Running a marathon

So would I do it again? I went into it saying no. One and done.

That said, lying there under the blue sky watching my muscles writhe around, in the park in Southampton city centre, there was a part of me going, I think I could have done better knowing what I know now about race strategy.

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I feel so in tune with and in touch with myself. If I have any regrets about my running career it’s that I wish I’d started running earlier than my early 30s, and I wish I’d started taking it more seriously earlier than I did.

And that’s another lesson I can take more generally which is to try more and if I’m going to commit, then commit faster.

Matt Webb’s take on running a marathon strikes a nerve with anyone who has covered that distance. You can’t believe you’ve put yourself through that, then you start to wonder if you could do it again.

My first marathon was in 2013, when I was 25 years old. It was hard, namely because of a frustrating knee issue. But I also had the advantage of being young and recovering quickly. The next year I dropped an hour off my time.

But now, staring into the unknown and turning 38 this year, I do wonder whether large events are still on the horizon.

One thing I’d encourage anyone who is interested—even if you can’t reach the heights you’d imagine, there’s so much good to be done in pushing your body beyond what you thought possible. Over the last few years I’ve maintained about 10-15 miles a week. It’s a small number, but enough to keep my lungs and legs in basic shape.

Hearing Matt’s story is inspiring and makes me wonder what could come next.