Page 52 - RADC 2017

SPORT
Fleet Half – Marathon
LCpl Wilson, RADC & A/LCpl Marcus, RADC
On Sunday 19th March 2017 a team of RADC soldiers took part in the Fleet Half Marathon, Hampshire. The team consisted of WO2 Blackwood, Sgt Gotora, Cpl Gurung, LCpl Wilson and A/LCpl Marcus, all from London South East Region.
The aim of the event was to complete 13 miles in whichever way possible, as long
as the finish line was crossed. For some, the half marathon was extra training to go on and compete in the London Marathon, whilst for others it was an opportunity to improve personal stamina and to gain a real sense of achievement.
LCpl Wilson
When we first found out about the event we were both very keen to put our names forward to see what we were really capable of. Neither of us had ever run further than 8 miles so to say we could run 13 would be a huge accomplishment.
The half marathon itself wasn’t the biggest challenge, the biggest challenge for us was to find the motivation to go out for long distance runs in the evenings. Considering we would normally only go for around 3-5 miles, to increase it to 6-8 was quite the challenge. We got ourselves into a routine
of running longer distances around 3 times a week and over time we felt our bodies getting quicker and more energetic.
As well as running together on evenings and weekends, we also found that having regular PT sessions on a weekly basis definitely contributed to getting us fitter for the half marathon. In return our personal fitness as a whole greatly improved.
We even got T-Shirts made for the big day. On the front it quoted ‘Not here to compete, here to complete’ and on the back it had our nick names. The reason behind
the quote was to save any embarrassment if our time wasn’t as great as we hoped, but thankfully all the training paid off and we finished in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes. This, for our first half marathon, felt like a great time.
Since joining London South East region both of us have felt ourselves getting much fitter. We really enjoyed the feel good feeling at the end of the event, so much so that
we are looking to put our names down for another one.
A/LCpl Marcus
When I heard about the fleet half marathon I got a really uncomfortable feeling, the thought of it made me feel so nervous. Running is not one of my strengths but
I knew the challenge would be good for me, and a good way for me to change my mind set and to improve on my running endurance.
I changed my diet and was eating plenty of protein and good carbs. I started running 3-4 times a week. It was a massive benefit to have LCpl Wilson to train with, we regularly went out running and prepped our meals together.
When running the half marathon, we started off at a steady pace and picked up throughout. We were both determined not to stop. After 8 miles I was really feeling the strain on my body, especially my legs. We kept each other motivated throughout and stuck to our word of not stopping until we passed the finish line. The atmosphere was amazing and everyone was so encouraging, the spectators showed lots of support to the people who were taking part.
Passing the finish line was an emotional high, a combination of wanting to sign up to another marathon and not knowing if I
was going to be able to walk back to my transport home. It is an experience I will never forget and I will cherish my first half marathon medal for the rest of my life. LCpl Wilson and I started an unforgettable journey together and a strong bond was definitely built from the moment we signed up for this challenge.
I want to sign up for another half marathon and improve on my first time, for my own personal achievement. Since completing the half marathon I’ve maintained my running
in my own time as well as with the dental centre during weekly pt. I am keen to start with a local running team to improve my speed and endurance.
50 RADC BULLETIN 2017