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  • I’m Running My First Marathon! | London Marathon Diaries

    I’m Running My First Marathon! | London Marathon Diaries


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    I'm Running My First Marathon! | London Marathon Diaries

    On the 18th October 2024 – my 40th birthday – the opportunity to run the 2025 London Marathon landed in my lap. 

    [Just a little disclaimer that I’ve paid for my place and am not being sponsored by any brands. I fully want to do this for me, and me alone.]

    I’ll be honest, the marathon distance has never been one that’s allured me, however, I’d always thought it was something I’d like to do at least once. And if I was gonna run 26.2 miles without being chased, it had to be London Marathon so I could tick off another challenge towards achieving the London Classics Medal. 

    In case you’re not aware of the London Classics; you can earn the biggest medal you’ve ever seen by completing the London Marathon, RideLondon 100 and Swim Serpentine (2 miles) which basically equates to an epic triathlon. It doesn’t matter when you do them, just as long as you do them in order to be eligible for the medal.

    Whilst I seemingly ticked off RideLondon with no issues, swimming 2 miles will be the biggest feat for me but I’m gonna give it my best.

    Running a marathon? I’ve been around enough marathon runners and trained marathon runners to make me feel confident I can do this. I don’t have any time to beat; the goal is simple, to finish. 

    “I don’t have any time to beat; the goal is simple, to finish.”

    As I haven’t run consistently for a couple of years now due to health issues, I started from scratch with 6 months to train.

    I calculated that I would just about have enough time to complete a version of Couch To 5km before I start a beginners marathons training plan for 16-18 weeks. And what do they say about making plans?! Something like God laughs?!

    I started Couch To 5k strong then got hit with a virus with took me out for 3 weeks of December. By the time I was well again, it was straight into week 1 of what would be my “marathon training block”.

    I hadn’t fully decided on a plan to follow but my top options were:

    • beginners plan from London Marathon 
    • Hal Hidden 18 week novice plan 
    • Garmin plan 
    • Strava plan 
    • Hire a coach 

    I opted for the beginners plan from London Marathon which started with a simple 30minute walk. I also love that it’s a paper plan I can keep on my desk, ticking off the sessions as I complete them.

    As I’m writing this, it’s mid February and I’ve one more session to complete week 6. Weeks 1-4 were very much base building and week 5 was a deload / recovery week. I’m super proud that I’ve managed to complete all but one of my sessions so far.

    My Training For London Marathon

    Here’s a little insight into what I’ve been up to so far, and my plan for the last 10 weeks before race day on Sunday 27th April 2025.

    I’ve Been Auditioning My Running Kit

    I realised that as much as these training sessions are to prepare me for event day, they’re also the perfect opportunity to test out kit ready to decide which pieces make the cut for race day. I’m lucky that I have plenty of kit and shoes to use rather than having to buy anything new.

    Plus, running in Winter is no joke. I’ve run on ice, through flooded fields and on the rare occasion in sunshine below 0 degrees. You goto check out my tips on how to dress for running in cold weather.

    My top pieces of kit so far have been:

    • a booband / boobuddy
    • my gore-tex trail running shoes
    • a buff
    • shokz headphones
    • leggings with pockets
    • waterproof running jacket

    I put together all my favourite items used on my marathon training journey here in this Marathon Essentials Amazon Idea List.

    Mixing up my running shoes has been one of the biggest trial and errors! My favourite speed shoes now create a lot of tightness in my lower legs where my glutes are obviously not at the same strength they used to be.

    So I’m slowly reintroducing those into my shorter runs especially as I’m now mixing up the pace with some tempo intervals.

    I Eat parkrun Sandwiches

    While my distances have been quite low, I’ve loved either just going to parkrun or sandwiching it in between, before or after whatever distance is left on my plan.

    My local parkrun is basically a mudfest that sometimes sucks the confidence out of me but I have also been going to other local venues where I can enjoy mud free running and realise I’m not as slow and terrible of a runner as the mud makes me feel.

    Getting Strong & Staying Injury Free

    Before I started marathon training, my base week consisted of one HIIT session, one strength session, one core session, a weekly swimming lesson and two (intense) indoor cycling rides.

    And this has pretty much remained the same as it’ll help me to get stronger and remain injury free.

    If / when I need to, I skip the HIIT or Strength so that I don’t overdo it – in deload week for example.

    I do know that I need to add more stretching, foam rolling and mobility work into my week, even if they’re short sessions along with regular sports massages.

