Ifeyinwa Ekechukwu just ran her first marathon and she only had 3 weeks to prepare for it.
When you hear about people who run marathons, you often think they are filled with seasoned runners or fitness enthusiasts, but content creator and influencer Ifeyinwa was a novice when she decided to run the Access Bank’s 10 km Marathon.
We met up with Ifeyinwa to ask how and why she did it. 
1. Why did you decide to run the marathon?
Honestly, I decided to run the marathon because this year I told myself I’m changing my life, and that started with my health. I knew I had to actually take my health seriously.
I had been dealing with a lot of digestive issues. I was always bloated, always tired, and even small things like walking would exhaust me. I could barely walk for 5 minutes. I couldn’t stand for long either; if I stood for too long, I would get exhausted.
I remember the first time I ran for 15 minutes; I was panting, and my chest was burning. I had to google how many hours it takes to run 10 km, and Google said it takes about 2 to 3 hours. Running 10 km felt like something that would normally scare me, and I would give up on it, so I signed up.
And also, this year I promised myself I would try new things. I’m naturally an overthinker. I can overanalyse something until I talk myself out of it. But I didn’t want to be that person anymore.
2. How did you prepare for the marathon?
My partner and I actually signed up kind of late, so we only trained for about 3-4 before the marathon.
My partner used ChatGPT to help us structure food and training. We asked it what kind of meals to eat and how to train properly for a 10 km, and it gave us a breakdown. So we followed that religiously.
During weeks 1-3, we were still eating normal food, just more intentionally. We focused on a lot of carbohydrates for energy, proteins, and plenty of vegetables. Like rice, yam, good protein, balanced meals, nothing too serious. We also took turns in giving massages for after therapy during our trial runs/training lol.
The week before the race, we increased our carbs even more. More rice, more yam, and even chocolates and sweets for quick energy. We were serious with it like mad, lol; we wanted to use motivation to finish ourselves.
But I loved that this helped us prioritise healthy eating.
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3. What did learn about yourself from running the marathon?
What I learned about myself is that I’m actually stronger than I thought.
And not just physically, but mentally. Because during that run, my legs were on fire; I was in serious pain. The kind where you’re questioning all your life decisions. The first two kilometres felt like hell. I was like, ‘Nah, there’s no way I’m running this; it’s too hard. ‘ Everything within me wanted me to stop so bad.
I think having my partner there and how we were hyping each other helped. But at the end of the day, it was really on my mind. I just refused to quit. In my head I was like, “You signed up for this. You’re finishing it.” I didn’t even give myself room to negotiate.
That’s when I realised most of it is mental. Your body will complain, but your mind decides really. Your body can give up, but if your mind decides you will make it, you will.
4. Did you have any issues getting your medal?
We were queuing for the medal, then I think the official left, and people rushed him and scattered the queue. I couldn’t deal with that, so I waited, and my partner went to collect for the both of us.
Ifeyinwa’s story is not only one of courage but also of determination. In case you are thinking of running a marathon, take notes from her and believe you can do it. Why? Running a marathon has immense health benefits; the weeks of preparation prior and the feeling of accomplishment make it a worthy goal.
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