Repeating it all over

As an avid tennis player and fan, Charmaine Mifsud knows that it’s not about winning one Grand Slam that puts you in the history books.  It’s repeating all over again.  In her own way, Charmaine wants to emulate her heroes.  This time last year, Charmaine had a dream.  And that was of running a marathon for the first time.  She lived the dream, and liked it so much that she is now working to repeat the dream again.

Charmaine, it was your dream to do a marathon.   You’ve done it last year, but you’re gearing up for another one this year.  What’s the motivation behind a second marathon?

I found that the distance of a marathon is my distance.  I also want to finish a marathon without any injuries since last year  I did the last 11km with pain in my leg.

I know that lately you haven’t been going through the easiest of times, as your body seemed to be attracting one injury after another.  Where there times when the marathon felt to be too far away?

Yes, when I was having problems with injuries and health issues I thought I won’t run again, so running a marathon was an unimaginable event.

Comparing yourself with this time last year, what’s changed?  Are you more confident?  Is the motivation level the same?

This time I know more what kind of preparation a marathon involve, so I have trained myself both mentally and physically, even though most probably I won’t manage to do a finishing time as last year since I lost a lot of training in the beginning and am not physically 100%.

You are quite involved with Mellieha AC.  How much do you think Mellieha AC and Head Coach Has Kesra has played a part in your development as an athlete?

Mellieha AC is my second family.  I have been with the club for nearly 5 years now.  Apart from being my coach, Mr Kesra is my mentor, my guide and my friend.  Whenever I feel down due to a bad performance or an injury both my coach and the club members are always there to give a hand by saying the right words to uplift my spirit.  I think and breath running so, Mellieha AC, our coach and myself are all part of the chain that makes my life.

Now that you have a marathon finish under your belt, how much getting to the finishing line is a goal in itself?  Has the main goal now been changed to having a better time?

To finish a marathon is always a great task.  Previous marathons  help you to  control more your race and can help you feel more confident in knowing that you had done all this before, and it’s not impossible anymore.  The full is not like the half, as 42 kilometres are very long and anything can happen.  Even if your first aim is to try to make a better time, it will still be a great achievement telling yourself you have just ran 42 kilometres.  For a moment, timing becomes secondary.