13/10/2012 at 14:55

This is what I look like.

http://m.facebook.com/?_rdr#!/stephanie.gelder.7?__user=100001678641283

sinbad113

13/10/2012 at 17:01

Hi all,

Just thought that I would come one and wish you both a fantastic run Sunday. I'm convinced it will go great for you both.

I may not catch you if I leave to add a post later.