Preparing for London Marathon 2023 by Nikki Edwards

After running the London Marathon back in 2021 for a charity, I was desperate to have another chance at running it. Training had gone well, I was ready and I was super excited! However, things did not end as planned. It turned out that the ‘cold’ I had was in fact covid and I was pretty ill after the run, not even taking my medal out of my bag for two weeks! I was so disappointed.

Fast forward to the CMRC Christmas party, December 2022, and the club place ballot. Last year’s club runner had the honour of pulling the next person’s name out. Drum roll, please….me! What a Christmas present!

Training started in earnest again on Boxing Day – 17 weeks out. I have followed a plan that has up to 5 runs a week – most of which I have run at the club sessions, with club friends or the weekend social groups - building up to 44 miles in the peak weeks. It has been so easy to stick to the training as it is just part of my social life; miles with friends are easy and enjoyable, chatting as we run and trying many different cafés for coffee and cake for post-run refuelling. What’s not to love?

I have incorporated a few races during the training including the Club Championship Parkrun at Wyre Forest and the Ironbridge Half Marathon, which I’ll actually run as part of a long, slow run. Three weeks out from London, a group of running friends are heading off to Prague for the weekend and we will be squeezing in one of the Super Half series half marathons while there.

So, with a month to go to London, once again training has gone well, I feel ready and I am super, super excited especially as my family will be coming down to support me this time (I wouldn’t let them last time) along with the CMRC ‘Red Army’ who are just the best supporters in the world!

Thank you CMRC for the chance to run the London Marathon again. I will be wearing my vest with pride.