14/02/2026
Those tears in the final slide? Pure relief, pride, and a heavy dose of "what if."
I’m a firm believer that injuries are often our loudest teachers and I spent weeks dissecting why it happened & more importantly, why didn't I see it?
My mistakes were so subtle, nuanced, but subtle errors over marathon training? They stack up.
Two months out, I ran a strategic half-marathon & felt fantastic! Three weeks later, the wheels came off: a Grade 1 fascial tear in my hamstring.
If you’re deep in a training block, here is My Educated Opinion on the mistakes that cost me, so they don’t cost you:
1. Ego-Driven Targets
Since it was my first marathon, the goal should have been the distance. Instead, I fixated on a sub-4-hour finish. I let a clock dictate my success before I’d even cleared 26.2 miles.
2. Training for the Runner You Want to Be
Because of that 4-hour goal, I set my training paces for the runner I wanted to become, not the runner I actually was. I was overreaching by just a few seconds per kilometer, but over hundreds of kilometers, those "fine margins" became a breaking point.
3. Ignoring the "Internal" Coach
The weekend after that peak half-marathon, my plan called for 23km. My body was screaming for a recovery week, but I silenced it and laced up anyway. I chose the PDF plan over my own intuition.
4. Thinking I could be a 'player-coach'.
Part of a coaches role is to provide an independent voice. Free from emotion & ego. My desire to achieve my goal was louder than my coaching voice.
The Lesson: The plan is a guide, not a god. Listen to your body when it asks for rest, and respect the pace you’re at right now. And if you can, ask for support, a running coach will see the nuance you need.
