Ok so what else can you do with all the no marathon training time? Well I decided to go all mara-nerd! That meant an extreme amount of faffing about with my Garmin uploads to see just what completing the world’s greatest road race entailed.

So from January 5th when I first donned my trainers as part of my official 16 week training plan, until the most amazing moment when I crossed that finish line on The Mall, I had …….

• Run for 1484 hours
• Run 333 miles
• Run 51 times
• Burnt 45,786 calories ( obviously there has to be an upside!)

And despite feeling I couldn’t go much further and my right leg giving up on me, with 600m to go, I looked like I was just lovin’ it. Looking at this just makes me love running even more.

Buckingham Palace is in sight

And there was still time for a few VLM mara-nerd stats. There were 37,569 runners of which 14,367 were ladies (38%). But then it gets disappointing because only 3,372 were ladies over 45 , not quite 1% of the field ………come on LCAs you’re just not setting the bar high enough, it was one of the best experiences of my life ever.

I was placed a rather amusing 26,285th, but that still means there were just over 11,000 people behind me!

I’m determined not to become invisible as I get older, why not have my own goals as well as encouraging my children to achieve their goals. By all means, praise, push and cheer your children on , I am my girls number one fan when they perform but I do not live through their achievements only, why can’t they be proud of me too, I know they are.

They know if I say something’s tough but I know they can do it, I am talking from recent experience not something I did years before. My beautiful girls come first, I would die for them, I have never missed a school event but I still need to achieve stuff and set myself challenges.

When will I stop, I’m not sure yet. I started 40 off in high flying style…

Start the big 40 off in style

I finally gave this up at 45 when I broke my hand and couldn’t drive, can’t afford that ( kept running though!)

Kicking ass until 45

Once you’ve finished rushing round after adorable little toddlers, made primary school costumes and helped with homework they’ll be off to secondary school where you’re not quite needed in the same way. Don’t become invisible, so many LCAs lose their way. LCAs are overlooked by the media, we hear actresses and TV presenters bemoan such ageism. Loose Women……..is that it ?

Running is actually something we get better at with age, if you’re new to it,embrace it, if you’re another LCA, rediscover yourself with it. I was shocked by the VLM stats, are all marathons the same ?

What next? Well I guess I better enter the Robin Hood half marathon to give myself a little goal, but then what……..I’m sure something will come up !

Ooo I wonder how often these are?

http://www.coolrunning.com/eventcal/event/skydive-ultra/2015-01-31/

Categories: Ladies of a Certain Age Running (LCA), Race Reports

Tags: adventurous over 40, garmin, london marathon, race stats, running stats, VLM