“I can’t wait…”

This entry is pretty personal. It's far more revealing than the others and much closer to home because it's about this exactly - how home life and relationships have been impacted by marathon prep. I’ve noticed that in the realm of training, this quieter side doesn’t often get spoken about but I wanted to offer a little insight into the support that has sustained my training; support that I personally couldn’t have made it this far without. And it’s something we speak about lots within this community…

At 7:30 am this morning, my husband James said to me: "I can't wait to have my wife back." Goodness. His words made me pause and I nodded in agreement. In that moment, I felt the weight of our shared journey. As he left for the office, and I looked forward to a day of working from home after a 6 am start yesterday and training in the evening, I reflected on the sacrifices made and the roles we've each assumed to accommodate the demands of marathon training.

The added dog walks, laundry, cleaning, post-run soups.
Tolerating heightened emotions and exhaustion.
Supporting me during loss.
Showing patience during weekend long runs.

When I (hopefully) cross the finishing line, put a medal around my neck and no doubt collapse to the ground, the achievement won’t be mine alone. That medal will be for James, the WEvo team and community, my family, my friends and every single person that has kept nudging me, picked up work, picked up the phone, donated, and reminded me to just keep going. An extra special shout-out to my mum for telling me to get my 2 hour 30 min run done after arriving off an early morning flight post-holiday!

Has the training been life-changing?
Yes.
Am I glad I said I would do it?
Yes.

But there's an undeniable longing to return to the rhythms of everyday life now! To reconnect with people, embrace normalcy and walk through the park (with coffee and cannoli in hand) instead of run.

P.S If it hit £1000 in donations, a special person has offered to match-fund. I’m almost there and would be extremely grateful for your support, if you’re in a position to.

On a lighter but equally important note(!) - music has fuelled every corner of my training and you can access one of my many eclectic playlists here!

You can sponsor Heather here