April 2024
Did somebody say 8 in 8?
Oh yes that’s right are very own Tom Adams did 8 marathons in 8 consecutive weeks.
His performance was simply amazing, making him the athlete of the month for the month of April.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Tom and we had concerns going into this marathon challenge.
He picked up a couple of niggles a few weeks before, which was far from ideal timing. Nonetheless, he delivered like a true champion. Which goes to show once again that results are a collective of consistency, rather than one or two solid training weeks.
He didn’t just compete 8 marathons in 8 weeks, he did it in a very impressive time too. Clearly showing that he had a really strong physical base, but even more so amazing signs of mental determination. I knew he was a beast but the way he performed over these 8 weeks, even exceeded my high expectations of him. It is really impressive to see and I myself drew some great motivation from it!
I asked Tom to give us a little breakdown of each marathon, see his thoughts below
'Tokyo - 2:58. Initially disappointed with the time but hampered with hamstring cramps for the last 10k so on reflection happy with sub 3.
Cambridge - 3:05. Self guided, torrential rain, running through flooded farmers fields.. Got lost twice so top 10 finish was respectable.
Wales - 3:00:04. Ran ‘blind’ with no pressure on time / pace. Had my Garmin on the map watch face until mile 20. Switched to pace watch face and realised sub 3 was doable. Missed by 5 seconds! If only I’d switched watch face at mile 19… The toughest marathon of the eight mentally!
Skegness - 3:02. Running on soft sand dunes was brutal on the already tiring legs. Won the marathon which was great in the fourth marathon in four weeks
Lichfield Cathedral (27.8 miles) - 4:21. (Marathon 4:07). Main fundraiser. Running with children and runners of all abilities. Such a great day. An easy afternoon for the legs.
Brighton - 3:03. I found the hills tough on week 6. It was storm Kathleen in the UK so the 30mph winds coming off the channel were not ideal!
Boston - 2:59 I’ve never had to work so hard for a sub-3! Miles 16-21 (Newton hills) really pushed me mentally and physically. I kept reminding myself people with muscular dystrophy would love the opportunity to run so you DO NOT WALK! Sneaking under 3 hours was special. It was my sixth major so the 6️ medal was waiting for me over he finish line.
London - 3:10 The victory lap. 26.2 miles of pure enjoyment. I loved every second and didn’t want it to end. Tower Bridge is the best 400m you’ll ever run in your life.'
Simply incredible! Time to take recovery seriously and reach higher heights than ever before!
We are super proud of you Tom and congrats on all the money raised for muscular dystrophy.
You're a legend!
Who will be the athlete of the month for the month of May?
Onwards and upwards,
Coach Nick
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