Completing the London Marathon with Ruth Chappell – Pt 1
For this blog (and the podcast it’s written about!), I’m chatting to my marathon-completing friend, Ruth Chappell. Ruth isn’t just a marathon trier; she’s a marathon-completing superstar! She’s a friend to the podcast, my little guardian angel, and the brains behind Dressage Anywhere. And yes, she just completed the London Marathon!
The medal!
As I recorded this podcast on Zoom, Ruth was wearing her marathon medal- and I would have too. Completing a marathon is huge, but Ruth really is extra special as this marathon has been a goal for a long time and the completion of it meant a lot.
The journey started with Couch to 5k
Ruth hasn’t always been a runner. In fact, she started jogging via the Couch to 5k app a while ago after feeling really inspired by people running around her during the pandemic. Ruth and I did the programme together (but remotely, and she was always ahead), and it wasn’t easy. When I did the last 5k run, I was rather pleased to throw in the towel. But not Ruth. She went to the next level.
Ruth gradually increased her running distances from 5K races to park runs and half marathons. Her determination was awe inspiring. This might seem like plain sailing (if you listen to the podcast, you’ll know it wasn’t!), but it was far from it, and issues with her back meant she had to steady up for quite a while too.
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
The dream of running the London Marathon became a reality when Ruth decided to apply for a charity place. This wasn’t a walk in the park either! Marathon spaces are in short supply, whether this is through the general ballot or via a charity. Inspired by her mother’s battle with lung cancer, Ruth chose to run for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. This organisation holds a special place in her heart, as it provided invaluable support to her mother during challenging times. When the email landed to say that she’d made the cut, there was definitely a mixture if excitement and ‘oh my God, what did I do?!’.
Another bump in the road
Just as the marathon was in sight, Ruth hit COVID-19 shaped bump in the road. Just 31 days before the race, she tested positive, and this led to missing a really important long run. But that didn’t stop her! She recovered and cracked on. It was too important and meant too much not to.
Marathon day arrived
Finally, marathon day arrived. Ruth, adorned with her Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation colours (including matching nails!), joined thousands of runners on the London Marathon route. Not only was it a test of strength, it was also a showcase of what people can achieve, how people overcome adversity, kindness and so so much.
Next week, we carry on the marathon story- I hope you loved this episode as much as I did. She really is a superstar and I’m very lucky to call her a friend.
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