12 Mar Walking the Walk – My 12 Marathon Challenges for 2019

Walking the Walk – My 12 marathon Challenges in 2019

Back in August last year, my girlfriend and the god mother to my youngest set up this challenge to walk twelve marthons in twelve months.

She has been training me on and off for 20 old years and said she wanted me to join a group she was setting up of middle age women to take on this challenge.  At first I baulked at the idea and was like “there’s no way in gods earth could I manage it”.  It seemed totally incomprehensible that my body was up to it.  Yes, I trained once a week and was a keen yogi but a marathon!?  And not just one twelve!

She had said that she wanted to raise money for two charities close to her heart and that we all needed a little goal for the year ahead and it was for a good cause.   After much persuasion and cajoling she convinced me that it would be the most amazing accomplishment and that I would feel a huge sense of  acheivement.   

At the time my health wasn’t great and my mindset was not in a good place.  I sat and thought this could be just the thing I need to concentrate my mind on something for others to benefit out of.  So without much thought, I bravely said yes.  I say bravely here, as this was not something I was going to take lightly and I was fearful that I wouldn’t be able to acheive it.  

So we starting our training in September with the first walk being just five miles and increasing every week after that of two mile increments.  This I could do.   Until the time came that we had to up the walks to three a week and then four with every walk getting longer.   

There were times on the walks of sixteen and eighteen miles that I just thought, I simply can’t do this, my legs and calfs were on fire and my hips felt they were going to part from my body.  I kept having to tell myself that this was for a good cause and if this was easy, everyone would be doing it.  

It came to January and after having finished the training schedule, my mind was in overload of negatives as the first walk as nearly apon us and I knew I couldn’t let her down.  It was count down and if I’m honest I was terrified I was not up for the job.   

D day arrived and at 7.30am on the 12th January we started this journey.   It was the toughest thing I’ve ever done physically but the mental strength it took to complete the last five miles was nothing I’ve ever experienced.  “Just one foot in front of the other, you can do this” was all I could tell myself.  The battle in my head was so overpowering that I found myself crying the last few miles.   

The lesson I learnt from this first walk, is that the body wants to stop but your mind and mental strength is so much more powerful than you know.  Its all about pushing out the negatives and saying yes I can.  

Needless to say I was sore for a couple of days but the body recovers very quickly.  February’s was ghastly as the weather was unkind to us but we were more prepared with food and supplements.  Our next one is in a couple of weeks but know I have the confidence to know that I will finish, god willing.  Thanks for all the support thus far.  I’ll keep you posted on the next 10!!

Thanks for the ride Niki!    Niki Day Fitness  @nikidayfitness