Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Endurance Sports & Country Walking 1

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four amateur runners sharing their intense motivations and the gruelling training required to complete their very first marathon.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Which person

1   decided to take on the challenge to celebrate a specific age-related milestone?

2   mentions that a desire to support a worthy cause kept them going?

3   experienced a profound psychological barrier during a particularly long practice session?

4   had to overcome a severe medical issue before attempting the distance?

5   admits they had to battle against unforgiving weather conditions during their runs?

6   completely changed their nutritional habits to cope with the physical demands?

7   wanted to serve as a positive role model for their family members?

8   states that balancing preparation with a demanding profession was their biggest hurdle?

9   implies that the fear of a public failure stopped them from giving up?

10   relied on a running companion to help them maintain an appropriate speed?

From the Sofa to the Finish Line

A Liam

When my grandfather passed away from a rare heart condition, I knew I had to do something meaningful to honour his memory. I signed up for the city marathon to raise funds for the hospital ward that cared for him. The sheer weight of that responsibility was the only thing that stopped me from throwing in the towel. If I hadn’t made that commitment, I would have certainly given up. My training schedule kicked off in the dead of winter, which meant my morning runs were plunged into darkness and freezing temperatures. Plodding through torrential rain and icy winds at 5:00 AM tested my resolve to the limit. Some days, the wind chill was so brutal I could barely feel my fingers. However, knowing that people had generously sponsored me meant that skipping a session simply wasn’t an option. I had taken it for granted that the physical exertion would be the hardest part, but battling the unforgiving elements was the true test of endurance.

B Maya

Two years ago, I was involved in a severe car accident that left me with a fractured pelvis. The doctors warned me that I might never run again, which absolutely shattered me. Determined to prove them wrong, I set my sights on completing a marathon. I quickly realised that sheer willpower wouldn’t be enough; I had to completely overhaul my lifestyle. I cut out all processed foods, focusing entirely on lean proteins and complex carbohydrates to aid my muscle recovery, a stark contrast to my previously terrible eating habits. Furthermore, because of my past injuries, I had a terrible tendency to start too fast and risk exhaustion. Consequently, I convinced a veteran runner friend to accompany me on my weekend long runs. She acted as my human metronome, ensuring I didn’t push beyond my limits too early. Having someone there to rein me in and dictate my rhythm was absolutely crucial. Without her guidance, I would have undoubtedly injured myself again.

C Ben

Approaching my fortieth birthday, I was struck by a sudden wave of panic about my declining fitness. I decided that crossing the finish line of a marathon would be the ultimate way to celebrate entering a new decade and prove I wasn’t over the hill just yet. In a moment of foolish bravado, I loudly announced my goal to the entire office. Once the word was out, backing out was impossible; the thought of facing my colleagues’ sympathetic smiles if I quit was more terrifying than the running itself. The most gruelling aspect, however, was squeezing the mileage into my chaotic life. Working sixty-hour weeks as a corporate lawyer meant I was constantly exhausted. I frequently found myself pounding the pavements at midnight after late-night meetings, desperately trying to hit my weekly mileage targets. If I had known how demanding the juggling act between my career and training would be, I might have reconsidered, but my stubbornness ultimately got me through.

D Chloe

I have three young daughters, and I noticed they were becoming increasingly glued to their screens, reluctant to participate in any physical activities. I realised that if I wanted them to embrace an active lifestyle, I had to lead by example. The journey, however, was anything but smooth. I will never forget my twenty-mile training run; it was a defining moment. Around mile sixteen, I completely ran out of energy and hit the dreaded ‘wall’. It felt as though my legs were encased in concrete, and a heavy cloud of despair washed over me. I sat on a curb, genuinely convinced I couldn’t take another step, crying out of sheer frustration. It was a profound internal battle against my own crippling self-doubt. Ultimately, picturing my girls waiting for me at the upcoming finish line was the only thing that pulled me out of that dark place. That breakthrough taught me that endurance is fundamentally a mental game, not just a physical one.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four individuals describing the mental “wall” they hit during a long-distance run and the psychological tricks they used to push through it.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   focused their thoughts on a challenging intellectual activity?

2   relied on the anticipation of a specific reward awaiting them?

3   was driven by a feeling of gratitude towards their loved ones?

4   divided the route into a series of much shorter stages?

5   encountered their mental barrier sooner than they had anticipated?

6   experienced severe muscular discomfort that threatened to stop them?

7   struggled with the deceptive feeling of the finish line being far away despite being close?

8   notes that their particular coping mechanism might actually cause stress for other runners?

9   drew strength from words of wisdom previously shared by a mentor?

10   chose to completely ignore the data on their fitness tracker?

Pushing Through the Pain: Beating the Marathon Wall

A Mark

Everyone talks about hitting the dreaded wall at mile twenty, so I was completely taken aback when my legs turned to lead just fifteen miles into my last marathon. I hadn’t anticipated struggling so early on, and panic immediately set in. My brain was screaming at me to stop and just walk. To get through it, I realised I had to stop looking at the GPS watch on my wrist, which was constantly reminding me of my slowing pace. Instead, I started playing a game of mental bargaining. I told myself I just needed to make it to the next water station. Once there, I’d promise to keep jogging until the next set of traffic lights. By strictly dividing the daunting distance into these tiny, achievable segments, the overwhelming scale of the race faded away. If I had focused on the eleven miles I still had left to run, I would undoubtedly have dropped out right there and then.

B Sarah

For me, the mental wall isn’t necessarily about physical exhaustion; it’s the overwhelming boredom that strikes around the eighteenth mile. You’ve been running for hours, and your mind desperately craves a distraction. During my last race, I found myself spiralling into negative thoughts about my aching calves. To snap out of it, I forced my brain to undertake some heavy lifting. I started multiplying two-digit numbers in my head and trying to recall the exact lyrics to my favourite albums from start to finish. I know a few fellow athletes who claim that doing complex arithmetic while running would only make them more anxious, but for my racing style, it works perfectly. It demands so much concentration that you simply don’t have the mental capacity left to process the physical fatigue. Before I knew it, I had chewed up three miles without even noticing the scenery passing by.

C David

The wall hit me like a ton of bricks at mile twenty-one. I was suddenly seized by excruciating cramps in my thighs, and the pain was so intense that I genuinely believed my race was over. Walking over to the pavement, I was on the verge of tears. What ultimately pulled me through wasn’t a magic energy gel or a pep talk, but a profound sense of indebtedness. I had spent months fundraising for a charity, and my family had sacrificed their weekends to support my rigorous training schedule. I decided to dedicate each of the remaining five miles to a different person who had helped me along the journey. Whenever the urge to quit flared up, I would remind myself that mile twenty-two was for my wife, and twenty-three was for my brother. It sounds somewhat clichéd, but drawing on that deep gratitude gave me a burst of adrenaline that my exhausted muscles couldn’t provide on their own.

D Emma

You would think that having only three miles left would be a massive relief, but for me, mile twenty-three is where the true psychological battle begins. The finish line feels deceptively distant, and every step feels like wading through thick mud. When that despair washed over me in my last race, I remembered something my old athletics coach used to tell me: “You run the first half with your legs, and the second half with your imagination.” Taking those words to heart, I began to vividly picture the aftermath of the race. I didn’t think about the medal; instead, I focused entirely on the massive, greasy burger and salty chips I was going to devour once I crossed the line. I imagined the smell, the texture, and the taste in meticulous detail. Relying on that mouth-watering prospect acted as a powerful distraction, effectively overriding the temporary agony I was enduring.

Exercises:   123456