    I’ve been using Urban for just over a year now – it’s an app for booking massages and other treatments at home. You can use my referral code – RELLELIH5 – to get 20% off your first massage.

    Managing My Mind For London Marathon

    This is kinda threefold. First up, not sharing the fact I’ve been training for London Marathon has meant I’ve been able to keep the ‘noise’ at bay. As much as everyone would want to help, and share their experiences, I felt I needed to not hear any of it to begin with as my journey is so unique to me.

    Now that I’ve done a ‘soft launch’, as one friend called it, it’s been nice having more people to chat to about how training is going. As long as we’re not talking paces etc, I’m happy as it means we’re less likely to compare ourselves and our progress.

    The second part of managing my mind is really understanding that a marathon takes as much mental strength as it does physical. I think we going this strength by turning up for our training sessions, even when we might not feel like it.

    Ans feeding into this point, I’ve had to use alot of self talk when out running. Things like reminding myself to ‘trust the process’ and knowing that no matter how hard it might feel now, I need to remember where I started.

    And finally, when a run hasn’t gone to plan, I’ve reminded myself that it doesn’t matter. What counts is the consistency of getting out and the time on my feet.

    The final 26.2 miles will be London Marathon day and I know having been on the other side of the barriers, it’s the most epic atmosphere.

    I’m convinced I will feel invincible and excited in addition to all the race day feelings. And I know, no matter what happens, I’m gonna have one of the best days of my entire life so far!

    Recovery, Self-Care And Listening To My Body

    Marathon training won’t last forever, so if I’m going to commit to doing this, I’ve chosen to commit to taking the best care of myself while doing do. I’ve made recovery, self-care and listening to my body, my biggest priorities.

    To be fair, I’ve worked hard to do this anyway but with adding running to my schedule 3 times a week, I’ve had to do better.

    I go to bed on time, I eat 3 meals a day, I aim for 2L of water a day, take my vitamins, supplement with collagen, protein, BCAAs and Creatine on most days.

    As I said before, I also need to stretch more, foam roll more and generally take good care of my body. I had a sports massage in week 5 /6 of training and OMG, EVERYTHING was so tight. I’m still recovering from said sports massage but I already feel so much better.

    I’ve even set up a cold plunge thing in my garden and I’m practicing using that, in addition to making the most of the sauna blanket that I own.

    I’m super grateful that so far, I’ve not reached a level of exhaustion like others have yet. I’m sure this will come closer to race day, but until then, I’m doing everything in my power to balance marathon training, work and life.

    My Running Soundtrack

    During shorter runs, listening to music has worked well for me. In fact, listening to my indoor cycling playlist while doing my session with tempo intervals had me feeling like I was on fire!

    Podcasts work well for me if I’m interested in the topic, but I’ve just started listening to audiobooks… that don’t take too much brainpower. First up – How To Run A Marathon by Vassos Alexander.

    I’m taking recommendations so leave them in the comments below please.

    What I Have Planned

    With 10 weeks to go, there is still a-lot to do, right?! So here is some of what I have planned to help me through the rest of my training to get to the start line.

    Booking Events For Long Runs

    Now the long runs are getting… longer, signing up for events helps to reduce some of the stress of planning what to do. Running an event means a pre-planned route, water / nutrition provided, a race day experience to practice and company.

    Here are the events I’ve signed up to:

    • Women’s Run Series London 2025 10km, Saturday 8th March (+ ~50-60mins)
    • Hackney Legacy Half Marathon, Sunday 16th March
    • London Lea Valley Gratitude 25km, Saturday 19th March (+ 5miles)

    That trail run is gonna be my longest run on plan, of which I’ll need to add on an extra 3-5 miles to hit 18-20miles.

    Time To Test Nutrition

    Now my runs are well and truly over the one hour mark, it’s time to start thinking nutrition. I’m super keen not to fill myself with unsavoury sugary products so I’m looking to products that I’ve either used while cycling or new to me brands that are more natural.

    I also don’t want to make myself bankrupt because WHY ARE GELS SO EXPENSIVE NOWADAYS?! lol Over £4 for a packet of Clif ShotBloks?! Cost of running crisis is added to cost of living crisis. And they say running is free lol

    Start Training With A Running Vest

    Given that I now need nutrition and water on my long runs, I need somewhere to stash these bits along with my phone, keys and a layer I’ll probably take off and put on repeatedly.

    So out comes my running vest which I bought a few years ago to train for Royal Parks Half Marathon and use for my trail running adventures.

