Sometimes, there’s geese in the way.

We are getting to the pointy end of marathon training.

It’s pointy for lots of reasons.

The mileage per week is getting quite high.

The long runs are, well… getting pretty long now.

The speed and tempo efforts are lets be honest, brutal.

The looming date of the run is intimidating.

The weather hasn’t hit that point where it’s a joy to be outside yet.

And sometimes, there are geese in the way.

I won’t lie - marathon training is hard. Whether you’re going for a sub 2 hours or it’ll take you over 6, it’s tough out there.

I heard somewhere that the marathon is a celebration of human struggle.

On the day itself, it’s the heavy silence of tired people as hundreds of feet at mile 23 are just trying to get to the end. Feet that have lost the buzz of the start and can’t get too excited about the end just yet.

But on these training days, it’s the struggle in the faces of the other runners I meet now.

Our paths cross in the middle of nowhere.

Everyone is doing their “long run” and at this time of year, those long runs are likely to be 14+ miles.

Everyone looking tired.

Most look up with a smile and a hello.

That shared look of understanding. A slight grimace, then back into it.

I kind of love that about running. It’s solitary but communal. You’re on your own but you can connect with a glance.

And what’s really kept me going this season, is the sheer enthusiasm of the brilliant people who have sponsored me. That has carried me further than I expected, so thank you.

If you’d like to carry me further still, my fundraising link is here!