Or at least I was. Then I had this conversation:
Me: How many times have you actually been out and done a
road run in the last ten weeks?
Steve (evasive): Oh, a few. Ummm. I’ve been to the gym quite
a bit. You know. TreadmillMe: Sure, but not for ages. And anyway, treadmills are different. How much street running have you done?
Him (still evasive): Yeah, some. <Sigh> Ok, about 4
Me: 4?? Long runs?
Him: ‘Bout 30 minutes.
Me (bit worried about his knees): I really think you should
go out today and see how you go – we only have a week left
Him (resigned): Yeah, good idea. I’ll go now
50 minute pause
It really doesn’t seem fair that after 10 weeks of grinding misery with flashes of only a bit awful to keep me going I am still not 100% sure that I’m going to be able to run the full 10k whereas the git I’m married to does a few half-hearted jogs around town and somehow retains a level of running ability that I am unlikely to see in my lifetime.
And don’t give me any tortoise/hare shit because although
it’s true that Steve could sleep on a fencepost if he wanted to, he isn’t
likely to in the middle of the 10k and will prance happily over the finish line
a good 20 minutes before I do.
Mind you, considering how much I’ve hated the training so
far, the 10k has come round mighty quick and I find myself wishing for a few
more days to prepare.
It’s next Sunday. The longest run I’ve done in my
preparation (and possibly the best run I’ve done, if it’s possible to rank 42
horrible things to find a best) is 67 minutes. Although I’d dearly like to
achieve my target of 1 hour 15 minutes, I’m not expecting to do it on this
occasion – I shall be happy with 1 hour 20 and have signed up for a second 10k
in September that I hope to do faster.
And I guess, despite the misery and the fear that I’ll fail
and the grinding boredom of the training, it has actually helped to take people’s
advice and look at how far I’ve come.* I began my training with Walk/Run of 3
minute intervals. When I started, I had never in my life run for longer than 30
minutes. 5 weeks ago, a 25 minute run had me puking in the gutter. Today, 25
minutes is my ‘short’ run. I am a little bit faster. I can run for a lot longer.
And there was this one time....just one.... I was 45 minutes in to a
67 minute run about 10 days ago, and I suddenly realised that I was on
autopilot. I realised my breathing was steady, my legs were fine and I was just
getting on with it. I only about 67%** hated it, I could probably keep going
for a very long time*** if necessary and I was actually…well…reasonably
comfortable****.
Of course every run since that point has felt worse than
ever, because running appears to be a bitch that way. But I hold on to that
moment and I think I can do a 10k. I’m nervous and anxious and feel a bit sick.
I’m stressed about the fact that I still don’t have my race pack because the
‘organisers’ of the Great British 10k would struggle to organise their way out
of a paper bag (“Powered by Nike” my arse, powered by two idiots in a basement
without a clue about customer service is more like it) but I am not going to
give up and hide under the duvet.*****
And if I can’t run all the way this time, I will try again another time. And
again, until I do. And then I’ll do the half marathon. And if I don’t get that
right the first time I’ll keep going til
I do.
And, incidentally, my legs are looking bloody great******
PS Thank you so much to those of you who have sponsored me so far - I really appreciate it. I'm running for Brook - more info in the top right corner there - and you can sponsor me at www.justgiving.com/hilliershitthetarmac
* You see, Steve, Anna, Penny, Huw, Vicky, Dave – I do listen.
** 98%
*** A bit longer if I really had to
**** Not weeping
***** Probably
****** Apparently
** 98%
*** A bit longer if I really had to
**** Not weeping
***** Probably
****** Apparently
Love your footnotes – love the sparkly asterisks - when you run, puffs of colourful asterisks chase each other around in the speech bubbbles above your head and, as each foot lands, multicoloured sparkling asterisks burst and light up all our lives. Thank you!
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