Twelve months ago I was getting serious about training for the Dubai marathon despite the intense summer humidity. Eight months ago I ran the race. Now I can barely run 4km.

So, how do things seem looking back? The thrill of completing the marathon was great, but I realise now that the things I most miss are the long morning training runs; heading out for three hours with a few podcasts lined up, and returning home at 8/9 in the morning just as the family were waking up. You felt like you’d won a battle with yourself before others had made the tea. The 42km of the marathon is lined by crowds cheering you on. The 32km you do a few weeks before is done completely alone, and often for large sections in the dark. Just running and running – it makes you feel powerful.

Some other reflections:

i) Heavy training doesn’t make you feel much fitter – most weeks you’ve got some niggle, or a slight injury, or general stiffness. Often you’re hobbling. You may be at peak fitness, but you don’t feel it.

ii) It’s no way to lose weight – I think I stayed at more or less the same level.

iii) I don’t feel it sucked up an inordinate amount of time, though on paper ten sessions a week is a lot of hours. I like doing most of my sport in the morning when others are sleeping, and since the race I try to do something every morning regardless of the marathon.

iv) The post-marathon fitness buzz is incredible – you feel (and know) that you’ll probably never be fitter. It does wonders for your football – you can run and run.

v) My perception is that you keep some underlying fitness for a while, but honestly my ability to run even a few kilometres at the speed I ran the marathon is extremely limited. Maybe it’s the lack of motivation. It’s a disappointment losing what you worked hard to gain.