SSE Reward member, Aoife Murray, was one of our 150 lucky members to win entry to the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon earlier this year. Check out her blog below to find out how her 26.2 mile journey went.
In the past my approach to running had been somewhat mixed. Alternating between loving the feel of the pavement under my running shoes and cursing Mother Nature for giving us legs to run on in the first place, I had completed a few 5k and 10k races as well as two half-marathons. But New Year's Eve 2015 saw me in a determined mood. 2016 was going to be the year I would tackle my very first marathon! My husband, a marathon veteran, was very impressed with this New Year’s resolution, his enthusiasm contrasting with the sinking dread in my stomach as I envisaged the work ahead.
But here’s the strangest confession, I really loved the training! A 26-week training period beginning in May and ending in October is ideal for Irish weather conditions - I was blessed with a very mild summer and of course the grand stretch in the evenings. A summer holiday in France was punctuated by early morning (sweaty) runs and the highlight of a work trip to New York was my training in Central Park. Before I knew it, I was running 20 miles on a Sunday (three hours and 20 minutes of training entitles you to a pretty big Sunday lunch) and a four hour thirty minutes marathon was within my grasp. Winning the SSE Reward competition meant I also had a free entry to the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon, surely a sign I was bound for glory!
30th October provided the perfect marathon conditions, slightly chilly but still with no rain. On the packed LUAS journey into town, surrounded by other marathon runners, I took some deep breaths and reminded myself that everyone keeps saying the training is the hard work, the marathon itself is fun. I couldn’t imagine how 26.2 miles could be described as ‘fun’ but like a brain-washed cult member I really wanted to believe!
Following the signs for my departure wave and lining up close to the very friendly four and a half hour pacers I made sure I was prepped. I double-tied my laces, checked my number was safety-pinned in place and that my running watch was ready. But the one thing I wasn’t fully prepared for was the emotion of the day. As soon as the countdown ended and we were off I could feel the tears prickling the corners of my eyes. I was actually running a flipping marathon!
And what a marathon it is. Nicknamed ‘the friendly marathon’, it’s easy to understand its popularity with runners from across the globe. The streets were lined with spectators roaring us on, punctuated by familiar faces, urging us to run the best race we could. It wasn’t until mile 18 that I began to feel the effects, at which point my sister and mum appeared out of nowhere, waving a banner and running alongside me, providing the burst of energy and positivity I needed. Mile 21 saw me near UCD and wondering if I had met the famed runners ‘wall’. My knees and ankles were crying out and mile 26.2 seemed very far away as I slowed down and my goal of a four and a half hour finish slipped away. However, the roar of the crowd kept me going.
As soon as 26 miles were behind me, my husband and in-laws had urged me through the final push and the finish line was in sight, the tears from earlier in the day returned. I realised the marathon was indeed fun, a new type of pleasure that can only be reached through the pain.
A few weeks later I’m still proud as punch and planning on signing up again for next year’s race. I feel like the member of a secret marathon finishers’ club and would recommend the whole process to any marathon virgins considering taking the plunge. With a training plan to follow and a support system cheering for you the whole way you can’t go wrong!
Aoife Murray lives in Dublin with her husband and works for a non-profit children’s book organisation. She’s already looking forward to the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon 2017.