The Berlin Marathon - An Inspiration

What an inspiring day! Even though I have been watching from the comfort of my own home, I feel completely in awe of those who have completed Berlin Marathon today. 

It was incredible to watch Kipchoge break the world record, putting in a last push over the finish line without even seeming exhausted or the slightest bit phased. Not like he had just run 26.2 miles in a record time at any rate! 26.2 miles in 2 hours 1 minute and 39 seconds. If I can be half way round my marathon in that time, I will be a very happy lady! But let's not think about that just yet! 

The person who has inspired me most today, is my sister, S. A determined and incredibly fit person, she went to Berlin chasing a PB -  A PB which will forever remain a distant dream for a mediocre runner such as myself! Unfortunately, she didn't manage to get her new PB, but she achieved so much anyway. She completed her third Berlin Marathon in 3 hours 38 minutes and 55 seconds, which to most of us is a time we can only dream of. However, this year's Berlin Marathon turned into a bit of a nightmare race for S. Sparing you any graphic and gory details, consuming liquids became a problem at mile 7 (nobody ever said running was glamorous, but more on that in a later post I am sure), which means not only did S complete a marathon in a remarkable time, she did it without any gels or glucose tablets that most runners would be relying on when running such a distance. 

So after first being sick at mile 7, a lot of people would have pulled up and called it a day, chalk it up to experience and walk the remaining 19.2 miles, or possibly not complete the race at all. But not S. She had gone to Berlin with a mission, and she wasn't going to give up that easily. With friends, family and an incredible support team there with her, she was able to dig deep and run on (still putting my pace to shame I might add!), completing her run in a very impressive time. I am totally blown away by her determination and mental strength to get through such a difficult race when I have been known to stop and walk because of a moderate incline. I am therefore going to endeavour to take some of S's determination with me as I start my own marathon journey. If she can run through her physical pain and achieve so much, surely I can just complete London '19? Here's hoping!

So whilst, Kipchoge broke the world record, S conquered the age old battle of 'mind over matter', proving how important a positive mental attitude is when approaching any and all tasks. I think we could all serve to a be a bit more like S - dig deep and just keep running, whether literally or metaphorically! 

Well done, S! You are truly inspirational! X

Smiling at the start, and smiling at the end!