Posted on Tuesday 21, November, 2023
Osteo Sarah’s journey to her first full marathon
Sarah Lawson, Osteopath
Sarah had a seamless training program ending in elation on the day but reality soon followed. Here’s her story.
Last month I achieved a long-time goal of completing my first full marathon.
I had never run a marathon before so it was crucial for me to follow a personalised training plan that was developed by a running coach. The training plan consisted of four runs per week with a mix of intervals, easy runs, and long runs. This program gave me variety in my preparation and also allowed me to go into race day knowing I had put in the work to be able to get to the finish line.
Prior to starting my marathon training, I was running once or twice per week. With the increase in my training load, it was really important that I prioritised my recovery to reduce the risk of injury. The injury prevention strategies that I implemented consisted of:
- Regular massage ball release
- Foam rolling and stretching at home before and after runs
- Osteo treatment at Spring Osteo
- A weekly studio Pilates class with Catherine also at Spring Osteo, where we worked on glute activation and core stability.
The combination of these things kept me injury-free throughout my preparation, I only had some blisters on my feet that I had to manage during my training. Unfortunately, the blisters did get pretty nasty at one stage, which encouraged me to get my feet properly assessed at Active Feet. Once I was in the correct shoe for me, the blisters healed and I was able to continue my running pain-free!
In the weeks leading up to race day, I tapered off my running, prioritised sleep, nutrition, and hydration which in combination with all the hard work of training allowed me to run my first marathon in a time that I didn’t think I was ever able to run. I could also not have been able to do it without the support of my family, friends, and the lovely patients at Spring Osteo –all of the well wishes I received were so thoughtful and I appreciated them all. Although running my first marathon was a big challenge that required a lot of dedication, preparation, and perseverance, it is something that I will most definitely be doing again!
However, with all the training I had been doing, my running has had to come to a halt for the time being. Unfortunately, I have developed a hip injury that requires some rest and osteo treatment. I am currently working with the other osteo’s at Spring Osteo to develop a treatment plan that will get me back running soon.
Stay tuned to see what I am doing to help manage my hip pain – treatment, rehab exercises in the clinical exercise studio, and things at home to get me back running and preparing for my next big run in 2024!
Thanks,
Sarah.