Runner’s Spotlight: Izzy At London Marathon

I’m Izzy, a teacher from Surrey and I have only very recently discovered my love of running. Although I have always loved sport and enjoyed playing a range of team games, such as hockey and football, running isn’t something I felt I was naturally good at or participated in. Like many people during Covid-19, when gyms shut, I put on my trainers and kept fit by running mostly 5 or 10Ks. It wasn’t until last November that I decided to put my distance running to the test and run a half marathon with my friend around the streets of Yorkshire. This wasn’t an organised race but was still so much fun! We had a mini team of supporters who followed us round with water and sweets, and the energy I felt after completing the race was like nothing I’d felt before after sport. It was this feeling that made me apply for my first ever race and marathon.

I love my job as a teacher and particularly enjoy working with students who need a little extra support. My brother has Down’s syndrome so I think my passion and dedication in supporting those with additional needs is inspired by wanting the best for him. I applied for the London Marathon through the Down’s Syndrome Association and felt both ecstatic and nervous to be chosen. The mixed feelings of excitement for the challenge and lack of belief that you’ll make it to the end is, I am sure, similar to many runners when they see the confirmation email or receive an acceptance phone call. Not only did I want to get a good time and make my brother proud, but I also wanted to raise as much money for the charity as possible. They are extremely supportive for both families and individuals with Down’s syndrome; raising awareness that people with Down’s syndrome can and do live happy and fulfilled lives.

I decided to use the app Coopah running because I needed both structure and accountability in my training. The app is very easy to use and can be flexible around your social life and work commitments. The platform has video workouts, syncs with my Garmin watch and has the option to speak to a coach who is knowledgeable, supportive and a cheerleader for your running. It is such good value for money and I have recommended it to so many people. I was lucky enough to stay mostly injury free throughout my training but the biggest challenge for me was keeping my training on track throughout the summer. I started a new job, moved house and had a wedding in Guatemala. All of these huge life events added complications to my plan, but I felt the flexibility of the app and support from my coach really helped me keep up with the training and get a fairly good first marathon time.

During the week of the marathon, I felt incredibly nervous and like many runners had added complications of how to get there on marathon day due to the train strikes. Luckily, I managed to stay in a hotel the night before but this did alter my routine slightly. I know everyone says, “DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING FOR RACE DAY”, but I genuinely thought switching squash to flat Lucozade wouldn’t affect my race. During the first 15 miles I felt great and was on track to achieve my sub 4 target. Around mile 17, however, I had terrible tummy bloat and felt very sick. I had to do a combination of running and walking which had never happened on my training runs. It could’ve been the nerves/anxiety on race day or the Lucozade switch. At around mile 22 I was sick everywhere and for some strange reason felt sorry for the supporters watching me, even though I was the one being sick! This really did give me a new lease of life and I managed to finish with an official time of 4:14. Although I am still a little gutted that I didn’t achieve my target, I am proud of finishing the race and have developed a love of running along the way. For me, running gets me out of my head and into the fresh air. I always feel better at the end of any session and would urge anyone struggling with their mental health to put their trainers on and give it a try. My top tips for completing a marathon are soak in the atmosphere during the race, the energy from the crowds is like no other. Do not change anything for race day, even small things might make a difference. Try not to focus on time and enjoy it, you might not ever get to run London again.

Well done Izzy for completing the London Marathon and for your amazing fundraising efforts towards Down’s Sydrome Association.

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The Coopah app is supported on both Android and iOS devices.

You can download the Coopah app for Android devices from the Google Play Store. Users of iOS devices can find it in the App Store.