LAST RDERS!

With one of our team already through her A- race, and the other three about to face theirs, we talked race-day tactics with our fearsome foursome

PHOTOS: EDDIE MACDONALD

Any spring marathon trainees reading this will know what a long, hard slog the last few months have been – but, at the same time, the weeks of training seem to have gone by in a flash. As we went to press, one of our team – Claire Price – had already completed her A-race, the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon, and was preparing to run her glory lap at the Virgin Money London Marathon on 23 April. Meanwhile, Alice Doggrell, Katie Hainbach and Leah McDaniel were all dealing with last-minute niggles, maranoia and getting final pep talks from coach Richard Coates as they prepared to face their 26.2-mile challenge on the streets of the capital

KATIE HAINBACH

Twitter: @katiehainbach

Age 29

From Essex (originally Dublin)

Big Marathon Challenge To run her first marathon to raise £2,000 for the Stroke Association and awareness of how running can help mental health

Day job Musician and teacher

You’ve had an injury in the last few weeks – tell us about that…

I was on a three-hour run, and everything was going well, it was a gorgeous day and I had got my nutrition strategy right so I was feeling strong. Then I made a stupid decision to try to get across the road before the lights changed, did a massive over-stride and landed funnily on the heel of my right leg while it was extended. As soon as I’d done it I felt this sharp pain, but it kind of went away and I did another six miles on it. When I got home, I stretched and sat down for an hour, then got up and realised I couldn’t move properly. A few days later, it was still sore, so I got in touch with the other girls on the team and asked for their advice, and they told me I should go to the physio, so I spoke to Richard and he got me sorted out quickly.

How have you been fixing it up?

I saw the physio Richard recommended the next day. I have done something quite unusual for runners: I’ve damaged the semimembranosus tendon, which is at the back of the knee. I had to do a few days of [complete] rest, which was really hard because, even when I’m not running, I’m quite an active person. I couldn’t even drive and had to cancel some work. I had to ice it and take anti-inflammatories. Then I started doing some strength work in the gym that the physio prescribed and doing some work on the stationery bike to keep my heart up to scratch, and then in the last few days I’ve been running again.