AN Annan dad and headteacher is on his marks, get set for next month’s London Marathon.
Training is in full flow for Patrick Callaghan, who works at Eaglesfield Primary and will be representing the ADAC running club in the capital.
It will be his first marathon and he’s delighted it’s the most famous one in the world, saying: “I turned 40 last April and wrote a sort of half-bucket list of things I wanted to do whilst I was 40. Top of that list was to complete my first marathon.
“As fate would have it, the marathon this year is three days before I turn 41, so I’m fulfilling that goal just in time!”
He gets out running three nights a week and at weekends and has now broken the 17 mile mark and said: “Training has been okay. Some days are tough, others I feel like I could take on the world.
“I’ve had a few little injuries and things to manage- running so much and putting in longer runs than I’ve ever done before puts your body under a bit of strain and you discover things that are wrong with you that you haven’t previously noticed! So the biggest challenge has been coping with those niggles and making sure I balance running enough with resting.
“I’m starting to run longer which is now giving me the belief that I’m actually going to be able to complete this challenge- it’s a good feeling.”
Patrick hopes to complete the course in around four hours, saying: “Having never run the distance before, I want to make sure that I leave enough in the tank to finish and not push it too much too soon, so a specific time is not really my goal this time around.
“Maybe I’ll go for a quick time on my next marathon. This time, if it’s starts with a four, I’ll be happy.”
He hopes his efforts will inspire his own three children, Tom, Rose and Eddie, as well as all the pupils at his school.
“If a 40 year-old, injury-prone asthmatic can run a marathon, it hopefully serves as an inspiration to them that if they put their mind to something and commit, then anything is possible.” he said.
As for advice to anyone else thinking of taking on a marathon in the future, Patrick added: “Go for it! The preparation and training is hard work, there’s no doubt of that, but it’s necessary. You’d be surprised at what you’re capable of if you’re consistent in your training.
“I’m hoping all of this training will let me enjoy the day when it comes.”