    Having moved house recently though, I seem to have temporarily misplaced the soft water flasks that go in the vest and I’m not looking to spend £40 replacing them when I know they. have TO BE HERE SOMEWHERE.

    In the meantime, I’ve bought one soft flat for about a tenner hoping it’ll tide me over until I dig mine out of a box somewhere. I’ve still got ten weeks to make that happen after all!

    I’m Prepared For ‘Maranoia’

    Or at least I think I am. Surely knowing it exists is the first step towards beating it?!

    I’ve also been sent an immunity boosting care package which features a 7-day supplement designed to support your immune system and speed up your recovery from seasonal illnesses. Of course I’m hoping never to need this, but I feel comfortable knowing I have it at hand.

    Okay, it felt super good getting all of these thoughts out of my head and into this post so thanks for reading. It’s been ages since I’ve shared something personal rather than something optimised to get as many eyes on it.

    I’m as much excited for the journey to the start line as I am for the ‘final dance’ to be honest. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be ‘one [marathon] and done’ but I also know I’m likely to never stop talking about it for the rest of my life. I apologise in advance.

    Oh and whilst I’m not in need of donations, I’ll happily accept kudos over on Strava – this is my account.

    See you on the start line if you’re running too! Or hopefully see you on the sidelines!

    Elle



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  • London Solo Travel Guide – Kayla in the City

    London Solo Travel Guide – Kayla in the City


    I’m back from my first big solo trip and here with a whole guide on London solo travel!

    I’ve had “moments” of solo travel here and there over the years — things like one night in Copenhagen before other people arrived for a group trip — but I’ve never done a long solo trip until now. 

    I had been toying around with the idea of seeing Harry Styles on tour in the UK or Europe at some point this summer (can you blame me!) and after a few friends said they wouldn’t be able to go I decided “Screw it! I’m going on my own!”

    Seeing Harry Styles in London at the iconic Wembley Stadium quickly became the the obvious choice for me:

    • I’ve been to London a handful of times so it’s somewhat familiar
    • the stadium is easily accessible by public transit
    • I know a few people there should I have any major issues
    • it’s not drastically different from navigating NYC which I do every day
    • I speak the language… 

    And so, off I went to London solo to see Harry Styles… but also explore!

    Solo London Travel Guide

    Where to Stay:

    The Marylebone Hotel is great for solo travelers. I stayed in one of the “cozy” rooms and while it could be tight for two, for just me it was perfect. It’s close the tube which made it easy for me to get wherever I wanted to go.

    The area of Marylebone is so charming with lots of great restaurants, cafes, and places to shop. The hotel is also walking distance to other shopping areas like Oxford Street and Carnaby… but far enough away that I didn’t feel like I was right in a tourist hub.

    Most of all and arguably most important: I felt super safe at the hotel and in the area, even when I was walking back from the tube at night after a concert or theater.

     

    How To Get Around:

    Take the tube or walk! The public transit system in London is incredible I think easier to navigate than the NYC subway system…

    Look up directions to wherever you’re going on Google Maps beforehand (there’s not cell service underground!) and then follow the signs. I was a bit worried at first that I wouldn’t feel as safe at night on the tube after theater, but I personally felt totally safe.

    As far as paying, my family had a bunch of unused Oyster cards from previous London trips. I ended up using those but you can also just tap your credit card tor phone to pay.

    I only took a taxi to get to and from the airport. London — it wasn’t necessary and was both cheaper and easier to get around underground.

    What to do:

    See some theater!

    Besides seeing Harry, my other London priority was to see as much theater as I could. For buying tickets I did a mix of using the TodayTix app for slightly discounted tickets or I bought directly from the show’s website.

    Here’s what I saw:

    Grease – This was my least favorite of the shows I saw. It was a perfectly adequate production of Grease and while it’s fun it’s also nothing special

    Guys and Dolls – This production of Guys and Dolls is totally immersive. You have the option for standing room tickets (which is what I did!) and the set pieces move up down and around bringing you all over NYC… with a brief stop in Havana, of course. I always love Guys and Dolls as a show and this took it to the next level!

    Cabaret – This new production of Cabaret is absolutely chilling. From the second you walk through the doors you feel like you’ve been transported to a seedy cabaret in 1940’s Berlin. Cabaret is a favorite show of mine and I’m glad I got to see this production of the show.

