If you have your place booked for the 2016 London Marathon on the 24th April, then you "should" be well into training by now and I really hope it goes well for you.
Back in 2008, I took part in my first London Marathon (in fact my first ever marathon) and I was petrified of getting injured in the build-up. So petrified in fact, that I managed to get myself injured.
Nothing too serious, but a groin strain which ruled me out of training for two weeks only five weeks away from the big day, not ideal.
If you have never suffered a groin strain before then it is an injury to the adductor muscles. When a muscle is strained, the muscle is stretched too far. Less severe strains pull the muscle beyond their normal excursion. More severe strains tear the muscle fibres, and can even cause a complete tear of the muscle.
Being laid up for two weeks when you feel perfectly fit and healthy is incredibly frustrating, especially with time running out but it was my own fault. I had prepared everything carefully, from my training routine to my diet but one thing I neglected was my clothing. Big mistake.
Although I had purchased the correct trainers for running, I only wore a pair of bog-standard running shorts and a plain T-shirt, and this did me no favours. During my training run, I had poor blood circulation in my groin area, meaning that those muscles weren't getting enough of the oxygen they needed to perform at their best.
Although not available when my injury occurred, KYMIRA sport clothing could have made life a lot easier. However, I had a happy ending and I was fit in time to complete the Marathon but I implore you to not take a risk like I did.
You have the training plan in place, you have the diet in place, now make sure you have the right clothing. I am sure that you won't need it but good luck!
Guest blog from Ian Whitehouse