Taking on the challenge and the dream of a lifetime to run the London Marathon isn’t something to be taken lightly. When I found out that SHP had chosen me to run for them, it only took moments for the feeling of elation to descend into my stomach, dropping at the thought of actually running an entire 42 km.

My journey with SHP began a few years ago when as Vice-President for King’s College London Raising & Giving Society, we made the decision to choose SHP as one of our charity partners. Since then I have always been keen to continue working with SHP, especially with homelessness in London rifer than ever. For me, running the London Marathon is a challenge that will last just a few hours, but for those without a home or at risk of losing their home, the challenge is continuous.

I would be lying if I said the 16-week training plan I’ve set out for myself is easy (especially when Storm Ciara thought she could get involved). It’s pushing me to my absolute limit, squeezing every minute and every bit of energy. The hope is that on the big day I somewhat enjoy the run – however crazy that sounds! I’m currently running around 50 km a week over four days and filling up the other days with swimming, yoga and spin classes. Oh, and most importantly of all, a rest day.

My top tips for training:

1. Be invested. Marathon training is more often than not a solo sport. So make your training plan tailored to you, to what you enjoy. Pick songs for your playlist that really get you moving. Choose routes that are different, stimulating and scenic. Make use of each run to clear your mind, ground yourself and gain clarity.
2. Treat yourself. You’ve already dropped the meanest and toughest challenge on yourself so there’s no need to make it harder. Eat that entire tub of ice cream, take that long bubble bath with a glass of wine in hand. The little things go a long way when it comes to keeping yourself motivated. I once read that three glasses of champagne a week during marathon training is shown to be beneficial – I can’t argue with that.
3. Reflect. Keep a running and training diary. At times when you’re finding it tough you can look back and see how far your journey has taken, how much stronger you’ve become and even more, how close the end goal is becoming.

 

Besides the running, fundraising has led me to filming a lip sync video, ditching alcohol for the whole of January and giving up coffee in February. I urge every single person reading this to take on a challenge. Regardless of who you are, if you have faith in yourself, determination and drive to make a change then you have everything you need to make a difference. Go for it and be proud of it!