    ABBA Voyage —This show is incredible and bizarre all at once. It’s essentially a concert… but with holograms of ABBA and outrageous intricate lighting and projections throughout. They literally had to build a special theater for this production! If you love ABBA like I do it’s a total blast.

     

    Go Shopping

    Most of my London shopping was window shopping, but I still loved walking around the big department stores. My favorites are Harrods (it’s MASSIVE and a must if you’ve never been!) and Selfridges. Both also have surprisingly good bookstores in their basements.

    Also on the topic of bookstores, here are the ones I visited:

    Daunt Books: This cutie bookstore was around the corner from my hotel. It’s got this fabulous lofted area.

    The Notting Hill Bookshop: I’ve never seen the movie Notting Hill (I know, I know!) and this bookstore was totally packed with fans.

    Water Stones: The UK’s big chain bookstore the multiple locations. It’s similar to Barnes and Noble here.

    South Kensington Books: Great indie bookstore walking distance from Harrod’s. Whole area is fun to explore around the bookstore.

    For areas with lots of stores to visit I love Oxford Street and Carnaby street

     

    Do a walking tour

    A walking tour is a great and pretty inexpensive way to explore a part of the city. I searched for interesting walking tours on AirBNB Experiences and ended up signing up for one in Notting Hill, an area I haven’t been to on previous London trips.

    The tour was SO good! I learned so much in 2 hours and enjoyed the area far more than if I would have just been there on my own. Everyone on the tour was a bit older than me, but it didn’t matter. It was still fun to chat with all of them and get to know them. I highly recommend signing up for Jordan’s tour if you’re looking for something fun to do!

     

    See some art:

    I’m not much of a museum person, but I did visit The Wallace Collection to see their current Portraits of Dogs exhibit.

     

    Where to eat:

    A lot of people asked me how I felt about dining solo in London. I do it in NYC from time to time so it’s not totally new to me. Something I noticed was there were SO many people also dining solo in London. I knew I was in good company… even if I wasn’t in any company!

    It was warm while I was there and a lot of the restaurants had cute outside dining setups. I found eating outside solo to be especially nice. I’d pop in my AirPods and listen to a podcast while I’d people watch, scroll on Instagram, or read my book. 

    With that being said, this is also the category where I failed a bit on this trip. I had a lot of stomach issues throughout the trip (a me problem, not a problem specific to London or anything I ate there…) so I was a bit boring with my food choices.

    On top of that I also had two nights at Wembley for concerts… although I will say the vegan hot dog was surprisingly good!

    A few food standouts:

    Pizza Express: I LOVE this chain pizzeria and wish we had it here in NYC! It’s got a to of vegan options which is great for lactose intolerant girlie like me!

    Farm Girl Cafe: Super cute and health-focused cafe with a few locations. I went to ths one in Notting Hill and there was a bit of a wait. I got the avocado toast with poached eggs and the most incredible chai. Everything was great!

    Harrods Cafe: I was starving after wandering around Harrods. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the cafe is. Maybe it was the extreme hunger but their chicken sandwich was amazing.

    Oka: Sushi spot around the corner from The Marylebone Hotel. Cute spot for a solo meal or to meet friends.

    Vapiano: I know, I know, wtf Kayla why did you go to so many chains!?!?!? As I said, I kind of failed on the food front because of my tummy issues, but one thing that didn’t fail me was the Italian chain, Vapiano. It’s a create your own pasta (or pizza!) situation and always hits the spot. There was one near the theater district which was perfect to pick up something to eat after a show.

    And on the list for next time: Dishoom – So many of you recommended Dishoom for Indian food. I didn’t get to go, but definitely will next time!

    I also visited Borough Market and while it’s incredible I found it VERY crowded and overwhelming and didn’t stay too long.

     

     More Solo London Travel Tips….

    • The tube doesn’t have service. Make sure you know where you’re going BEFORE you go underground. I’d pull up the directions on Google Maps and screen shot it just in case.
    • Be prepared to walk. A LOT. As a New Yorker I’m no stranger to walking 10K steps every day. But London was next level. I was clocking in over 20K steps most days! Prioritize comfy footwear over something fancy. Trust me!
    • Most tube lines don’t have air conditioning. This bit shocked me! I started to opt for the lines that I knew had air con (the Metro line home from Wembley felt like HEAVEN) but also dress accordingly if you’re there during the summer. I was there during a heatwave and it was HOT.
    • You probably won’t need cash. I had some pounds on me just in case but didn’t use any cash this week. Pretty much everywhere uses card… and some places don’t even take cash these days!



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