"I went from zero to hero in 2 years!"
How I did it
In 2007, I was in pretty bad shape, having never been much into sport for my entire life. I had a real urge to achieve something tangible in my life, and a couple of friends suggested I do a marathon. A marathon was a far stretch considering my lack of fitness, however it was an inspiring goal.
The marathon I ran was in 2009, 2 years later, which is how long it took me to go from a most basic level of fitness to running the marathon in less than 4 hours 30 mins.
Some important factors in getting in shape for the marathon are:
Regular running - you will need to invest a lot of time into this, running a marathon is not an option unless you put the time into training;
good running shoes are essential - they really make running easier and are much better for your joints - don't aim to economise in this area;
good balanced nutrition; and
lots of water - keep hydrated.
I didn't have a formal training schedule, but aimed to get out on the road running as often as I could. Generally, I did one long run every weekend (of at least 10 - 15 miles, slowly working up to marathon distance) and several shorter runs every week.Good luck to anyone undertaking this goal.
I didn't really change my diet if I am honest, and I didn't give up alcohol - this would have been too much of a sacrifice. Instead, I just focused on getting out there and running, running, running.
I wish everyone doing this the best!
In 2007, I was in pretty bad shape, having never been much into sport for my entire life. I had a real urge to achieve something tangible in my life, and a couple of friends suggested I do a marathon. A marathon was a far stretch considering my lack of fitness, however it was an inspiring goal.
The marathon I ran was in 2009, 2 years later, which is how long it took me to go from a most basic level of fitness to running the marathon in less than 4 hours 30 mins.
Some important factors in getting in shape for the marathon are:
Regular running - you will need to invest a lot of time into this, running a marathon is not an option unless you put the time into training;
good running shoes are essential - they really make running easier and are much better for your joints - don't aim to economise in this area;
good balanced nutrition; and
lots of water - keep hydrated.
I didn't have a formal training schedule, but aimed to get out on the road running as often as I could. Generally, I did one long run every weekend (of at least 10 - 15 miles, slowly working up to marathon distance) and several shorter runs every week.Good luck to anyone undertaking this goal.
I didn't really change my diet if I am honest, and I didn't give up alcohol - this would have been too much of a sacrifice. Instead, I just focused on getting out there and running, running, running.
I wish everyone doing this the best!
Tips & Advice
I found music really useful, and I would have found it difficult to train for long periods without it.
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James 
London marathon - here I come!
I found out a couple of weeks ago that I did not get a place in the London marathon, which is to be held on 17th April 2011. I was disappointed as I had already been training ready for this, I was really upset.
However, today I just got a charity place running for one of my favourite charities - the Samaratons! I am really excitied now, but have had to pledge a minimum funraising commitment of £2,000... quite a lot, so will have to start thinking about fundraising soon. In the meantime, I am going to put on my trainers and get out on the road - motivation is right up!
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