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Introducing Road To Recovery, Ally’s new fortnightly column
where she documents her marathon training journey, go-to kit recommendations, and how she’s boosting both mental health and wellbeing while her big goal of the year is at risk. Will she make it to the start line? You’ll have to keep reading to find out…
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WORDS: ALLY HEAD
O
n Monday morning, an email landed in my inbox. The subject line? “London Marathon - two months to go!.” Any other year, I’d be eight weeks into my marathon training cycle, my stomach bubbling with nervous excitement. But this year - well, I don’t even know if I’ll make it to the start line.
Senior Health Editor Ally Head has been dreaming of crossing the finish line of the 2025 London Marathon for the best part of a year.
ROAD RECOVERY
to
Shortly before Christmas, while rushing down the stairs to answer the door to the postman, I slipped and rolled my right ankle. The pain was sharp and instantaneous, but after a bit of ice and elevation, I didn’t really think anything of it. I ran, wore my favourite gold platform heels to the December office party, and went about my daily life. That was, of course, until I couldn’t.
New Year’s Eve and my pain peaked. I’d hoped that scaling back my time on feet and wearing sensible shoes (mostly…) would give my foot the time it needed to heal. But the pain was gradually getting worse, not better, and the bruising and swelling was something else.
At 6:55 pm on the last day of 2024, an x-ray confirmed the worst: a pretty clean break of my fifth metatarsal.
“Any other year, I’d be eight weeks into my marathon training cycle. But this year - well, I don’t even know
if I’ll make it to the start line.”
The irony isn’t lost on me that I sat manifesting my goals for the year ahead from the waiting room of King’s College Hospital, or that I spent my last hours of 2024 chatting with doctors and nurses, rather than at a champagne-filled party with friends.
The only thing that I thought of as they scanned my foot was the marathon. Runners will get it - you dream of race day, sometimes revolving entire years around specific races and training plans. From one clumsy fall, all of my fitness dreams for the year were at risk. But as I wallowed, I found comfort in the fact that I’m far from alone. Yale shared that at least 50% of regular runners get hurt each year, yet we only see an Instagram highlight reel of perfect photos and PB’s.
I’m a Health Editor who runs for a living and who spent the majority of last year dreaming of banking my fastest time ever at the 2025 London Marathon.
But so far, I’ve done exactly… zero training runs.
Which is where the idea for this column was born.
After six weeks in a boot, several physio appointments and more hours on the stationary bike than I care to count, I’m still holding out hope that I’ll be able to lace up for race day come April. As my physiotherapist said, I’d likely make it around in one piece - I workout for a living and have strength trained, stretched, and banked five or six runs every week for the last five or so years. But with the NHS website also advising no high-impact exercise for three months post-fifth metatarsal break, I find myself asking: at what cost?
The main thing I have to weigh up is the risk. I’m getting married in June, you see, and if I choose to take on the marathon, I also toy with the possibility of having to wear a boot down the aisle (not quite the shoe I’d envisaged wearing with my Vivienne Westwood dress).
So, I hope you’ll join me every other week for training updates, the tried and tested ways I boost my wellness, and kit recommendations that I rave about to family and friends. As I soldier on with my spinning, weight lifting, prehab routine and praying. Praying that maybe - just maybe - I’ll make it to that start line and get to feel the sheer euphoria of crossing the finish line one
more time.
Welcome to my Road To Recovery
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50
of regular runners get hurt each year
%
The increase in number
of female London Marathon applicants
from 2024 to 25
6
%
n Sunday morning, an email landed in my inbox. The subject line? “London Marathon - 70 days to go!.” Any other year, I’d be eight weeks into my marathon training cycle, my stomach bubbling with nervous excitement. But this year - well, I don’t even know if I’ll make it to the start line.
Shortly before Christmas, while rushing down the stairs to answer the door to the postman, I slipped and rolled my right ankle. The pain was sharp and instantaneous, but after a bit of ice and elevation, I didn’t really think anything of it. I ran, wore my favourite gold platform heels to the December office party, and went about my daily life. That was, of course, until I couldn’t.
New Year’s Eve and my pain peaked. I’d hoped that scaling back my time on feet and wearing sensible shoes (mostly…) would give my foot the time it needed to heal. But the pain was gradually getting worse, not better, and the bruising and swelling was something else. At 6:55 pm on the last day of 2024, an x-ray confirmed the worst: a pretty clean break of my fifth metatarsal.
The irony isn’t lost on me that I sat manifesting my goals for the year ahead from the waiting room of King’s College Hospital, or that I spent my last hours of 2024 chatting with doctors and nurses, rather than at a champagne-filled party with friends.
The only thing that I thought of as they scanned my foot was the marathon. Runners will get it - you dream of race day, sometimes revolving entire years around specific races and training plans. From one clumsy fall, all of my fitness dreams for the year were at risk. But as I wallowed, I found comfort in the fact that I’m far from alone. Yale shared that at least 50% of regular runners get hurt each year, yet we only see an Instagram highlight reel of perfect photos and PB’s.
of regular runners get hurt each year
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I’m a Health Editor who runs for a living and who spent the majority of last year dreaming of banking my fastest time ever at the 2025 London Marathon.
But so far, I’ve done exactly… zero training runs.
Which is where the idea for this column was born.
After six weeks in a boot, several physio appointments and more hours on the stationary bike than I care to count, I’m still holding out hope that I’ll be able to lace up for race day come April. As my physiotherapist said, I’d likely make it around in one piece - I workout for a living and have strength trained, stretched, and banked five or six runs every week for the last five or so years. But with the NHS website also advising no high-impact exercise for three months post-fifth metatarsal break, I find myself asking: at what cost?
£850
Sneakers
SHOP NOW
£38
lululemon Energy Bra
SHOP NOW
£26
Bath Salts
SHOP NOW
£40
Adanola Ultimate Leggings
SHOP NOW
£16
Socks
SHOP NOW
£28
Good Squish Scrunchie
SHOP NOW
New Balance FuelCell
Rebel v4 Shoes