Getting ready for the marathon

The Final Countdown: Marathon Week with Sore Knees and Stubborn Grit

Ten years ago, I ran a marathon. I was younger, faster, and a lot more full of myself. I was also slightly less creaky in the knees. Fast forward to now — race day is this Sunday, and while I haven’t done as much running as I’d planned (life has a way of stepping in with its size 12s), I’m still heading to that start line.

Why? Because I still can (may be)

This week is all about rest, eating well, and stretching like it’s my part-time job. No heroic last-minute long runs. No punishment miles to “make up” for what didn’t get done. The work’s in the bank — or at least enough of it to get me round the course with some grit, a bit of humour, and hopefully without having to be scraped off the pavement at mile 22.

I’ve been a runner for years. I’m not new to this game. But I’m also not pretending I’m the same runner I was a decade ago. Back then, I thought PBs mattered. Now? It’s about longevity. Movement. Being able to do this — and other things I love — for decades to come.

Yes, my knees complain. Yes, I stretch more than I sprint. But I’m doing this for future me — the 60-, 70-, even 80-year-old version of myself who (hopefully) will still be lacing up trainers and hitting the road, even if it’s just for a few feel-good miles.

I don’t need to win. I just need to finish. To smile at the start line, survive the middle, and soak in that glorious feeling at the end — that buzz that says, "You did it. You’re still doing it."

So here's to all of us out there giving it a go, even when the knees are knackered and the training’s been more “good intentions” than Strava segments. Marathon Sunday, I'm coming for you — slightly older, slightly wiser, and still very much in the game.