The Ugly Side of Marathon Training: 15K in the Rain
- Andrew Caine
- Feb 16
- 2 min read
Sunday, February 15th - 57 days until Brighton Marathon
15 kilometres around Grafham Water. Cold. Wet. Miserable.
This is the side of marathon training nobody posts about.
No sunshine. No "feeling blessed" captions. No perfect running photos with motivational quotes. Just me, soaked through, asking myself "what the fuck am I doing this for?"
The Run
Physically? Felt better than expected.
I'd been dealing with shin splints on my last two runs, so I went into this one cautious. But they didn't play up at all. Knees, hips, back, ankles—all good. My body showed up.
The weather didn't.
Rain from start to finish. Not the kind of rain that stops after 10 minutes. The kind that soaks through every layer, fills your shoes, and makes you question every life decision that led you to this moment.
The Mental Game
I knew going into it that this run wasn't just about the physical work. It was about mental resilience.
Doing something when you don't feel like it and succeeding—that's what builds you.
That's what gets you through mile 20 when your legs are screaming and your brain is telling you to stop.
But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have moments where I thought, "Why am I doing this? Who am I doing this for?"
And the answer?
I'm doing this for me.
To prove I can do something shitty and come out the other end no problem.
Also doing it for MIND mental health charity. Knowing that each time I don't quit or give in to my weaknesses, I'm moving forward—not just for myself, but for something bigger.
That helps.
What I Learned
1. You're mentally stronger than you think you are.
Your body will do what your mind tells it to. If your mind says "this is too hard," your body will agree. But if your mind says "we're finishing this," your body will find a way.
2. Find enjoyment in the tough times.
Laugh it off. See the funny side. I'm running through flooded paths in February. It's ridiculous. It's also not going to kill me.
3. Your mind is your biggest challenge.
You can have the perfect routine, perfect set-up, perfect race day plan. But ultimately, when it gets hard, your mind is what decides if you keep going or pack it in.
Train your mind as much as your legs.
The Reality
This is marathon training.
Not every run feels good. Not every session goes to plan. Sometimes it's cold, wet, and miserable, and you still have to show up.
That's the work.
If you want to follow the whole journey—the good runs, the shit runs, the wins, the struggles—check out Episode 2 on YouTube. Link below.
57 days to go.
Watch Episode 2: https://youtu.be/oP5RtoXvPug?si=JBpkfupesSZu6bjE
– Andrew
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