I don’t have a child, so I’ve never given birth but this week I feel like I know a little more about being a mother. As I was describing how my marathon training is going to a colleague the other day, she said: “Ah, that must be what it’s like when you have a baby.” You see, I’d forgotten that training for a marathon is actually quite hard.

I know that running 26.2 miles round Nottingham in September will be hard. That fact hasn’t escaped me. But I’d forgotten about the training bit being probably harder than the day itself. All those memories of solo 18 milers have been magically rose-tinted in my mind. I imagined that training would be one long romp across London a couple of nights a week, only this time it would be sunny rather than -10 degree.

In the same way that Mother Nature wipes the true horror of childbirth from women’s minds to trick them into going through it all again, my mind has been cleansed of the reality of marathon training. I’m on week 4 now and my legs are starting to remember. Back-to-back runs are tiring, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. But it’s too late now: the race is entered, the hotel is booked and this baby has to come out one way or another. And there’s no epidural for marathoning.

Juneathon days 11,12,13,14
Yes, I’ve been rubbish at the blogging bit – but in fairness I am homeless at the moment. I did however run 3 miles, 9 miles and then do core exercises on these days respectively. Today, 4 miles down the Thames at lunchtime. It was hot!