Smull - The Road To The London Marathon 2021
If you don't have a passing interest in my running (or me), keep scrolling, this isn't the post for you. If you do; buckle up buttercup, it's gonna be a long ride.
Since an injury picked up during my fifth (and last) London Marathon in 2015, I have barely ran a step. Subsequently I put on weight, got diabetes....then lost 6 stones & reversed the diabetes before letting myself go again. I now sit (weight wise) somewhere in the middle, fortunately still minus the diabetes.
Having restricted myself to my cousin's Pimm's drinking London Marathon cheer squad every year since 2016, I made a decision last year to apply for the London Marathon 2020. (A decision more than a little fuelled by the aforementioned Pimm's). Also, being the 25th anniversary of my mum's death I applied to Christie's cancer hospital for a place, in addition to the ballot, to give myself even less chance to back out.
Fast forward to October 2019 and I was denied my place, by both organisations. I was a little disappointed but decided I would resume my position with Team Pimm's. BUT....life is what happens to you when you're making other plans and soon after the rejection I was contacted (independently) by two friends. Friends who, knowing my history with the race, asked if I'd run in 2020. Stand up Scott & Ian. You pair of utter bastards.
It was decision time and I had some thinking to do. Did I want to poke the hornet's nest again? Well, it turns out that I must like getting stung because a couple of days later I decided I'd go for it.
However, the first (of many) problems was this; I wanted to run but had no place. The VLM is an invite only party and right now I was stood outside the door trying to convince the bouncer to let me in because I wasn't drunk.
Step forward Scott. Scott has been hugely supportive of my tubby running over the years and after his son's diagnosis with Becker muscular dystrophy has been on his own mission, completing challenges to raise money for (and awareness of) Muscular Dystrophy. It turns out, he's now quite the triathlete and is never far from a swim, run or bike ride.
With Scott (and his son Alex) as my inspiration I am now hugely proud to be part of the 2020 London Marathon #teamorange, raising money for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Now the hard work begins, because right now my marathon ability has left the building. Only hard work will get me there and that hard work has already started. Today was my longest run since 2015, but at a mere 5km I have a looooong winter ahead to get marathon ready.
https://runkeeper.com/user/smulls/activity/1412662966?tripIdBase36=nd29py&activityList=false&
Will I do it? F*ck knows....but I've done it before, so I can do it again.
London Marathon medal number 6....I'm coming for you. You can follow me Mo Fattah, here (and other social medias) to see how it all pans out.
If you're still awake & reading this, I'll be coming for you (and your wallets) soon enough but for now, just enjoy the ride. Thanks to all so far for their support, not least of all Madam Smull who'll be left entertaining the kids whilst I'm out pounding the pavements....in the dark.
Peace & love,
Smull
a.k.a. The Tubby Runster
x
P.s. If you're really bored, you can read of my previous marathon highs and lows here:
https://www.volkszone.co.uk/VZi/showthread.php?t=637544
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=692206
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=745269
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=938281
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=1227409
#vlm2020 #londonmarathon #running #tubbyrunster #london #marathon #teamorange #mduk
If you don't have a passing interest in my running (or me), keep scrolling, this isn't the post for you. If you do; buckle up buttercup, it's gonna be a long ride.
Since an injury picked up during my fifth (and last) London Marathon in 2015, I have barely ran a step. Subsequently I put on weight, got diabetes....then lost 6 stones & reversed the diabetes before letting myself go again. I now sit (weight wise) somewhere in the middle, fortunately still minus the diabetes.
Having restricted myself to my cousin's Pimm's drinking London Marathon cheer squad every year since 2016, I made a decision last year to apply for the London Marathon 2020. (A decision more than a little fuelled by the aforementioned Pimm's). Also, being the 25th anniversary of my mum's death I applied to Christie's cancer hospital for a place, in addition to the ballot, to give myself even less chance to back out.
Fast forward to October 2019 and I was denied my place, by both organisations. I was a little disappointed but decided I would resume my position with Team Pimm's. BUT....life is what happens to you when you're making other plans and soon after the rejection I was contacted (independently) by two friends. Friends who, knowing my history with the race, asked if I'd run in 2020. Stand up Scott & Ian. You pair of utter bastards.
It was decision time and I had some thinking to do. Did I want to poke the hornet's nest again? Well, it turns out that I must like getting stung because a couple of days later I decided I'd go for it.
However, the first (of many) problems was this; I wanted to run but had no place. The VLM is an invite only party and right now I was stood outside the door trying to convince the bouncer to let me in because I wasn't drunk.
Step forward Scott. Scott has been hugely supportive of my tubby running over the years and after his son's diagnosis with Becker muscular dystrophy has been on his own mission, completing challenges to raise money for (and awareness of) Muscular Dystrophy. It turns out, he's now quite the triathlete and is never far from a swim, run or bike ride.
With Scott (and his son Alex) as my inspiration I am now hugely proud to be part of the 2020 London Marathon #teamorange, raising money for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Now the hard work begins, because right now my marathon ability has left the building. Only hard work will get me there and that hard work has already started. Today was my longest run since 2015, but at a mere 5km I have a looooong winter ahead to get marathon ready.
https://runkeeper.com/user/smulls/activity/1412662966?tripIdBase36=nd29py&activityList=false&
Will I do it? F*ck knows....but I've done it before, so I can do it again.
London Marathon medal number 6....I'm coming for you. You can follow me Mo Fattah, here (and other social medias) to see how it all pans out.
If you're still awake & reading this, I'll be coming for you (and your wallets) soon enough but for now, just enjoy the ride. Thanks to all so far for their support, not least of all Madam Smull who'll be left entertaining the kids whilst I'm out pounding the pavements....in the dark.
Peace & love,
Smull
a.k.a. The Tubby Runster
x
P.s. If you're really bored, you can read of my previous marathon highs and lows here:
https://www.volkszone.co.uk/VZi/showthread.php?t=637544
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=692206
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=745269
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=938281
https://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=1227409
#vlm2020 #londonmarathon #running #tubbyrunster #london #marathon #teamorange #mduk