I started a 16-week marathon training program in January, only to get a recurring calf injury in the second week, but thanks to treatment and advice from Jonny, I was able to get back to training in a couple of weeks and back to running properly is a couple more, but it was a less than ideal start.

Then life got in the way a bit as it does, as did two snowboarding holidays a few weeks apart, the last one being the week before the marathon! I know; planning, eh?

So I found myself at the start line: nervous, carrying a few extra kilos I'd rather not have and feeling a bit under-trained - but nevertheless committed to do my level best.

At no point in the race did I experience any asymmetric pain whatsoever. Neither calf so much as murmured nor did my right ITB, all which are known to do so. I'm not saying everything didn't hurt like buggery from the halfway point onward but that was just muscle fatigue from the pace and duration. I saw so many people pulling up all over the place to limp or stretch and passed (apparently) a good few thousand forced to walk or slow right down.

The point of this is despite all of the above, the only regular thing I did for the entire lead up to the race was to get proactive sports massage from Nicki at Physio Effect with some dry needling for the stubborn knots and also massages from Melanie too.

I totally attribute my successful and injury free day to this and would heartily recommend anyone to do the same in undertaking any sporting endeavour.

And my time? 3:59:21 since you asked :-)

Scott Cherry - Physio Effect client and all-round good guy!