London marathon place!! Am I mad to think I can do this?!

No need to give up wine myfavourite, in fact we may need it to get to the start line! Maybe just not a whole bottle the night before a long run...
Good luck with training, I am not a speedster either and don't know anyone else doing it, so will just grit my teeth and get on with it I think!

Great to find this thread, I got a ballot place and have one week left to pay for and accept it. I have run half marathons in the past but the furthest I've run in the past year is 10 miles.

I am part of a club but the majority doing London have good for age or championship places so are speedsters. I know of one other ballot place but he's a speedster too. A few are doing Brighton, Manchester or Southampton so hopefully I will be able to find people to do long runs with.

At the moment I run 2-3 times a week (one run is often replaced by a bike ride), swim once and do one strength and conditioning session. So I think all I really need to do is the long runs, I'm doing the rest already.

I am not giving up wine!

Ah, thanks MumOnTheRun! Will ponder the tricks that worked for me and report back soon!

Some great tips there fenella

Will use some of those myself.... any more??

Oh, and also read Alexandra Heminsley's book 'Run like a Girl' - that helped me more than anything!

I haven't done a marathon, but I've done several half marathons. I'm not at all one of life's natural runners - I'm short, busty, and used to be extremely obese, but here's what I found really worked for me:

Before anything get your clothes and shoes sorted! As far as possible you want to train in the kit you will run in on the day so you know every seam is comfortable.

1. Don't wait, fretting, until one of the prescribed plans says to start - start NOW.
2. Set a structure to the overall week and stick to it. If you swap days around that's fine, but you have to come out of the week having done the 3 sessions. So for the half-marathon mine was 2x 8km runs in the week (for no reason other than it was the distance from my flat to my office so I'd run to work!), then a longer run at the weekend. And what I would do there is start out running as far as I could comfortably manage at the time (10kms) then after 2 weeks, I would add another km, then 2 weeks later another km....
3. The carrot. I always made sure I planned my long run route with a 'carrot on a stick' aspect to it - so I would aim to run 12 miles, on a route conveniently bringing me to a stop at the door of Topshop, which meant I had earned the jeans I wanted and could nip in for them. Or I would plan a loop that went past lots of scenic markers (I was living in London at the time), meaning each one I got a 30 second breather for a mid-run selfie which I could look back on to motivate myself for next time.
4. The drop-off. If all else fails and you really, really can't be arsed to go for your main run - take public transport or get a lift until you are the distance away from home that you have to run. Then you are forced to run back in order to get home!

Good luck - you can do it!!!!

Runmummyrun are great, very supportive and lots of good advice too.

Gobbledegook mid post there.... apologies.... should say ' when I ran it etc'

Respect the distance!!

Seriously op, if you train for it and focus on it then it's very achievable.

When I did ur I gallon back now and have no memory of the first ten miles or so! I was swept along with the crowd..... I can remember the feeling and a few milestone moments

Join runmummyrun on Facebook!! Lots of ladies there doing it too. Great company and motivation and cheerpoints at the vmlm too! Come join us

when it got to the day i just thought 'oh crap it, give it a try and see what i can do'

I put on Batman begins soundtrack and went into 'batman zone' and went for it. I cried my eyes out when i finished and i couldn't walk for about 2 days

it was the best feeling in the world at the end, i think even more satisfing because i'd done no training and shire batman force got me through.

go for it, it's such a rush and amazing sense of achievement

Ha really pinkpantsrock?! I ahem started my training now but part of me hopes the on the day energy gets me through!!

I did brighton marathon on no training, ran the first 13.5 miles and hit brick wall, than walk/jogged the remaining 12.5, crosses finished line in 6hrs.

I signed up with all good intentions of training, got up the about 11 miles in augs but then went on holiday, then it was winter and before i knew it, it was april and time for the big run and i hadn't put on my trainers since that was 11 mile run in augs the previous year!!!!!

Hi, I'm running my first ever marathon at the London Marathon (I've only really run 10km up until now) and nervous and excited! I got a charity place affect years of ballot rejection. I'm writing a blog to stay on the straight and narrow: swappingginfortrainers.wordpress.com

Any hint and tips or training buddies are very welcome!!

Yay, other marathoners.

I got my charity space back in June and have been freaking out since then. I'm now training for a half in November. I did 11 miles yesterday, it was hard, some big hills but I did it. I'm a bit achy today but I'm proud.

I started running after loosing my dd2 at 22 weeks as a way of dealing with grief and low self esteem. I literally cannot believe how far I've come since then.

I've downloaded the training plan on the vlm site, there's one for people who have been running more than 8 weeks but first marathon. It's 3 runs a week, long, recovery and speed. I've been following a similar half training plan and it really works for me.

Well I didn't get a place and it's mixed feelings for me. I would have taken the place but relieved to have not had to make the choice.

I ran in 2012 for charity and have unsuccessfully entered 4 ballots since then.

I really did say never ever again but each year I've been going back for more

London is fabulous. The support is absolutely phenomenal!

I think it's probably down to moderation stripy

Two people so far have suggested I need to give up wine in order to run a marathon... Not a chance

Thank god ive found some equally unprepared and slightly terrified fellow runners

I got my ballot place today. I suspected something was afoot when the magazine came in a porn magazine style wrapper rather than clear polythene, but it was still a shock.

Anyway, I'd just like to throw into the ring that I haven't run for about 8 months So in terms of a head start, you lot are already ahead of me

If you have the motivation and time then go for it!

I just got in and excited and scared in equal measures. Also first time applying and wasn't running at all at the time of entering the ballot. I did a half marathon before having kids and nothing since- eldest is now 6, but since May have worked my way up to a comfortable 8miles

Do it-with th knowledge that you can always pull out if you feel you can't.

Also you can raise money for a charity of your choice but with no pressure or targets.

I did it a few years ago and it was hard but even now I still feel so proud I did it,

Waiting to hear if I'm in ...

Ooh, you lucky thing. Yes, if your ambition is just to finish you can train for it in six months doing 3 sessions a week if you're committed to the training.

Make sure you get your name printed on the front of your running shirt for the marathon. You'll get people cheering you from mile 1 all the way round - the atmosphere is great.

3 times a week is fine, one speed session, one long run and one base session.