Alex Yee loves a challenge and says his London Marathon attempt next weekend has made him feel like a novice all over again.
But the British triathlon great reckons that is exactly what makes his voyage into the unknown on April 27 so exciting.
Yee has enlisted Jonny Mellor, the British Marathon Champion in 2020, to help him train and can’t wait to test himself on the streets of the capital.
Alex Yee goes into the unknown
Speaking in a new YouTube video on his official channel called The London Detour Part 2, which is embedded below, he said: “It’s an unknown. For me, that’s exciting. I’m going into it like 45,000 other people and that’s really cool. It really excites me that I can go into the unknown and feel like a complete novice again.
“People take on the challenge of doing it for amazing charities and causes but it’s also for self growth and to be a better person once you step across that finish line.
“Hopefully I can do that and win, lose, or draw I can cross that line with a smile on my face and experience that amazing experience that everyone raves about.”
What is the marathon plan for Yee?
Yee is no stranger to running. A British 10,000m champion, he’s represented his country at international level and counts Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge among his inspirations.
But while he hopes to get around the course in double quick time, he knows this is a very different challenge to those he’s faced at the pinnacle of triathlon.
He explained: “My plan is to go through halfway with a nice group, stay calm and do the best I can to enjoy and see what I can achieve. It’s an honest sport, marathon.
“You can’t come in here without having done the work. I’d like to think a bit of my triathlon training will convert to that. But I know it won’t have the same bearing that hard long miles will have on the legs.
“With London, my biggest competitor is myself. Just trying to achieve what I’d like to achieve. What I’m training to achieve.”
The big fear for Olympic triathlon king
Yee, who also spoke out on the video about a brush with death earlier in his career, admits he has one big fear when it comes to London – getting swamped as runners surge the drinks stations along the world famous course, and missing out on vital nutrition.
He said: “That is one of my big fears at the moment, that experience is something I haven’t experienced. But then it seems unique to every race.”
How Yee goes will be interesting to watch – and could impact on his plans for the rest of the year. Asked by Mellor whether he plans to go back to triathlon after London, Yee said: “Not sure how I will come off this, the emotions of it. I’d like to do a little bit more running right now. We’ll see that how that goes.”
If he’s successful, then we could see Yee taking on another marathon challenge, with Mellor recommending New York, which takes place in November.
